Getting started
A new map has one central topic. Name it, press Return to add the first branch, and keep typing: Return adds a branch beside the current one and Tab adds one below it.
Make a map
- Choose File > New. The map opens with an empty central topic.
- Type the topic’s title and press Return to finish it.
- Press Return again. On the central topic this adds a branch to it; on any other branch it adds a sibling beside that branch.
- Type the new branch’s title. Press Return to finish it, or Tab to finish it and start a child below it in one step.
A branch you have just finished is selected but no longer being edited. That is the state in which the arrow keys move between branches and Delete removes one.
Edit, move and remove branches
- Edit a title: double-click the branch, or select it and press ⌘Return. Press Esc to stop editing.
- Add a line break inside a title: press ⇧Return while you edit.
- Move a branch: drag it onto another branch to make it a child there, or use ⌘↑ and ⌘↓ to move it among its siblings and ⌘← and ⌘→ to outdent or indent it.
- Delete a branch: press ⌫ to delete it with everything below it, or ⌥⌫ to delete it and keep its children.
- Undo: ⌘Z undoes any change to the map, and ⇧⌘Z redoes it.
Formatting in titles works as it does in a word processor: ⌘B for bold, ⌘I for italic and ⌘K to add a link. The file stores it as Markdown, and the map shows it as formatting. Keyboard shortcuts lists every command.
Open a Markdown file you already have
Choose File > Open and pick any Markdown file. A nested list opens as a map: each top-level item is a main topic and each indented item is a branch below it. Numbered lists work too and keep their numbers. Everything in the file that is not a list, such as paragraphs, headings, code and tables, is kept exactly as it was when you save.
Save
Press ⌘S. The save panel offers two formats:
| Format | What you get |
|---|---|
| Markdown | A plain .md file. Positions, colours and connections go in a small companion file beside it. This is the default. |
| Graphmark Map | A .graphmark package, which the Finder shows as one file. It holds the Markdown, the companion file and your pictures together. |
Choose Markdown when the map belongs in a folder of notes, such as an Obsidian vault. Choose Graphmark Map when you want one self-contained file to send to someone. Your map is a Markdown file explains both in detail.
The window
- The map is in the middle.
- The document pane on the left shows the same file as text, formatted as you type. Open and close it with ⌥⌘E or the Document button in the toolbar.
- The inspector on the right has three tabs: Style, Layout and Theme. Open and close it with ⌥⌘I.
- Find (⌘F) searches the whole map.
- Press / when no text is being edited, or choose Node > Commands…, to search all commands by name.
Help > Graphmark Help (⌘?) opens these pages.