Conversation nodes and panel

Start and continue

Enter a question in an ask box. The question and streamed answer become one conversation node. Ask from that node to continue the same path.

The recording shows the three beats in order: select text → choose Explore → submit the branch question. This page explains interactions inside a node; see Interface overview for where each area sits.

Understand a conversation node

The node card supports quick scanning rather than every control:

• the top shows the question, role, and state;
• the body shows the active answer version;
• footer actions cover frequent operations such as continuing, regenerating, copying, and editing;
• each answer version records its model and generation time;
• an amber mark means upstream content changed after this answer was generated;
• semantic zoom folds the full card into a takeaway and then an icon marker.

Double-click the node for the complete panel. Use right-click for lower-frequency node actions.

Floating-panel areas

The panel floats above the right side of the canvas without moving nodes. Drag its left edge to resize it; double-click the edge to restore the default width.

Area	Purpose
Header status and actions	Inspect role, token, and material state, then use node-level shortcuts
Question	Read or edit the question; waiting nodes also receive their question here
Answer and versions	Read the full answer, switch versions, inspect the generating model, and explore or highlight selected text
Attachments	Add materials and control whether inherited attachments enter this context
Highlights	Pass full text, tag important passages, or pass highlights only; see Highlight and weave
Merge order	Reorder upstream blocks when several routes enter the node; see Control context
Context tree	Inspect the actual materials, references, conversation turns, and estimated tokens; see Inspect the next request
Follow-up	Continue this path; click the Will send summary line above the input to preview the next request

Explore from selected text

Select a useful phrase in an answer and choose Explore. ThoughtDAG creates an orange branch anchored to that selection. The original path stays intact while the new question opens another direction.

Use Explore to test another interpretation, investigate a detail without lengthening the main path, or compare prompts and models.

Edit a node

• Double-click the question to edit it.
• Use the pencil button at the end of an answer to edit that answer.
• Double-click the node to open its floating panel.

Editing upstream content can make dependent answers stale. ThoughtDAG marks them rather than silently presenting them as current.

Regenerate and compare

Regenerate in place adds an answer version to the same node. Use a new sibling node when the alternatives should remain visible side by side. See Versions, staleness, and replay.

Node right-click menu

The right-click menu holds lower-frequency actions. Interface overview: Nodes explains each item once, so this page only adds two state rules: available actions vary by node type and state, and right-click preserves the browser's native menu when text is selected. CLI actions hand work to Session Atlas; they do not automatically add an external session to the current context.