Available translations
loading results
Nodes Menu
Summary: Each node has a menu featuring several arrangement, relationship, and productivity features.
Hovering the mouse pointer over nodes causes a menu to pop up. In this situation, the node is in focus.
Arrangement Features
The design space functions under the paradigm of a self-organizing workspace in which nodes tend to find their place guided by certain arrangement properties that you may control from the node's menu.
Level of Freedom
Foundations->Concept->Pinned Node->Definition
The node is pinned to the workspace on a specific [x, y] coordinate. This status overrides any other setting affecting the node’s mobility. Only direct user action by clicking and dragging may move a pinned node.
Foundations->Concept->Unpinned Node->Definition
When a node is unpinned, it is free to be affected by other settings, or find its place floating on the workspace.
Foundations->Concept->Freeze Structure of Nodes->Definition
Clicking the freeze option freezes the node’s chain connections with its parent and offspring. Connecting lines turn blue. If you freeze the head node of a hierarchy, then the whole hierarchy is frozen. Freezing node structures is effective only when nodes are loose, that is, when they are not affected by angle or distance settings and are unpinned. In such cases, freezing releases CPU resources, as the system stops calculating node’s positions and status.
Foundations->Concept->Unfreeze Structure of Nodes->Definition
Clicking the unfreeze option unfreezes connections. If you click the option to unfreeze a node and the node does not change its status, it may be because a higher node in the hierarchy is still frozen.
Visibility
Foundations->Concept->Collapse Structure of Nodes->Definition
Clicking the minus button collapses the structure, hiding offspring nodes. This also has the effect of releasing CPU resources as the system stops calculating their position and status. In general, it is good practice to keep hierarchies closed when not being actively worked on.
Foundations->Concept->Expand Structure of Nodes->Definition
Clicking the plus button expands the structure of offspring nodes.
Angle to Parent Node
Foundations->Concept->Remove Angle to Parent Node->Definition
The rotational symmetry is disabled and the node may take any position. The connection line with its parent is yellow.
Foundations->Concept->Set Angle to Parent Node to 360 Degrees->Definition
The node is locked to a rotational symmetry around its parent node, with sibling nodes using the same setting. The symmetry spans 360 degrees, and the connection line with the parent node turns orange.
Foundations->Concept->Set Angle to Parent Node to 180 Degrees->Definition
The slot of the symmetry around its parent node is limited to 180 degrees, and the connection line remains orange.
Foundations->Concept->Set Angle to Parent Node to 90 Degrees->Definition
The slot of the symmetry around its parent node is limited to 90 degrees, and the connection line remains orange.
Foundations->Concept->Set Angle to Parent Node to 45 Degrees->Definition
The slot of the symmetry around its parent node is limited to 45 degrees, and the connection line remains orange.
Distance to Parent Node
Foundations->Concept->Remove Distance to Parent Node->Definition
The distance setting is disabled and the node may assume any distance to its parent.
Foundations->Concept->Set Distance to Parent Node to One Fourth->Definition
The node is locked to 0.25X of the distance.
Foundations->Concept->Set Distance to Parent Node to One Half->Definition
The node is locked to 0.5X of the distance.
Foundations->Concept->Set Distance to Parent Node to One->Definition
The node is locked to 1X of the distance.
Foundations->Concept->Set Distance to Parent Node to One and a Half->Definition
The node is locked to 1.5X of the distance.
Foundations->Concept->Set Distance to Parent Node to Two->Definition
The node is locked to 2X of the distance.
Arrangement Style
Arrangement Style
The following options affect how a node is arranged around or in relation to its parent.
Important: The current implementation of this feature is not optimal, and the behavior of some of these options is hard to predict. If you are a developer, this may be a good opportunity to iterate on the existing code and take this feature to a more usable state.
Foundations->Concept->Set Node Arrangement to Concave->Definition
The node adopts a slot on a circumference around its parent node. In the icon’s graphic, the orange dot represents the parent node, and the blue dots represent the node adopting the specific arrangement style.
Foundations->Concept->Set Node Arrangement to Convex->Definition
The node adopts a slot on a convex curve away from its parent node.
Foundations->Concept->Set Node Arrangement to Vertical Right->Definition
The node adopts a slot on a vertical line to the right of its parent node.
Foundations->Concept->Set Node Arrangement to Vertical Left->Definition
The node adopts a slot on a vertical line to the left of its parent node.
Foundations->Concept->Set Node Arrangement to Horizontal Top->Definition
The node adopts a slot on a vertical line below its parent node.
Foundations->Concept->Set Node Arrangement to Horizontal Bottom->Definition
The node adopts a slot on a horizontal line below its parent node.
Relationships and References
Detach Node
Foundations->Concept->Detach Node->Definition
Breaks the parent-offspring relationship that keeps the node attached to its parent. Once detached, the node is no longer computed as part of the hierarchy it was attached to.
Delink Node
Foundations->Concept->Delink Node->Definition
Removes the reference that may have existed between the node and a second node.
Productivity Features
Backup Entity
Foundations->Concept->Backup Entity->Definition
Downloads a JSON file with the entity, which may be to whole Workspace or a node, including references concerning the particular node and its offspring. Use this feature to save your entire workspace or any particular structure of nodes within your workspace so that you may later restore the information, including all references, should you need to. For your reference, the file downloaded is named Backup followed by the name of the entity you are backing up.
Clone Entity
Foundations->Concept->Clone Entity->Definition
Downloads a JSON file containing information similar to a backup. The main difference is that the feature is built to facilitate the production of identical copies of any particular structure of nodes, or a complete hierarchy. Use this feature to accelerate your work process when you need to replicate nodes, for example, to create multiple testing sessions. The file downloaded is named Clone followed by the name of the node you are cloning.
Share Entity
Foundations->Concept->Share Entity->Definition
Downloads a JSON file containing information similar to a backup. The only difference is that no personal information is included. This is particularly important so that you do not share sensitive information accidentally, such as your API keys. Always use this function when you intend to share work. Do not share your backups. The file downloaded is named Share followed by the name of the entity you are sharing.
Delete Entity
Foundations->Concept->Delete Entity->Definition
Deletes the node and all its offspring. A confirmation in the form of an additional click is required.