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Relationship Charts

Relationship charts let you visualize the connections between your story elements as an interactive graph. See how characters relate to each other, which locations connect, and how your story world fits together at a glance.

Creating a Chart​

  1. Right-click in the project tree sidebar (or use the + button)
  2. Select New Relationship Chart
  3. Give it a name (e.g., "Character Web", "Family Tree", "Faction Map")

The new chart appears in the project tree alongside your documents and elements.

A relationship chart showing characters and locations connected by labeled edges

Display Modes​

Charts support two population modes, configurable in the sidebar:

All Mode​

Shows every element in your project that has at least one relationship. This is great for getting an overview of your entire story world.

Curated Mode​

Lets you hand-pick which elements appear on the chart. Use this to build focused visualizations like:

  • Family trees — select only characters related by familial bonds
  • Faction maps — select faction members and their allegiances
  • Location networks — map out spatial relationships between places

To add elements in curated mode, click the Add button (➕) in the Elements section of the sidebar and select the elements you want to include.

The Sidebar​

The sidebar contains all chart configuration options. Collapse it with the close button to give the graph more space, and expand it again with the panel button on the left edge.

Layout​

Choose how nodes are arranged:

LayoutIconBest For
ForceScatterOrganic graphs where clusters form naturally
TreeAccount TreeHierarchical relationships (org charts, family trees)
CircularRingEvenly-spaced arrangements, good for small groups
GridGrid ViewDense graphs, comparing many elements
RingsTargetCentrality-based, most connected nodes at center

Mode​

Switch between Curated and All population modes (described above).

Elements (Curated Mode)​

When in curated mode, this section lists the elements currently on the chart. You can:

  • Add elements — click the ➕ button to open the element picker
  • Remove elements — hover over an element and click the ✕ button

Relationship Types​

Filter which relationship types appear on the chart. Click a type chip to toggle it:

  • Highlighted chips are active — those relationship types are shown
  • Muted chips are filtered out
  • Click the clear filter button to show all types again
The relationship chart sidebar showing layout, mode, elements, and relationship type filters

Interacting with the Graph​

  • Zoom — scroll wheel or pinch
  • Pan — click and drag the background
  • Select — click a node to highlight its connections

Nodes​

Each node represents an element:

  • Color indicates the element type (characters, locations, items, etc.)
  • Size reflects the number of connections
  • Images appear on nodes that have a cover image set
  • Drag any node to reposition it

Edges​

Lines between nodes represent relationships:

  • Color matches the relationship type
  • Labels show the relationship name
  • Hover over an edge to see full details in a tooltip

Exporting​

Export your chart as an image for use outside Inkweld:

  1. Click the download button (in the sidebar header or collapsed strip)
  2. Choose Export as PNG for a standard image or Export as High-Res PNG for a 3× resolution version

Tips​

  • Start with "All" mode to see the big picture, then switch to curated mode to focus on specific clusters
  • Use relationship type filters to isolate categories — e.g., show only familial relationships to see a family tree
  • The demo project includes a pre-built "Character Web" chart you can explore right away
  • Charts are lightweight — they read from your existing elements and relationships, so there's no data duplication
  • The sidebar collapsed/expanded state persists across sessions

Previous: Relationships — Define connections between elements.