nodes and wires

A canvas is made of nodes. A node holds one thing, such as a note, a picture, a model or a table. A wire carries what one node produces into an input of another.

add a node

From the dock. The dock sits at the bottom of the canvas. Press the + on its left to open the list, then click an item to drop it in the middle of the view, or drag an item to where you want it.

item	makes
Text	a text node, see notes, text and zones
Image, Video, Audio	an empty file node waiting for an upload; see files and media
Sticky note, Zone	annotations
Sandbox	a live app or script: live apps
3D model	a parametric model: 3D overview
Animation	animation studio
Image composer	image composer
Video editor	video editor
Design (2D), Design (3D)	design scripts
Models	opens the model browser; a model becomes a node: model nodes
Assets	opens the asset browser: nested canvases and the library

The dock's pixie button next to + lists the pixies on this canvas and adds a new one; see meet the pixies. On a pipeline canvas the list is different: Add process, Input, Output, Sticky note, Postie and Table; see build a pipeline.

By right-clicking empty canvas: Add Text, Add Image, Add Model, Add Sandbox, Add 3D model, Add Asset, Add Sticky Note, Add Zone, Add Pixie, plus Auto layout once the canvas has two or more nodes. The node lands under the pointer. On a pipeline canvas the menu offers Add process, Add input, Add output, Add Sticky Note, Add Postie and Add Table.

By pasting or dropping. Paste with <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>V</kbd>, or drag files from your computer onto the canvas:

• an image on the clipboard becomes an image node
• text becomes a text node
• a PDF becomes a document node
• a SuperSplat link becomes a Gaussian splat
• copied nodes paste as copies

Dropped files become image, video, audio, 3D model, JSON or PDF nodes. A KiCad board or project zip opens as a PCB model. Anything else is refused with a message listing what is accepted.

From the palette. <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>K</kbd> lists Add text node, Add image node, Add Op (model), Add Pixie, Add Sandbox (code) and Add 3D model, and searches models and library items too.

wire nodes together

Every node shows its connection points as handles. Inputs are on the left, outputs on the right.

1. Drag from an output handle.
2. Drop on an input handle. A wire appears.

You can also start from the input and drag back to an output. A wire that does not fit is refused: the connection never snaps.

Select a wire and press <kbd>Backspace</kbd> or <kbd>Delete</kbd> to remove it.

let go on empty canvas

If you release a wire on empty canvas, ixi creates the node you most likely wanted:

• from the output of a text node or a file node (text, image, video or audio), a menu of tasks opens at the drop point: Generate image, Generate video, Remove background, Upscale image, Animate to video, Make 3D model, Vectorize, Describe image, Transcribe and more, depending on what you are holding. Pick one and then a model; it lands there, already wired.
• from an image, video or audio input, a picker opens over your asset library, with a blank upload node as the last option.
• from a text, number, yes/no or JSON input, a text node appears, pre-filled with the input's current value so you edit rather than start blank.

typed ports

Every handle has a type, so ixi can tell you at once whether a wire fits.

type	carries
text	a string: a prompt, a note, a .json file's contents
media	image, video, audio, a 3D model file, or an opaque file such as a PDF, DXF or Gerber
number	an integer or decimal
boolean	yes/no
json	structured data

Rules worth knowing:

• Media must match its subtype: an image output does not fit a video input.
• A PDF or other document goes only into a file input, never into a picture slot.
• A model's input types come from the model itself, so a model with an audio input accepts audio and nothing else.
• Some inputs convert: a 3D model's parameter accepts text such as "20mm" or a number from JSON.
• When ixi cannot know a type, it allows the wire.

nodes with several outputs

A 3D model has one output handle for each export its recipe declares, labelled by format: a PNG renders as an image, STL and GLB as 3D model files, a DXF as a file. A process node returns its declared outputs, and a pipeline's Output nodes are its ports. Wiring from the bare node takes the first one.

move, select, delete

• Drag a node to move it; drag its corner to resize it.
• <kbd>Shift</kbd>-drag on empty canvas draws a selection box; <kbd>⌘</kbd>-click or <kbd>Shift</kbd>-click adds to a selection.
• <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>D</kbd> duplicates the selection, <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>C</kbd> and <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>V</kbd> copy and paste it.
• <kbd>Backspace</kbd> or <kbd>Delete</kbd> deletes the selection. <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>Z</kbd> brings it back.

limits & good to know

• Uploads are limited to 95 MB each.
• Zoom runs from 5% to 250%.
• Duplicating a node never copies its results; the copy starts with an empty tray.
• A canvas you can only view does not accept changes.

related

• files and media
• navigation and shortcuts
• model nodes