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Forgive us! These docs are a work in progress. Some pages may be incomplete or describe features that aren't quite finished yet. Farkitect is in early development and we don't recommend using it for real work just yet. Feel free to explore — just be aware that things are still being built.

Editing Diagrams

In this tutorial, you’ll refine the Application Cooperation diagram from earlier — improving its layout, routing edges with manual waypoints, nesting elements, and navigating with the keyboard.

Prerequisites: You’ve completed Your First Diagram and have the diagram open.

What you’ll build: A polished version of the Application Cooperation diagram with clean edge routing and well-arranged elements.

1. Selection Basics

Section titled “1. Selection Basics”

Click an element on the Canvas to select it. You’ll see selection handles (small squares) around the edges.

  • Click an element to select it
  • Click the background to deselect everything
  • Shift+Click to add an element to the selection (multi-select)
  • Drag a selection rectangle across the background to select all elements within the area
  • Ctrl+A / Cmd+A to select all elements on the diagram

When you select an element on the Canvas, the Properties panel updates to show its details, and the Explorer highlights it too — selection is synchronized across all panels.

2. Move and Resize

Section titled “2. Move and Resize”
  • Drag a selected element to move it
  • Drag the edge handles of a selected element to resize it
  • Moving or resizing multiple selected elements moves or resizes them all together

Try rearranging your three Farquind application elements into a neat row or triangle layout.

3. Undo and Redo

Section titled “3. Undo and Redo”

Every change on the Canvas can be undone:

  • Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z — undo the last change
  • Ctrl+Shift+Z / Cmd+Shift+Z (or Ctrl+Y) — redo

The undo/redo stack is per-diagram. You can undo back to the last saved state.

Remember: diagram changes aren’t saved automatically. Press Ctrl+S / Cmd+S to save when you’re happy with the layout.

4. Edge Routing with Waypoints

Section titled “4. Edge Routing with Waypoints”

By default, edges route as straight lines between elements. For more complex diagrams, you’ll want to control the path an edge takes.

  1. Click on the edge between FQ Orders and FQ Vessels to select it
  2. With the edge selected, you’ll see a draggable point along the edge
  3. Drag that point to create a waypoint — a bend in the edge
  4. You can add multiple waypoints by dragging at different points along the edge

Waypoints let you route edges around other elements, create orthogonal (right-angle) paths, or simply make the diagram easier to read.

To remove a waypoint, select it and press Delete.

5. Adding More Elements to the Diagram

Section titled “5. Adding More Elements to the Diagram”

Let’s add the elements you created in the Explorer tutorial to this diagram.

  1. In the Explorer, find FQ Manufacturing (under Manufacturing Systems)
  2. Drag it from the Explorer onto the Canvas
  3. It appears as a new node on the diagram — position it where you want

Repeat for FQ Insights and any other elements you’d like to include. You can also drag elements from the Palette if you need to create new ones.

6. Nested Elements

Section titled “6. Nested Elements”

Some elements logically contain others. On the Canvas, you can nest elements inside a parent element.

  1. Drag one element on top of another and release it inside the parent element’s bounds
  2. The parent element auto-resizes to contain the child
  3. The child element moves with the parent when the parent is moved

To unnest an element, drag it out of the parent’s bounds.

Nesting is a visual grouping on the diagram — it doesn’t change the element’s position in the Explorer package tree.

7. Keyboard Navigation

Section titled “7. Keyboard Navigation”

When a diagram is open, you can navigate between elements with the keyboard:

  • Tab — select the next element on the diagram
  • Shift+Tab — select the previous element
  • F2 — start editing the selected element’s name inline on the Canvas
  • Delete — remove the selected element from the diagram (the element still exists in the model)
  • Ctrl+Delete / Cmd+Delete — delete the element from the model entirely (with confirmation)
  • Escape — cancel the current operation or deselect

8. Zoom and Pan

Section titled “8. Zoom and Pan”
  • Scroll wheel — zoom in and out
  • Ctrl+0 / Cmd+0 — fit the diagram to the viewport
  • Ctrl+1 / Cmd+1 — reset zoom to 100%
  • Drag the background — pan across the diagram

9. Save

Section titled “9. Save”

Press Ctrl+S / Cmd+S to save your layout changes.

What You’ve Learned

Section titled “What You’ve Learned”
  • How to select, multi-select, move, and resize elements on the Canvas
  • How to undo and redo changes
  • How to route edges with manual waypoints
  • How to drag elements from the Explorer onto the Canvas
  • How to nest and unnest elements
  • Keyboard navigation with Tab, F2, Delete, and Escape
  • Zoom and pan controls

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”