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Relationship graph

The relationship graph shows your book's whole web of connections as one interactive map: a node for every Story Bible entry and a colour-coded line for every relationship. It is the third visual planning view next to the Arc View (timeline) and the Storyboard (pacing).

What it does

Every Story Bible entry (character, setting, item, plot point, lore) becomes a draggable node, shaped and coloured by its type. Every relationship you record between two entries becomes a directed, labelled line in the relationship's colour. You can build new relationships by dragging between nodes, delete them by clicking a line, jump straight to an entry, rearrange the whole map and keep that arrangement, reset it, and export the picture as a PNG.

The colour legend matches the Arc View:

  • ally: green
  • rival: red
  • family: blue
  • mentor: purple
  • romantic: pink
  • neutral: grey

How to use

Open the graph

  1. Open the book in the editor.
  2. In the chapter sidebar, click Beziehungsgraph (Relationship graph). The button is shown when the Story Bible is active.
  3. The URL switches to ?view=relationships, so the view is deep-linkable and the browser Back button returns you to where you were.

When the book has no Story Bible entries yet, the view shows a short hint instead of a graph. Add a few characters, settings and so on first, then reopen it.

Read the map

  • Nodes start laid out evenly around a circle. The circle grows with the size of your cast so nodes do not overlap.
  • Each node carries the entry name and a type icon, in the entry's type colour.
  • Each line points from the source entry to the target entry, carries the relationship type as its label, and is drawn in that type's colour with an arrowhead.
  • Use the on-canvas controls (bottom corner) to zoom in or out and to fit the whole graph back into view.

Create a relationship

  1. Hover over the source node and drag from its connection handle onto the target node.
  2. A small dialog opens. Click one of the relationship-type buttons (ally, rival, family, mentor, romantic, neutral). The default selection is ally.
  3. Optionally type a short note in the note field.
  4. Click Hinzufügen (Add). The relationship is stored on the source entry and appears immediately as a new line.

If a relationship between the same two entries already exists in that direction, creating a new one replaces it, so there is only ever one line per pair and direction.

Delete a relationship

  1. Click the line you want to remove.
  2. Confirm the prompt. The relationship is deleted and the line disappears.

Jump to an entry

  • A single click on a node opens a detail panel showing the entry's name, type and relationship count.
  • In the panel, click Im Editor öffnen (Open in editor) to open the entry in the Story Bible editor, or Auftritte anzeigen (Show appearances) to see where the entry appears.
  • A double click on a node opens that entry directly in the Story Bible editor.

Rearrange, reset and export

  • Drag nodes to lay the map out the way you think about your story. Positions are saved automatically per book and are restored the next time you open the graph.
  • Click Layout zurücksetzen (Reset layout) to drop your custom positions and return to the automatic circular layout.
  • Click Als Bild exportieren (Export as image) to download the current graph as a PNG file (relationship-graph.png), handy as an overview graphic or for sharing.

Where to find it

Book editor, chapter sidebar, the Beziehungsgraph button (shown when the Story Bible is active). Direct URL: the editor with ?view=relationships.

Tips

  • Relationships are directional. Drag from the entry that "has" the relationship toward its target, for example from a mentor to a student.
  • The note you add when creating a relationship is a good place for a one-line reminder of how the two are connected.
  • A node with many lines is a hub of your story. If a key character has no lines yet, that is a hint to record their connections.
  • Lay related entries near each other before exporting the PNG, so the exported overview reads at a glance.