Canvas > Using dot to make complex arrow connections in Canvas

[buxtehude]

I love using canvas, but I am finding the arrow connection behavior is kind of limiting, and the overlapping nature can quickly make the diagram messy. For example, I was trying to replicate this same graph I made in draw.io. And you see the problem.

Original draw.io diagram

I tried to replicate the same in Canvas

I love how I can manipulate connections in draw.io, but I guess that will be hard to implement in Obsidian. So I’d like to suggest a simpler solution for more complex arrow/connection work. And this is straight out of the VFX app Nuke.

As you can see, the dot serves a single purpose, to connect two or more different connections. And hopefully, this will be much easier to develop.

[ggs]

Use case or problem

Canvas Edges can be messy.

Proposed solution

Unreal Engine is a good example of using reroute nodes to good effect.

Current workaround (optional)

Add an empty node and shrink it as small as it will go as seen here:

Better Canvas Integration - Tagging files in group

[GroupsForTaggins] I hacked together a proof of concept and have been using it to great reward. This also illustrates the need for redirect nodes (like in Unreal Engine for example).

[HeavenIdeas]

I was wondering if there has been any news on this. As canvas becomes more and more a part of our workflow I think this feature becomes more and more important. I’m glad other people were asking for this

[buxtehude]

As a temporary workaround, I scaled a note card as small as possible and link them like this. Yes it gets tedious, not as intuitive as how the dot behaves in Nuke but ok for temp workaround. Eventually I wish Obsidian will implement something.

[Danbren]

bump. +1

[Vodis]

Use case or problem

When using canvas to develop ideas, it would be really helpful if I could draw an arrow to another arrow. Sometimes the relationships between objects themselves become objects for other relationships. E.g. A --hates–> B, this hate from A to B causes C ({A->B} → C).

Also it would be really useful to attach things to arrows, so that they are also moved when the arrow moves. I think this could be done in one go.

Proposed solution

I’m not sure how it is implemented exactly but if it is just (start_point, end_point) then it might be possible to add a property to that with a percentage (where on the arrow) where an attachment point is generated. Then to this we could attach arrows and cards.

Current workaround (not really)

Could maybe do an empty card as a dummy to get an attachment point, but it would not move with the arrow and be pretty clunky besides.