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Opening and Loading Data into the Link Chart

A Link Chart is an interactive graph visualization for exploring the connections between records. Instead of viewing records one at a time, a Link Chart places them on an infinite canvas as nodes and draws their Relationships as edges.

A Link Chart is itself a Workspace item. Save it, reopen it later, and share it with others through Workspace permissions, like any other file or record. When you save a Link Chart, Octostar persists the nodes and their positions, edges, groups, camera position, and active visual styles. When you reopen it, the chart appears exactly as you left it.

Draft Link Charts are temporary, unsaved explorations. Work with a graph without committing it to the Workspace, and save it only if the exploration proves useful. Unsaved nodes (records you have created on the canvas but have not persisted yet) are visually distinguished so you always know what still needs saving.

Loading data​

Build a Link Chart by adding records to the canvas. You can:

  • Search for records from the toolbar
  • Drag and drop records from a Workspace browser or search results
  • Paste records from the clipboard When you add records, Octostar can automatically discover and draw the Relationships between the new nodes and any records already on the canvas, so the graph fills in around your starting point.

To save your current work, click Save in the toolbar. Octostar will store the entire chart, including:

  • Nodes
  • Edges
  • Positions
  • Groups
  • Camera settings
  • Visual styles

Every significant action on the Link Chart—such as adding, deleting, moving, grouping, and laying out—is recorded in an undo stack. This allows you to navigate through your editing history using Undo and Redo options, which are also accessible via standard keyboard shortcuts.