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Node Groups

Groups let you visually organize related nodes by drawing a colored background behind them. Use groups to separate quest stages, conversation branches, or any logical section of your graph.

Creating a Group

  1. Select two or more nodes (box select or Ctrl-click).
  2. Right-click on the canvas.
  3. Select Group Selected from the context menu.

A colored rectangle appears behind the selected nodes with a label.

Managing Groups

Groups appear in the left panel under the Groups section (only visible when at least one group exists).

Each group has:

Field Description
Name Editable label displayed on the canvas
Color RGB color picker for the background rectangle

Click the delete button to remove a group (nodes inside are not affected).

Ungrouping

  1. Select one or more nodes that belong to a group.
  2. Right-click and select Ungroup.

This removes the group but keeps all nodes in place.

Visual Appearance

  • Groups render as semi-transparent colored rectangles below connections and nodes.
  • The group label is displayed at the top of the rectangle.
  • Group bounds are calculated from the positions of member nodes.

Collapsing Groups

Groups can be collapsed to hide all their member nodes behind a single compact header. This is useful for hiding completed sections or reducing clutter on large graphs.

  • Collapse: Right-click on the canvas inside a group and select Collapse Group
  • Expand: Right-click the collapsed group and select Expand Group

When collapsed:

  • All member nodes and their internal connections are hidden
  • The group renders as a compact header showing the group name and node count (e.g. "Quest Offer (12 nodes)")
  • Connections from outside the group to hidden nodes are drawn with reduced opacity
  • The group uses its configured color as the header background

Tip

Collapsing a group with 50+ nodes can significantly reduce visual clutter and improve canvas responsiveness.

Tips

Tip

Use groups to label sections of a long dialogue: "Introduction", "Quest Offer", "Reward", etc. This makes complex graphs easier to navigate.

Tip

Groups are saved in the .talenode project file but are not included in the exported JSON — they're purely for editor organization.