Flowcharts

Map out story structures, character relationships, and connected ideas

Flowcharts in Plotiar let you create node-based diagrams for mapping out story structures, character relationships, plot progressions, world-building connections, or any system of linked ideas. Built on a professional diagramming engine, flowcharts give you smooth panning, zooming, auto-layout, and real-time collaboration on an infinite canvas.

Creating a Flowchart

You can add a flowchart to any project, just like a document or idea board.

1
Open your project
Navigate to the project where you want to create the flowchart.
2
Add a new flowchart
Click the "+" button in the sidebar and select "Flowchart" from the content type menu. Your new flowchart opens on an empty infinite canvas.
3
Start adding nodes
Double-click anywhere on the canvas to create your first node, or use the "Add Node" button in the toolbar. Give it a title, an optional description, and choose a color.
4
Connect your nodes
Hover over a node to see its connection handles. Click and drag from a handle to another node to create a connection (edge). You can also name the connection to describe the relationship.

TIP

Start with your main concept or protagonist in the center of the canvas, then branch outward. You can always rearrange later using auto-layout.

Nodes

Nodes are the building blocks of your flowchart. Plotiar supports three node types, each designed for a different purpose.

Standard Nodes

The most common node type. Each standard node has a title, an optional description, and optional tags for categorization. Choose a color to visually group nodes by theme, character, plot line, or any system that works for your project. Drag nodes freely to reposition them on the canvas.

Group Nodes

Container nodes that hold other nodes inside them. Use groups to organize related nodes into named clusters -- for example, grouping all scenes in an act, or all characters in a faction. Group nodes can be collapsed to hide their contents and expanded to reveal them, keeping large diagrams manageable.

Group Background Nodes

Visual region markers that sit behind other nodes on the canvas. Use them to define zones or areas without the container behavior of group nodes. They are useful for labeling parts of your canvas -- like "Act 1", "Act 2", "Act 3" -- without affecting node hierarchy.

•Edit a node by clicking on it to open its detail panel
•Change a node's color from the detail panel or the right-click context menu
•Add tags to nodes for quick identification and filtering
•Resize nodes by dragging their edges
•Delete a node by selecting it and pressing Delete or Backspace

Connections

Connections (also called edges) are the lines that link nodes together. They represent relationships, sequences, causes, or any meaningful link between two ideas.

Directional Arrows

Every connection has a direction indicated by an arrow. By default, connections point forward (from source to target). You can also set them to backward or bidirectional depending on the relationship. For example, a "causes" relationship might be forward, while a "related to" relationship might be bidirectional.

•Create a connection by dragging from one node's handle to another node
•Name connections to describe the relationship -- for example, "leads to", "betrays", or "depends on"
•Change direction by selecting the connection and toggling between forward, backward, and bidirectional
•Delete a connection by selecting it and pressing Delete or Backspace
•Connections automatically reroute when you move nodes, keeping the diagram clean

TIP

Named connections make your flowchart self-documenting. When you come back to a complex diagram weeks later, the labels on your connections tell you exactly how ideas relate without needing to recall the context.

Navigation

Flowcharts live on an infinite canvas, so navigation tools help you move around and stay oriented, especially in large diagrams.

Pan

Click and drag on an empty area of the canvas to pan. Hold the middle mouse button or Space + click to pan from any position, even over nodes.

Zoom

Scroll to zoom in and out. Use the zoom controls in the bottom-right corner for precise adjustment, or double-click the zoom percentage to reset to 100%.

Fit to View

Click the "Fit" button to automatically zoom and center the canvas so that all nodes are visible at once. This is especially useful after auto-layout or when opening a large diagram.

Mini Map

A small overview panel in the corner of the canvas shows your current viewport position within the full diagram. Click and drag inside the mini map to navigate quickly.

Auto Layout

When your diagram gets complex or messy, auto-layout automatically arranges all nodes into a clean, readable structure with a single click.

One-Click Layout

Click the "Auto Layout" button in the toolbar to reorganize your diagram. The layout algorithm respects your connections and creates a logical flow from top to bottom (or left to right). Nodes are spaced evenly, and crossing lines are minimized.

•Auto-layout works on the entire diagram or just the selected nodes
•Group nodes and their children are laid out together, preserving grouping
•After auto-layout runs, you can still move individual nodes to fine-tune the result
•Use Undo (Ctrl+Z) to revert the layout if you prefer the previous arrangement

TIP

Try running auto-layout periodically as you build your flowchart. It is easier to rearrange a few nodes after a layout pass than to manually manage positions for dozens of nodes.

Collaboration

Flowcharts support real-time collaboration, just like documents. When multiple people open the same flowchart, they can view and edit it simultaneously.

Real-Time Sync

Every change -- adding nodes, moving them, editing content, creating connections -- is synced instantly to all collaborators. There is no save button and no merge conflicts. The underlying conflict-free data structure ensures that simultaneous edits from different people are resolved automatically.

•See each collaborator's cursor position on the canvas in real time, each shown in a distinct color
•Node selections are visible to other collaborators, so you know who is editing what
•Presence indicators at the top of the editor show who is currently viewing the flowchart
•All collaboration features work across documents, flowcharts, and idea boards using the same underlying sync system

Collaboration roles (Owner, Editor, Viewer) apply to flowcharts the same way they apply to other content types. Editors can create and modify nodes, while Viewers have read-only access with full pan and zoom capabilities.