Relational Canvases

Create and open a Canvas

Open Scopes, select a Scope, and open Representations. Choose New Canvas to add a representation of that Scope.

Multiple Canvases can represent the same Scope with different positions, connector routes, and viewports. The Canvas header returns to its parent Scope and lets you switch between that Scope’s other Canvases.

Adding a node to Canvas also adds it to the Scope. Removing it from Canvas keeps it in the Scope. To remove Scope membership, return to the Scope’s Nodes tab. After confirmation, the node is removed from every Canvas representing that Scope. The project node and its data remain intact.

Move around Canvas

Use the toolbar at the bottom and controls on the right:

Select (V) selects and moves items.
Hand (H) pans the canvas. Hold Space for temporary panning.
Toggle the grid with G or the grid control.
Toggle element labels, selection highlighting, zoom, or reset the view from the right rail.

Drag empty space with Select to marquee-select. Hold Shift while selecting to add to the current selection. Arrow keys nudge selected nodes; Shift plus an arrow uses a larger step. Nudges are available in Undo and redo history. Arrow and removal keys ignore Cmd, Ctrl, and Alt; Shift applies only to the larger arrow-key step.

Selection highlighting keeps the selected node and its connections prominent by dimming unrelated items. Turn it off from the right rail or the empty-canvas context menu when you need the whole layout at full contrast.

Place a node

Choose Add node to canvas, then click a position.
In the centered modal, search for an existing project node, or continue to create one. The node is placed at the canvas position you clicked.
If creating, select or create its type, enter values, and confirm.

With search focused, use ↑ and ↓ to move through available nodes, Home or End to reach either end, and Enter to choose. Create node also works with an empty search, opening a blank draft. Nodes already on the Canvas are unavailable. Creation is unavailable while the list is loading or has failed to load; Cancel closes the picker. Closing these creation dialogs returns keyboard focus to the Canvas.

Drag a node or a multi-selection to arrange it. Double-click a node to open its detail page. Right-click for Open, Rename, or Remove from canvas.

Rename edits the node’s name on its card. Press Enter to save, or move focus away to save the first attempt. Press Esc to cancel. Focusing a clipped name field brings its card into view. Enter and Escape ignore modifier keys and wait until text composition has finished. The name stays visible and read-only while saving, and other Rename actions wait for that request to finish.

If saving fails, the Canvas shows a scrollable error and keeps your draft. Dismiss returns to the name field. Correct the name and press Enter to retry; moving focus away does not retry a failed save. Reopening Rename on the same node keeps that draft. Saving or cancelling returns focus to the Canvas unless you have moved to another control.

Connect nodes

Choose Connect nodes.
Select the source node.
Optionally click empty canvas positions to add route points.
Select a different target node.
In the centered modals, choose or create an edge type. Open Details to fill optional properties, then choose Connect or press Cmd/Ctrl+Enter.

The edge type picker uses the same search keys. To create a type, enter a name that does not already match an existing type. Creation is unavailable while types are loading or have failed to load.

In Connect nodes, Enter selects within the type picker; Cmd/Ctrl+Enter connects the nodes. Details keeps entered values when closed. An invalid property reopens it and focuses that field. The form waits for type details and locks its controls while connecting. If type details cannot load, use Reload type details. If connecting fails, the form focuses the error and keeps your choices for another attempt.

Select a connector to edit it. Double-click the path to add a waypoint, drag a waypoint or the edge label, and double-click a waypoint to remove it. Right-click a connector to open its relationship detail.

Relationship labels are keyboard controls: use Tab to reach a label and Enter or Space to select it. Esc clears that selection and returns focus to the Canvas. Keyboard focus brings clipped labels into view, zooming out only if the control cannot fit. Long type names are shortened on the label; hover to read the full name. Untouched labels on straight connections between the same nodes are spaced along their paths. Dragging a label keeps your chosen position; use waypoints or move labels when connections still overlap on a short path.

A failed deletion keeps the relationship and shows a scrollable error on the Canvas. Dismiss stays beside the error and returns focus to the Canvas. Select the relationship again to retry after the request finishes; repeated Delete presses while it is being deleted do not send another deletion.

Use Cmd/Ctrl+Z to undo. Use Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+Z (or Ctrl+Y) to redo.

Undoing the placement of an existing node removes only its Canvas placement. Undoing a newly created node or relationship removes it from the project graph. If deletion or restoration fails, the command remains available for another Undo or redo attempt after the request finishes. Changing layouts starts a new history; a late request cannot add commands to the new layout.

Node renames enter history after saving succeeds. If Undo or redo cannot save the name, it shows a Canvas error and keeps the command available to retry.

Right-click empty canvas space to add a node or connector, toggle the grid, labels, or selection highlighting, or reset the view. Layout edits and viewport position autosave.