LIANXU User Guide

Connecting people, worlds and untold stories.

This is the complete manual for LIANXU (连叙). It walks through every module: how each feature works, the details worth knowing, and the limits. If you're new, read LIANXU Getting Started first, then keep this guide at hand as a reference.

For LIANXU v0.2. Labels in bold are the ones you'll see in the English interface.

Contents

Part 1. Basics

1. About LIANXU
2. Getting and opening LIANXU
3. A tour of the screen
4. Managing worlds

Part 2. Characters and relationships

5. Characters
6. Relationships
7. Kinship inference and the kinship calculator
8. Factions and roles
9. Canvas, review view and arranging
10. The relationship timeline
11. Character forms
12. Multi-select and batch editing
13. Finding duplicates and merging

Part 3. The world

14. World profile
15. World entries
16. Templates
17. Location maps and markers
18. The world timeline and events
19. Graph

Part 4. Writing the story

20. Story and chapters
21. Writing the text
22. Find and replace, and rename hints
23. Character trails and footprints

Part 5. Drawn maps

24. Map basics
25. Drawing tools
26. Selecting, editing and arranging shapes
27. Symbols and custom symbols
28. Layers, trace images, references and moments
29. Measuring, area, scale and ways to travel
30. Linking, exporting and printing maps

Part 6. Tools

31. Search the whole world
32. World check
33. Working with AI
34. Exporting and sharing
35. Saving, backups and versions
36. Working offline and installing
37. Interface language

Appendices

• A. Keyboard shortcuts
• B. Capacity and limits
• C. FAQ
• D. Glossary

Part 1. Basics

1. About LIANXU

LIANXU is a local-first worldbuilding and story-writing tool. Start from one character and connect people, relationships, factions, places, events, maps and chapters into a complete world.

1.1 What it does

There are also tools for searching, checking your world for problems, working with AI, exporting world bibles and e-books, and keeping versions.

1.2 Principles

• No account: just open it. No sign-up, no login, no API key.
• Saved locally: everything stays in the browser you're using and is never uploaded to a server. LIANXU itself doesn't connect to the internet.
• Saved automatically: every change is saved as you go, and the top bar shows Saved locally.
• Undo almost anything: nearly every action can be undone, and automatically saved versions let you look back and restore.

2. Getting and opening LIANXU

2.1 Two versions

2.2 Browsers

• Chrome or Edge (latest) are recommended.
• Safari 16.4+ and Firefox 128+ also work.
• Phones and tablets work too; the layout adapts to narrow screens (see section 3.5).

2.3 Where your work is stored

⚠️ Please read this section.

• Your work is stored on this device, in this browser, at this web address.
• In another browser or on another device, you won't see it. Clearing your browser's site data deletes it.
• The online and offline versions, and different web addresses, don't share data.
• The only way to move work is to export a JSON backup in one place and import the JSON backup in the other.
• For the offline version, keep 连叙.html in one place and avoid renaming or moving it often. (Firefox treats a moved file as a different site, so your work looks missing; move it back and it reappears.)

2.4 The first time

The first time you open LIANXU it creates an editable sample world, Letters from Fog Harbor (a novel with 5 characters and 5 relationships). Practice there, or create a world of your own.

3. A tour of the screen

3.1 Layout on a computer

A top bar above three columns: sidebar · workspace · panel.

3.2 Top bar

From left to right:

3.3 Sidebar

• Six modules: Characters, World, Maps, Timeline, Graph, Story. The number next to each is how many items it holds.
• Lists: Characters | Relationships tabs switch between the character list and the relationship list; both can be searched and multi-selected.
• Add character (N).
• At the bottom: New world, Guide (?), and the 中文 / English switch.

3.4 The Characters toolbar

Above the character canvas is a row of tools:

At the top right of the canvas you switch between Canvas and Review view; at the bottom right are Auto arrange and the zoom buttons; at the bottom left are select / hand, add and fit-to-view.

3.5 Phones and narrow windows

• Below 900 pixels wide (phones, portrait tablets), the six modules become a tab bar at the bottom. Contents opens a drawer on the left (character list, Add character, New world, Guide).
• The panel becomes a drawer on the right.
• World and Timeline show list and details side by side on tablets; on phones you see one at a time, with Back to entries / Back to events at the top of the details.
• Graph hides its filters by default on narrow screens and shows details in a bottom drawer; drag with one finger, pinch to zoom.
• On phones, Versions is in the Export menu.

4. Managing worlds

4.1 Your worlds

Click My worlds in the top bar to see your worlds with their name, type, character count and when they were last edited. Click one to open it.

4.2 Creating a world

Click New world, choose a starting template, name it under Name your world, and click Create my world:

All except Blank world come with sample characters and relationships you can change freely.

4.3 Sample worlds

My worlds offers two samples:

• Try the feature tour: shows off kinship lines, factions, the timeline and more.
• Try the Thunderstorm demo (Chinese): a complete example built from Cao Yu's play Thunderstorm: 8 characters, 17 relationships (with family subtypes, inferred kinship and two-way relationships), nested factions, a "thirty years ago → the day of the storm" relationship timeline, an 11-event world timeline, items and concepts, two sample chapters, a drawn city map and location maps. It's the best place to explore features, though its content is in Chinese.

