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Zoom Mode

Zoom Mode allows you to preview any note directly within the graph view without leaving the visualization. Click any node to enter zoom mode and see its content inline.

Entering Zoom Mode​

Click a Node​

From normal view:

  1. Click any node in the graph
  2. Zoom mode activates
  3. Preview panel appears at bottom
  4. Node is highlighted with focus indicator

Already in zoom mode:

  1. Click a different node
  2. Focus switches to that node
  3. Preview updates instantly
  4. No need to exit and re-enter

Focus Indicator​

The focused node is highlighted with:

  • Thicker border (3px)
  • Bright blue border (#2563eb)
  • Higher z-index (appears above other nodes)

Exiting Zoom Mode​

Three ways to exit zoom mode:

  1. Click focused node again - Click the same node that's currently focused
  2. Command: "Toggle Focus Content" or "Toggle Focus Frontmatter"
  3. Click outside the graph and preview area

Zoom Preview Panel​

The preview panel appears at the bottom of the graph view and contains two sections:

Frontmatter Section​

Shows the node's frontmatter properties in a formatted view.

Features:

  • Property names on the left
  • Property values on the right
  • Wiki links are clickable
  • Arrays shown as bulleted lists
  • Objects shown as nested properties
  • Empty properties hidden (if setting enabled)
  • Underscore properties hidden (if setting enabled)

Height: Controlled by Zoom Preview Frontmatter Height

Content Section​

Shows the note's markdown content (body text, excluding frontmatter).

Features:

  • Rendered markdown - Headings, lists, etc. are formatted
  • Clickable links - Wiki links and external links work
  • Scrollable - For long content
  • Readable formatting - Proper line spacing and typography

Height: Controlled by Zoom Preview Height

Toggling Visibility​

Each section (frontmatter and content) can be toggled independently.

Eye Icons​

Two eye icons appear in the zoom preview header:

  • Left icon: Toggle frontmatter visibility
  • Right icon: Toggle content visibility

Click to toggle:

  • Open eye (👁️) - Section is visible
  • Closed eye (👁️‍🗨️) - Section is hidden

Default Visibility​

Configure default visibility in settings:

Zoom: Hide Frontmatter by Default

  • true - Frontmatter starts hidden
  • false - Frontmatter starts visible (default)

Zoom: Hide Content by Default

  • true - Content starts hidden
  • false - Content starts visible (default)

Commands​

You can also toggle visibility with commands:

"Toggle Focus Content (Zoom Preview)"

  • Shows/hides the content section
  • Only works when in zoom mode

"Toggle Focus Frontmatter (Zoom Preview)"

  • Shows/hides the frontmatter section
  • Only works when in zoom mode
Hotkeys

Assign hotkeys to these commands for quick toggling (Settings → Hotkeys → Nexus Properties)

Wiki links in frontmatter or content are clickable:

In frontmatter:

  • Click a wiki link
  • Graph switches focus to that node
  • Preview updates to show the linked note
  • Stays in zoom mode

In content:

  • Click a wiki link
  • Same behavior as frontmatter links
  • Navigate through your notes without leaving zoom mode

External links:

  • Open in browser
  • Zoom mode stays active

Clicking Other Nodes​

While in zoom mode:

  1. Click any other node in the graph
  2. Focus immediately switches
  3. Preview updates instantly
  4. No need to exit/re-enter

Clicking Edges​

Click an edge (line between nodes):

  1. Focus switches to the target node
  2. Preview updates
  3. Stays in zoom mode

Useful for quickly navigating relationships.

Keyboard Navigation​

Navigate with arrow keys while in zoom mode:

⬆️ Up Arrow - Navigate to parent node

  • Follows incoming edges (parent-child relationships)
  • Moves to the source of the first incoming edge
  • Useful for moving up hierarchies

⬇️ Down Arrow - Navigate to child node

  • Follows outgoing edges (parent-child relationships)
  • Moves to the target of the first outgoing edge
  • Useful for exploring children and descendants

⬅️ Left Arrow - Navigate to node on the left

  • Finds the closest node positioned to the left
  • Uses spatial positioning in the graph
  • Prioritizes horizontal distance

➡️ Right Arrow - Navigate to node on the right

  • Finds the closest node positioned to the right
  • Uses spatial positioning in the graph
  • Prioritizes horizontal distance

Tree Navigation (Folder Notes Only)​

⏎ Enter - Navigate to next tree root (right)

  • Only works in folder notes graphs (hierarchical mode)
  • Jumps to the root of the next tree to the right
  • Wraps around to the first tree when at the last tree
  • Useful for reviewing multiple independent hierarchies

⇧ Shift+Enter - Navigate to previous tree root (left)

  • Only works in folder notes graphs (hierarchical mode)
  • Jumps to the root of the previous tree to the left
  • Wraps around to the last tree when at the first tree
  • Complements Enter for bidirectional tree traversal

