Navigate the graph

Graph navigation is independent from chat scrolling. You can move around the canvas while the selected path stays open, then choose a different node when you want the chat pane to change.

Pan the canvas#

Drag an empty area of the graph to move the canvas. Start the drag outside a node so you do not change the selection. When graph-navigation mode is active, panning keeps keyboard focus on the current node so you can continue with the Arrow keys immediately. Panning is useful when a graph has several distant branches or when the docked chat pane reduces the visible canvas width.

Zoom and fit#

Use a mouse wheel or trackpad gesture to zoom. On touch screens, pinch with two fingers. When graph-navigation mode is active, press + or - to zoom in or out.

Press 0 or double-click empty canvas to run the same fit-visible operation. Empty-canvas fitting preserves keyboard focus on the current node. Press F to frame the selected node and its ancestor path. Outside synthesis selection mode, double-clicking a conversation node runs that fit-active-branch operation for the node you clicked. During synthesis selection mode, double-clicking a node toggles its synthesis checkbox instead. Double-clicking another control does not fit the graph.

The standalone ? button in the bottom-right corner of the graph opens the keyboard-shortcut reference. You can also press ? while a graph node has focus.

The graph chooses an initial fit that keeps the content inside the available canvas. On desktop, opening a chat card from the closed state keeps the current zoom and recenters the selected node in the canvas area beside the card. Selecting another node while the card is already open, or closing the card, does not automatically fit or recenter. Mobile keeps its existing separate Graph-to-Chat transition.

Select and open paths#

• Desktop: click a node to select and open it.
• Mobile: tap to select; double-tap to open the conversation path.
• Change path: choose any other node. The pane updates without closing the graph.
• Clear the workspace view: close the chat pane with X. The selected node remains meaningful in the graph.

Focus is the node that keyboard commands will act on; selection is the node whose chat path is open. A focus outline identifies keyboard focus, while the graph's emphasized nodes and connecting edges identify the selected relationship path.

Opening a node intentionally moves focus into its chat pane. Press Alt+G (Option+G on macOS) from anywhere outside an open dialog to center the selected node and enter graph-navigation mode. If there is no visible selected node, the shortcut centers and focuses the conversation root. On mobile, it opens the Graph view first. Graph nodes are not part of the normal Tab sequence. While graph-navigation mode is active, later chat, route, and graph-rendering updates cannot take focus from the current node; Tab and Shift+Tab are disabled, and Enter or Space is the explicit handoff into the chat pane.

While a node has keyboard focus, Arrow Up moves to its visible parent and Arrow Down moves to its first visible child. At a root or leaf, the unavailable move does nothing. Arrow Left and Arrow Right move to the previous or next sibling without wrapping. This keeps vertical movement within the current branch; choose a sibling before descending when you want a different branch. Each move immediately updates that node's open chat path while keeping keyboard focus in the graph, including after the chat pane and route finish updating. Press Enter or Space when you want to hand focus from the selected graph node to the chat pane.

Collapse large branches#

Nodes with children have a collapse control. All children start expanded. Collapsing a node removes its descendants and related file nodes from layout and rendering; the badge reports how many nodes are hidden. Nested collapse choices are retained when a parent is reopened. Left and Right Arrow are reserved for sibling navigation and do not collapse or expand nodes.

Collapse, keyboard focus, and viewport are saved in this browser for each member and conversation. A reload or conversation switch restores valid saved state. Deleted or inaccessible nodes are discarded from it. A routed link, search result, deletion fallback, or newly created node takes priority over saved focus and expands any ancestors needed to reveal its target.

Follow branch relationships#

Clicking a node emphasizes it, its related nodes, and the connecting path. Hovering another node temporarily moves that same emphasis to the hovered relationships; moving away restores the clicked-node emphasis. Use branch colors as a quick guide, but rely on connecting edges to determine the actual parent and child structure. A custom color is organizational metadata; it does not change the context path.

Recover when you feel lost#

1. Close the chat pane to maximize the canvas.
2. Zoom out until the root and major branch points are visible.
3. Find the pastel branch family you were using.
4. Select its most recent leaf node.
5. Reopen the chat path and verify the last user prompt before sending.

For very large graphs, collapse branches you are not using, use conversation search to find known text, and press F to fit the active branch. Concise titles and purposeful branch starting points still make both the graph and search results easier to scan.

With reduced motion enabled, viewport changes happen without smooth animation.