Nimbalyst Mindmap

Nimbalyst Mindmap is a canvas-first mindmap editor for Nimbalyst. It stores maps as markdown-based .mindmap files, so the same document stays readable in plain text, editable in source mode, and usable from AI tooling.

Highlights

• Freeform spatial editing on an infinite canvas
• Markdown-backed .mindmap files with a simple, readable structure
• Outline-style hierarchy plus node metadata, notes, tags, and status
• AI tools and Claude plugin support for creating and editing mindmaps
• Continuous keyboard capture: Enter for siblings, Tab for children, and spatial arrow navigation
• Hybrid layout that preserves manually positioned nodes, plus balanced and right-logical structures
• Focus mode, searchable notes/tags/links, inline note previews, unified document/URL/tracker links, and collaborator editing badges

Keyboard workflow

• Tab: create and immediately edit a child
• Enter: commit and continue with a sibling
• Shift+Enter: create a sibling above (or insert a line break while editing)
• Shift+Tab / Alt+Tab: outdent / indent
• Cmd/Ctrl+Up/Down: reorder siblings
• Arrow keys: navigate spatially
• Space: collapse or expand a branch
• Cmd/Ctrl+F: search; Enter and Shift+Enter move through results
• Cmd/Ctrl+.: focus the selected branch
• ?: show the complete shortcut reference

AI integration

The editor publishes the selected node as Nimbalyst chat context. AI tools can read a bounded branch with mindmap.get_context and apply a generated or reorganized branch atomically with mindmap.apply_operations; aliases allow later operations in a batch to refer to nodes created earlier in that same batch.

File Format

.mindmap files are standard markdown with one root heading, optional frontmatter, and nested structure built from headings and lists. Node metadata can carry colors, status, tags, one related link, and pinned coordinates without making the outline opaque. A link can target a workspace document, URL, or tracker item ({link: nimbalyst://NIM-123}); tracker links resolve live metadata in Nimbalyst. See examples/ and the Claude skill in claude-plugin/ for format examples.

Development

Requirements:

• Node.js 20 or newer
• A compatible Nimbalyst build
• @nimbalyst/extension-sdk

Local commands:

npm install
npm test
npm run build

This repository contains the standalone extension source. If you are working from the main Nimbalyst project, use that project's extension build and marketplace publishing workflow.

For extension-specific development notes, see CLAUDE.md.

Repository Layout

• src/ extension source
• examples/ sample .mindmap files
• claude-plugin/ Claude command and skill definitions
• mockups/ screenshots and visual assets

License

Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.