In an existing Thunderstorm world, an empty Story page offers Load Thunderstorm sample chapters, and an empty Maps page offers Load the Thunderstorm demo map.

4.4 Renaming, deleting and importing

• Rename: click the pencil next to the world name in the top bar.
• Delete: delete a world from My worlds. You'll be asked to confirm and offered a JSON backup first. A world's versions are deleted with it.
• Import: Import JSON backup at the bottom of My worlds, or Import JSON in the Export menu. An imported backup is added as a new world; it never overwrites an existing one.

Don't edit the same world in several browser tabs at once.

Part 2. Characters and relationships

5. Characters

5.1 Adding characters

• Add character at the bottom of the sidebar;
• Press N;
• Double-click an empty spot on the canvas (the character lands where you clicked);
• The "+" in the character list or on the canvas.

Each time, a character template picker opens first (section 16.1). The first card is a blank character: press N, then Enter for the fastest new character.

5.2 The character profile

Click a character to open the Character profile on the right. From top to bottom:

5.3 Custom fields and suggested fields

Under More details you can add any field (age, occupation, personality, motive…) and rename or delete it freely. LIANXU suggests common fields you haven't added yet; click one to add it.

Once a character has custom fields, Save these fields as a template lets you reuse them for new characters.

5.4 Character card

Character card in the profile downloads a portrait-format PNG card of the character: a header in their color, portrait, name, tags, summary, fields, faction memberships, relationships (with direction and a note excerpt) and their life events in order. If there's too much, it keeps the first items and notes how many more there are.

5.5 Duplicating and deleting

• Duplicate: select and press ⌘/Ctrl D.
• Delete: select and press Delete, or use Delete character at the bottom of the profile. If they have relationships, LIANXU tells you how many will go with them. Deleting applies to all moments and can be undone.

5.6 Character list and search

The sidebar's character list shows everyone. The search box at the top (shortcut /) searches names, summaries, tags and faction names. Click a name to jump to that character on the canvas.

6. Relationships

6.1 Creating a relationship

Three ways:

1. Drag: from the dot on the right of a character card to the dot on the left of another.
2. Click two dots: click the source character's dot, then the target's.
3. From the panel: choose someone under Choose a character… in the profile's relationships section.

6.2 Relationship details

Click a line or its label to open Relationship on the right:

How to read it: a relationship reads as "source is target's …". "Henry → Arthur, Family · Father" means "Henry is Arthur's father". The subtype is shown on the line.

Directional family subtypes (like Father or Son) can't be two-way.

6.3 Relationship list

Switch the sidebar list to Relationships to see every relationship ("source → target", type and name). Search by character name, relationship name or notes, or multi-select for batch editing (section 12.2).

6.4 Deleting a relationship

Select it and press Delete, or click Delete relationship at the bottom of the panel.

7. Kinship inference and the kinship calculator

7.1 Automatic inference

Once a relationship's type is Family with a subtype (Father / Mother / Son / Daughter / Elder brother / Wife…), LIANXU works out other family ties automatically and draws them on the canvas as purple dashed lines.

Example: if A and B are both C's sons, "Brothers" appears between A and B.

The rules:

• Subtypes with a dot in the relationship details are used for inference (father, mother, son, daughter, siblings, husband, wife and so on).
• Gender and birth order come only from explicit labels (Father, Daughter, Elder brother…). LIANXU never guesses.
• Adoptive, step and sworn relatives, and indirect terms like "Grandfather", are labels only and aren't used for inference.
• Lines update automatically when you change or delete relationships; each moment on the relationship timeline is worked out separately.
• The canvas only draws close family and spouses; more distant relatives by marriage appear in the calculator only.

7.2 Showing kinship lines

Next to Kinship lines in the toolbar are three switches:

• Direct line: parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren;
• Collateral: siblings, uncles and aunts, cousins;
• By marriage: spouses and relatives gained through marriage.

A category you turn off isn't hidden; it fades to a thin, light line so you can still compare. Each line picks the curve that crosses the fewest cards and keeps its label clear of others.

7.3 The kinship calculator

⌁ Kinship calculator in the toolbar:

• Pick any two people (A and B) to see the term From A to B, tags for blood relative / by marriage, direct line / collateral and generation, and the chain of steps behind it.
• In the English interface the terms follow English usage: father, uncle, first cousin once removed, great-aunt, sister-in-law and so on (English doesn't distinguish paternal and maternal cousins). In the Chinese interface the calculator uses the much finer Chinese system of kinship terms.
• Kinship term finder: Build a chain without picking characters, starting from Me, e.g. "father's elder brother's wife" → "aunt".
• Inferred kinship: everything LIANXU has worked out, filterable by all / Direct line / Collateral / 2+ generations / By marriage.
• Add a kinship fact: record a tie without creating a relationship: A is a birth parent of B, A and B are full siblings, A and B are spouses (not a blood tie), then Record fact. Facts recorded here apply across all moments and feed into inference.
• From relationship labels: facts that come from relationship subtypes. To change one, edit the relationship itself.

