Navigation Controls

Master keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls for navigating the 3D visualization.

Astrolabe provides intuitive controls for exploring your project's dependency graph in 3D space.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Command Palette

ShortcutAction
Cmd+K / Ctrl+KOpen Lens Picker

The Lens Picker lets you switch between visualization modes (Full Graph, Namespaces, Ego Network, etc.) with a quick search interface.

Undo/Redo

ShortcutAction
Cmd+Z / Ctrl+ZUndo
Cmd+Shift+Z / Ctrl+Shift+ZRedo
Ctrl+Y (Windows/Linux)Alternative Redo

Editing

ShortcutAction
Cmd+S / Ctrl+SSave positions
EnterConfirm node name editing
EscapeCancel editing / Close dialogs

Lens Picker Navigation

When the Lens Picker is open:

KeyAction
/ Navigate lens list
EnterSelect highlighted lens
EscapeClose picker

Mouse Controls

3D Navigation

ActionDescription
Left Click + DragRotate the view
Right Click + DragPan the camera
Scroll WheelZoom in/out
Click on NodeSelect and focus

Node Interaction

  • Single Click - Select a node, showing its details
  • Double Click - Focus view on node and its connections
  • Drag Node - Reposition in 3D space (positions are saved)

Touch Controls

For touch devices:

GestureAction
One finger dragRotate view
Two finger pinchZoom in/out
Two finger dragPan camera
TapSelect node

View Modes (Lenses)

Access these via Cmd+K:

Canvas Lens

Interactive exploration mode with force-directed physics. Nodes can be freely positioned and the layout responds dynamically.

Full Graph Lens

Shows the complete dependency graph. Recommended for projects with 300 nodes or fewer.

Namespaces Lens

Groups nodes by namespace for large projects (300+ nodes). Configurable depth from 1-4 levels.

Ego Network Lens

Radial layout centered on a selected node. Shows nodes within N hops (1-5, default 2).

Import Tree Lens

Hierarchical top-down view showing what a selected node depends on (ancestors).

Dependents Lens

Hierarchical bottom-up view showing what depends on a selected node (descendants).

The search functionality helps you find specific declarations:

  • Type in the search bar to filter by name
  • Results update as you type (fuzzy matching)
  • Click a result to focus on that node
  • Search works across all namespaces

Tips

The Lens Picker (Cmd+K) is the fastest way to navigate. Use it to quickly switch between focused views and the full graph.

Hold Shift while dragging to constrain rotation to a single axis.

Node positions are persisted - arrange your graph once and it remembers the layout.