+1 This would add enormous value to Obsidian for me.
4 Likes
Hello,
I am just starting to use obsidian for testing and created about 30 notes to start with. I fixed a quarter of my screen to the graph view and pinned it.
I expected the graph view to be updated when I follow a link from my current note but nothing happens. I tried linking the graph view to that window but on change the graph is changed to an edit windows instead of a graph window.
What I would like to see is that for the current file you are working on that graph view is updated with the hoover for that current file active (so you very quickly see the connections that file has). I can imagine that when a graph is very large you even want some kind of zoom so only the linked files of your current files are visible. So the graph is readable without zooming.
Would this be a new feature or am I missing something in the graph setup. As it is now I do not see the advantage of the graph view, because when the number of notes/files is very large, it is a huge search to find even the current file in the graph.
Regards,
JeRoen
3 Likes
This is pretty straightforward I guess, but I would find it really helpful if there was a setting or plugin that made the files I have “open” in Obsidian highlighted with like a little glowy aura or a special color code or something when I’m looking at the graph view. I feel like it would help me trace interlinks better visually.
16 Likes
Also be interesting if the glowy aura ‘stacked.’ Such that the overlapping nodes between the files opened in different panes would be highlighted the strongest. This would make graph view so powerful for me, would allow you to visually search for intersections between different ideas.
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Agreed! I barely look at the full graph these days, it’s mainly local graph. I think this would add some serious value.
3 Likes
Is this the feature you are looking for?
If so, it is built into obsidian natively.
I hope this helps!
3 Likes
I did not know we have also a “local graph” view. This is great, thank you.
Use case or problem
Currently, when we navigate our vault, we can only see the current local graph. I don’t think there is a way to know where we currently are in the grand scheme of things other than zooming in the graph view and finding the title of the note(s).
If we had a way to know where we currently are, I think it will make it easier to see how a node connect in the bigger picture and create new connections.
Proposed solution
- When a note is being focused on/ active, make the corresponding node on the graph glows
- Make the connecting lines and nodes also glows, albeit a bit dimmer and maybe with different color
Extra:
- if we hover over a link, make node of the link also glow (with other color). Not sure how it would work with the infinite preview though.
- Maybe use different brightness/ color for links contained within the note, and backlinks pointing to that node
5 Likes
I create a similar entry, but better I support this one. It is a good Idea, and I should say mandatory because this way we can explore potential connections, not just verbally (via quick switcher) but visually. Otherwise the main graph view will be something useless as it grows in size and is imposible to locate the file we are working in.
The filter options in the graph view doesn’t help because they hide all the files not related to a search so we cannot explore all the potential connections, also the local graph view is not useful, as the main thing with exploring is not to see just the existing relationships.
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I think an easy way to help in the exploring connection stage is highlight in the whole graph view the file i’m working in, as actually happens when I pass over the cursor on any file in the graph view. This way we can see in real time any connection we create during our workflow.
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Other interesting alternative is that the filter search have the option to not hide the exiting files, but just highlight the matching files in the graph view.
2 Likes
I think is not. Because this only shows existing relationships. And the interesting think in seeing the whole graph view is finding potential ones.
5 Likes
+1. This is the way I expected it to work (along with a filter for limiting the locality of links to a specific number of levels, but that might be another feature request)
1 Like
+1. This would a very helpful feature. The orientation in the whole of the notes is an important factor when using Obsidian as a Zettelkasten. And since Obsidian works without »Zettelfolgen« (note sequences, in addition to links, as it is implemented in ZKN3) the orientation is all the more important. I recommend three features:
- bright glowy highlighting for the active note
- moderate glowy highlighting for all open notes
- command for
centering/focusing the active note
The local graph (wether by left-clicking on a node and choosing Open local graph or by directly in the note) is already very helpful. But as mentioned above the whole context with possible links is lost.
1 Like
Hello.
The graph is such a powerful tool and view. I feel that we could get a tone of more productivity out of it with some tweaks. Don’t get me wrong, I already think that it’s a great tool… It just could do even more.
I would love to be able to navigate the notes by clicking on the graph nodes without having to open a new panel.
We could have a special note “pin” or “linked” to the graph and when clicked on one of the nodes the note update to the selected node in the graph.
+1. Knowing where I am in the graph would make tracing connections between notes easier, especially as I’m a heavy user of daily notes and link in and out of them all the time.
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Man, I hope this come’s soon. It sounds like low effort high return to me
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2023 still nothing!
+1
2 Likes
Bump. This would be an awesome quality of life update. Context is so helpful and seems like the whole point of the graph view anyway. Very much like the idea of glowing node when a document is open and seems very easy to implement.
1 Like
I really hope we can get this. I know how useful this is because recently migrated from org-roam-ui which has this feature as default-- its amazing. The graph would zoom in to the node, highlighting connections, and smoothly move when you switched, giving a true sense of a 2d landscape. I would build up a map in my head of where everything was and how things were connected. My whole workflow would center round the graph, I would often be able to add new connections by seeing what was nearby and my motivation for creating and maintaining links was all about improving the the graph.
I thought that was the whole point of the graph-- not to make a pretty picture but to embed your thoughts in 2d space and use that embedding to discover insights? Lacking this one simple feature, the Obsidain graph is practically useless to me, and others have no idea what they are missing out on.
Please add this, it will be glorious.
1 Like
Hey @ryanjamurphy, thanks for the response. But no, the local graph does not do what we want at all!
The local graph only shows direct connections in a new subgraph. What we want is to learn our position in the context of the wider graph and discover new connections (not via direct links, but in the local background). In the following image, see the difference between the upper (local) and lower (global) graph. The global graph had a more persistent shape, and shows more information on how the node fits into the whole. (Note: the lower (global) graph is roughly the state I would expect to be automatically zoomed to.)
The global graph is currently hamstrung. Right now it’s a bit of a separate feature, rather than integrated with the core workflow of reading and writing. As the graph grows, nodes quickly become too small for labels, and as you’re not familiar with any parts of the local landscape, the graph doesn’t mean much to you unless you have been proactively studying/labeling it. It’s like if the minimap in a game showed you a huge landscape rather than your part of the map.
The easy solution is the graph should follow you around. Specifically:
- (already done) highlight the current node
- zoom to the local area (so you can see what’s around in the landscape)
- (bonus) highlight the local-graph connections
Like I said, this may sound like a throw-away feature, but it’s hard to put into words how transformative this was to my workflow with org-roam-ui (see a video of how it works here: org-roam-ui: follow your movements in emacs). I kept it open all the time for navigation (mostly replacing the file browser and TOC) and it also potentially removes the need to have two separate graphs, as the global graph can follow the local area.It feels really natural-- like you’re moving through the network, and it really does help familiarise the evolving landscape into you head, and think in terms of its layout and structure. This doesn’t really happen with the local graph because it changes too much and hides too much. May I also add that as well as being useful, this looks super cool and dynamic.
Let me know if there’s any way I can support this becoming a reality.
2 Likes