Canvas Roots transforms your Obsidian vault into a powerful genealogy workspace. Import GEDCOM files, manage relationships through native Canvas visualizations, and export back to standard formats—all while keeping your research notes linked and accessible.
Core Features
- Native Canvas integration - Trees built from file nodes, every person links to research notes
- GEDCOM import/export - Full round-trip support with UUID preservation
- Automated layout - Four algorithms (Standard, Compact, Timeline, Hourglass) for different visualization needs
- Interactive preview - Pan, zoom, and verify layouts before generating canvases
- Bidirectional sync - Relationship changes automatically update both sides
- Obsidian Bases compatible - Bulk data management with pre-configured views
- Multiple spouse support - Track complex marital histories with marriage metadata
Who’s This For?
- Genealogists: GEDCOM workflow, relationship tracking, research organization
- Historians: Document family networks and dynasties
- World-builders: Fantasy lineages, political marriages, succession tracking
Get Started
Install via BRAT: https://github.com/banisterious/obsidian-canvas-roots
Documentation: User Guide | Roadmap
Feedback Welcome
Canvas Roots is in beta—core features are stable and production-ready. I’m particularly interested in hearing from:
- Genealogists: Missing workflows or GEDCOM compatibility issues?
- World-builders: What dynasty/faction features would help your projects?
- General users: Workflow pain points or confusing UI?
GitHub Issues | Demo Video
5 Likes
Features Added Since Beta
v0.5.0 - Canvas Navigation & Organization
- Split Canvas Wizard - Break large trees into manageable canvases with 6 split methods (generation, branch, lineage, collection, ancestor-descendant, surname)
- Surname extraction - Extract people by surname even without established family connections
v0.4.0 - Import Cleanup & Merge Tools
- Staging workflow - Safe import processing with isolated staging folder
- Merge wizard - Field-level conflict resolution when combining duplicate records
- Data quality tools - Quality scoring, issue detection, and batch normalization
v0.3.0 - Interactive Family Chart
- Family chart view - Pan, zoom, and edit relationships in real-time with bidirectional sync
- PDF/PNG/SVG export - High-quality exports with customizable filenames
v0.2.x - Core Features
- GEDCOM & CSV import/export - Full round-trip support with selective branch export
- Layout algorithms - Standard, Compact, Timeline, and Hourglass layouts
- Relationship calculator - Find connections between any two people
- Reference numbering - Ahnentafel, d’Aboville, Henry, and generation systems
- Smart duplicate detection - Fuzzy matching to find potential duplicates
- Collections & groups - Organize people and filter tree generation
- Per-canvas styling - Customize individual canvases with style overrides
- Bidirectional relationship sync - Automatic reciprocal link maintenance
Changed title to replace version number with “plugin”.
1 Like
More updates!
v0.5.2 - Geographic Features
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Place note creation with parent picker and coordinates
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Templater template support for person and place notes
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Place filtering and standardization
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Migration diagram with region aggregation and time filtering
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Geocoding lookup for coordinates
v0.6.0 - Interactive Map View and Expanded Export
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Leaflet.js map view with OpenStreetMap
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Custom map images with pixel coordinate support
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Map alignment editor for georeferencing images
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Route/journey visualization for life events
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Multiple marker types (birth, death, residence, etc.)
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GEDCOM X and Gramps XML export
v0.6.2 - Maps Tab
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Maps management tab in Control Center
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Create, edit, delete custom maps from UI
v0.6.3 - Schema Validation
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Schema definitions for person note validation
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Validation rules (required fields, types, constraints)
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Schemas tab in Control Center
v0.7.0 - World-Building Suite
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Custom Relationships - Define relationship types beyond family
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Fictional Date Systems - Create custom calendars (fantasy, historical)
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Organizations - Track memberships in groups, guilds, factions
Also, we have a wiki now!
