Best Practices

Quick, crystal-clear diagrams

Do:

1. Keep Nodes & Connections spaced out

2. Align & Distribute Nodes (select multiple Nodes > Arrange menu on the right)

3. Keep View > Grid & Guides on

4. Try to keep a Vertical or Horizontal hierarchy of your systems

5. Use colour schemes to format your Nodes

6. Use Colour Coded Resources to keep Resource flows separate

7. Group subsystems (select multiple Nodes > Right Click > Group)

8. Do not clutter your diagrams with unnecessary elements and text

9. Do not use Comic Sans. Because you can't :)

🎇 Tips

1. Select a diagram Node, then DoubleClick / Alt+DoubleClick on a New Node in the left Machinations Panel to instantiate it on the diagram and automatically connect it via a Resource / State Connection.

2. Zoom in/out ALT+Scroll

📖 For more shortcuts, check out:

Shortcuts

3. Drop Nodes on loose Resource Connections to auto-link

4. Use the Waypoints Presets to organise your diagrams

5. Add systems to My Library and use them later by drag&dropping them into any other diagram

6. Use Groups to declutter your diagram

7. Export Multiple Run data sets: https://docs.machinations.io/charts#exports

8. Use Layers (View>Layers / Ctrl[Cmd]+Shift+L) for selecting & locking content

9. Use Outline (Ctrl[Cmd]+Shift+O) like a mini-map to navigate through larger diagrams

10. Duplicate/Delete with Connections