Automatically show folder structure in graph view

[George10]

I downloaded Obsidian yesterday and like it so far. However, I would like folders to be shown in the graph view: with the folder name being the “hub” and the files being linked, or just with the files shown clustered together instead of all over the shop.

I can get this to work manually with a “hub” file per folder and up: properties (or plain links) in every file, but would rather it be automatic.

I gather that this is only possible with a community plugin. Which are recommended as being reliable and safe?

I found a few forum topics asking for the same thing or discussing plugins:

• Graph View - Show Folders like Puddles of Water
• Waypoint - Automatically generate content maps of your folders!
• Graph view - can't see folders, only notes show as orphans
• Show folders as areas in the graph
• Please link folders to children in graph view
• Creating a graph based on Folders - plugin help
• Vault Orrery: a 3D graph view where folders are stars and notes orbit them
• Graph View Folders
• Graph View - Upgrade Ideas
• How do I make notes of the same group closer to each other in graph view?
• Stronger Forces Between Groups in Graph View
• Group force in graph view
• Base: Add a Graph View (put graph view in base's view menu)
• Create a graph based on the folder structure
• How to structure graph by folder structure?
• Smart Cluster Graph — Folder-based community clusters, strongest bridge links & line crossing avoidance
• Suggestions and ideas

[oeoe7744]

Hi George!!

Full disclosure first: I’m the developer of Vault Orrery, one of the topics you linked, so I’m biased. But your description is pretty much why I built it, so here’s an honest rundown.

What it does for your case

• Every folder becomes a “star” (the hub you described) and its notes orbit around it automatically. You don’t need hub files or up: properties.
• Notes from the same folder stay clustered together, so the layout follows your folder structure instead of being scattered all over the place.
• Your normal links are still drawn between notes on top of that. They come from Obsidian’s own link index, so aliases, embeds and inline #tags all count.

On “reliable and safe”

• It’s in the official Community Plugins directory, and the code is open source: GitHub - elliott-json-park/obsidian-vault-orrery: Your vault as a star system. Folders become stars, notes orbit them, and a Genesis timeline replays how your vault grew. Runs entirely offline. · GitHub
• It makes no network requests at all
• It doesn’t add anything to your notses.
• It respects your “Excluded files” setting.

Try it before installing: there’s a browser demo that runs the same engine. You can drop a folder of markdown onto it, and nothing gets uploaded: VAULT ORRERY II

Caveats: it’s desktop-only, and since it’s 3D it’s heavier than the core graph. On a big vault, press FAST.

Happy to answer questions, and feedback is very welcome.

[George10]

Thanks. I will have a look.

I like the idea that it’s a separate graph to the standard/core graph (if I understood it correctly) as I can see the benefit of sometimes ignoring folders when visualising links between files.