How it works:

  1. Enter zoom mode by clicking any node
  2. Use arrow keys to navigate between nodes
  3. Use Enter/Shift+Enter to jump between tree roots (folder notes only)
  4. Preview updates automatically as you navigate
  5. Keyboard shortcuts are disabled when typing in search/filter inputs

Zoom Preview Configuration​

Panel Height​

Control how much space the preview takes:

Zoom Preview Height (120px - 700px, default 280px):

  • Smaller: More graph visible, less content shown
  • Larger: Less graph visible, more content shown
  • Adjust based on your screen size and workflow

Zoom Preview Frontmatter Height (50px - 300px, default 90px):

  • Smaller: Fewer properties visible, more scrolling
  • Larger: More properties visible, takes more space
  • Adjust based on typical frontmatter size

Configure in settings

Property Display​

Hide Empty Properties:

  • Enabled: Empty/null values don't show in preview
  • Disabled: All properties shown, even if empty

Hide Underscore Properties:

  • Enabled: Properties starting with _ are hidden
  • Disabled: All properties shown, including internal ones

Configure in settings

Use Cases​

Quick Reference​

Scenario: Reviewing project tasks

  1. View project in "Hierarchical" mode
  2. Click each task to preview details
  3. Check status, notes, links
  4. No need to open each file

Benefit: Fast overview of entire project

Note Navigation​

Scenario: Following a trail of connected ideas

  1. Start at a concept note
  2. Enter zoom mode
  3. Click links in frontmatter/content
  4. Navigate through related concepts
  5. Stay in graph context

Benefit: Visual navigation path, never lose context

Content Review​

Scenario: Reviewing notes for completeness

  1. Filter to show specific notes
  2. Enter zoom mode on first note
  3. Review frontmatter and content
  4. Click next node to continue
  5. Toggle sections as needed

Benefit: Efficient batch review

Relationship Exploration​

Scenario: Understanding connections

  1. View in "All Related" mode
  2. Click each node to preview
  3. See what properties they share
  4. Understand why they're related
  5. Follow links to dig deeper

Benefit: Discover patterns and connections

Tips & Tricks​

Keyboard Navigation​

  1. Use arrow keys for hands-free navigation:
    • Up/Down: Navigate parent-child relationships
    • Left/Right: Navigate spatially positioned nodes
    • Fast traversal without mouse
  2. Use Enter/Shift+Enter in folder notes:
    • Enter: Jump to next tree root (right)
    • Shift+Enter: Jump to previous tree root (left)
    • Quickly review multiple independent hierarchies
  3. Assign hotkeys to toggle commands:
    • Toggle Focus Content
    • Toggle Focus Frontmatter
  4. Combine keyboard and mouse:
    • Arrow keys for quick traversal
    • Enter/Shift+Enter for tree jumping (folder notes)
    • Mouse clicks for jumping to distant nodes
  5. Efficient workflow without constantly reaching for mouse

Two-Panel Workflow​

  1. Keep zoom mode open for preview
  2. Double-click nodes to open in new tab
  3. Edit in tab, preview in graph
  4. Best of both worlds

Hide Distractions​

  1. Hide frontmatter if you only care about content
  2. Hide content if you only care about properties
  3. Toggle as needed for focused viewing

Size Optimization​

Small screens:

  • Reduce preview height (180-220px)
  • Reduce frontmatter height (60-80px)
  • More graph space

Large screens:

  • Increase preview height (400-500px)
  • Increase frontmatter height (150-200px)
  • See more at once

Performance​

For large files:

  • Hide content section when not needed
  • Reduces rendering overhead
  • Faster node switching

Troubleshooting​

Preview Not Showing​

Check zoom mode active:

  • Look for highlighted node (blue border)
  • Click node to enter zoom mode

Check panel height:

  • May be set too small
  • Increase in settings
  • Minimum 120px

Check file exists:

  • Deleted files can't be previewed
  • Orphaned nodes have no content

Content Not Rendering​

Check markdown syntax:

  • Invalid markdown may not render
  • Check file directly in Obsidian

Check file not empty:

  • Empty files show blank preview
  • Check that content exists

Check visibility toggle:

  • Eye icon may be closed
  • Click to show content section

Check link format:

  • Must be valid wiki links [[note]]
  • Or valid markdown links [text](url)

Check link target exists:

  • Broken links may not be clickable
  • Verify target file exists

Check not in edit mode:

  • Links only clickable in preview mode
  • Zoom mode is always preview mode

Slow Performance​

Large files:

  • Hide content section when not needed
  • Or reduce preview height

Many properties:

  • Enable "Hide empty properties"
  • Hide frontmatter when not needed

Frequent switching:

  • Normal - rendering takes time
  • Consider increasing animation duration for smoother feel

Next Steps​