Graphs Plus
jsmorabito80 downloadsA graph view that looks and behaves like the core graph, but can be opened several times, saved to .graph files, and extended.
- Overview
- Scorecard
- Updates4
A graph view for Obsidian that looks and behaves like the core graph view, with a few things core can't do:
- Open as many as you like. Each graph view keeps its own search, filters, groups, display and forces.
- Save graphs to files. A
.graphfile holds a view's settings, camera and layout, so it reopens looking the same. It works like.canvasand.basefiles: open it from the file explorer, rename it, link to it. - Sandbox graphs. Start from an empty graph and add notes by hand, or add a note together with the notes it links to.
- Extend it. Other plugins can recolor, fade and enlarge nodes and links through a small API.
Everything core offers is here too: the local graph, color groups, tag and attachment nodes, orphans, the timelapse animation, hover previews and the query search syntax (path:, file:, tag:, content:, line:, section:, [property:value], regex), with the same suggester.
Usage
Open a graph from the command palette, or turn on Show ribbon icon in the plugin's settings to get a ribbon button. Commands:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Open graph view | A graph of the whole vault |
| Open sandbox | An empty graph you add notes to |
| Open local graph | A graph around the active note, following it as you switch notes |
| Create new graph file | A new .graph file of the whole vault |
| Create new empty graph | A new .graph file that starts empty, like a sandbox |
| Save the active graph as a graph file | Saves the open graph view to a .graph file |
| Export the active graph as a canvas | Writes the graph's current layout to a .canvas file |
| Copy settings from the core graph into the active graph | Brings over your core graph's filters, groups, display and forces |
| Start timelapse animation | Core's animation, building the graph up in file-creation order |
| Search in the active graph | Focuses the graph's search box |
Right-click a folder for New graph, or a note for Open local graph in Graphs Plus.
By default, clicking a node opens the note, as in core. In the plugin's settings you can switch this to show a card with the note's links and a preview.
The .graph format
A .graph file is JSON. Its options use the same keys as core's .obsidian/graph.json:
{
"format": "graphs-plus",
"version": 1,
"mode": "vault",
"options": { "search": "tag:#project", "showTags": true, "colorGroups": [] },
"camera": { "scale": 1, "x": 0, "y": 0 },
"positions": { "Notes/Idea.md": [120.5, -40] }
}
mode can be vault, sandbox (with a members list of paths) or local (with a localFile). Nodes come from the vault every time the file opens, so positions only records where they were. Graphs Plus won't open or overwrite a .graph file that doesn't have "format": "graphs-plus".
API
const api = app.plugins.getPlugin("graphs-plus")?.api;
for (const graph of api.graphs()) {
graph.setOverlay("my-plugin", {
nodes: new Map([["Notes/Idea.md", { rgb: 0xe0a030, alpha: 1, sizeBoost: 4 }]]),
edges: new Map(),
dimAlpha: 0.3, // fade everything the overlay doesn't mention
});
graph.focus("Notes/Idea.md");
}
Each plugin paints its own named layer, and setOverlay(key, null) removes it. Edges are keyed by their two paths, sorted and joined with "\u0000" (edgeKey in src/overlay.ts). See src/api.ts and src/overlay.ts for the types.
Installing
Graphs Plus isn't in the community plugin list yet. To install it:
- With BRAT: add
jsmorabito/obsidian-graphs-plusas a beta plugin. - By hand: download
main.js,manifest.jsonandstyles.cssfrom the latest release into.obsidian/plugins/graphs-plus/in your vault, then turn the plugin on in Settings → Community plugins.
Development
npm install --legacy-peer-deps
npm run dev # watch build
npm run build # type-check and production build
npm test # Vitest
npm run lint
The graph logic (building the graph, search, filters, forces, the .graph format) lives in modules that don't import obsidian, so it runs under Vitest in Node.