8. Factions and roles

8.1 Creating factions and assigning members

Click ◉ Factions & roles in the toolbar:

1. Click New faction and enter a name;
2. Choose a Parent faction (or Independent) to build a hierarchy, e.g. "Royal Court › Inner Council";
3. Tick characters under Choose members;
4. Choose Public identity or Secret identity, and tick Mark as true allegiance if needed;
5. Click Apply identity.

Rules:

• One person can belong to several factions.
• Each person has at most one true allegiance, marked with ★.
• Public and secret identities can belong to different factions at the same time.
• A parent faction automatically includes its child factions' members.
• "Secret" is a note for you, the author; it's not an access control. The Tabletop RPG template doesn't hide anything from players.

8.2 Lasso select

⌑ Lasso select in the toolbar: circle a group of characters on the canvas, and the faction panel opens with them already selected.

8.3 Adding many characters to a faction

Multi-select characters in the list, then use Factions in the batch bar to add them all to a faction (or create one on the spot with + New faction…), setting identity (keep as is / public / secret) and true allegiance (keep as is / mark / clear) in one go, or to have them Leave this faction. This only affects the current moment.

8.4 How factions appear on the canvas

• When a faction (including its child factions) has more than 3 members on the canvas, a light area is drawn around them, with the parent's area enclosing its children's and a name tag on the edge.
• Smaller factions (3 or fewer) get no area; instead each member's card gets a dashed ring in the faction's color, one ring per small faction from the inside out (the true allegiance innermost and thicker, secret identities dotted).
• Small text under each card lists their identities: ★ for the true allegiance, "(secret)" for secret identities.
• The Faction hierarchy legend at the top right lists all factions by level; hover one to keep its parents and children clear while the rest fade.
• The Faction areas switch in the toolbar hides all of this.

9. Canvas, review view and arranging

9.1 Canvas basics

• Zoom: scroll, pinch, or the + / − buttons at the bottom right.
• Pan: drag empty space (or use the hand tool).
• Fit everything: press F (or 1).
• Minimap: shows where you are on the whole canvas.
• Drag character cards freely; each finished drag is one undo step.

9.2 Canvas and review view

The switch at the top right of the canvas toggles two views, each with its own character positions:

In review view:

• Click a character to focus: lines and kinship lines that don't involve them fade.
• Only this character and connections: tick it to hide everyone else.
• Relationship type buttons at the top filter by type and can be combined.
• Filters, selection and zoom reset when you switch views or reload; positions are kept.

9.3 Auto arrange

Auto arrange next to the zoom buttons offers four layouts:

Each arrangement is one undo step and fits the view when it's done. Arranging in review view only moves review-view positions.

9.4 Character filters

Filters in the toolbar picks out characters by tag and faction:

• Several choices in one group mean "any of"; tags and factions together mean "both";
• Choosing a parent faction includes its child factions' members;
• Characters who don't match, and their lines and rings, fade rather than disappear;
• The canvas and review view stay in sync; the button shows how many conditions are on, and one click clears them.

9.5 Exporting the relationship map

PNG image / SVG vector in the Export menu exports the whole canvas, or the current filtered review view. Tick Transparent background if you like. PNGs are at most 4096 pixels on the long side; for very large canvases, SVG is better.

10. The relationship timeline

Relationships change as a story moves on: today's friend is tomorrow's enemy. The relationship timeline records relationships and identities separately at different moments.

10.1 Opening the timeline

Click ◷ Timeline in the toolbar. A Story timeline bar appears below the workspace with all moments.

10.2 Moments

• New moment creates one. A new moment starts with the current relationships and memberships, which you can then change on their own.
• Click a moment to switch to it; from then on, changes to relationships and faction identities apply only to that moment.
• Edit moment: the name, a free-form time label (e.g. "Chapter 2 / Year 120 of the King"), notes and World time; you can also move it earlier or later or delete it (undoable).
• Shared across time: character profiles (names, summaries, fields…), kinship facts recorded by hand, and layout. Separate per moment: relationships and faction identities.
• The bar shows what changed since the previous moment (relationships added / changed / removed, membership changes); Changes lists the details.
• Play timeline preview steps through the moments in order.

10.3 Linking to the world timeline

Once a moment has a World time:

• Events on the world timeline are matched to moments by their start time (an event belongs to a moment if it starts at or after it and before the next one);
• World events in the timeline bar lists events that happen during the current moment; click to jump to the world timeline;
• The world timeline's overview marks each relationship moment with a dashed line, and event pages show which moment they fall in, with a one-click relationship preview.

Moments must be in the same order as their world times.

10.4 What else follows the timeline

• Character forms can claim moments, so characters switch forms automatically (section 11).
• Chapters can be set to a relationship moment (section 20.4).
• Drawn map shapes can appear or disappear at given moments (section 28.4).

11. Character forms

Different versions of the same character: teenage years / adulthood, an alternate universe (AU), a transformed state, a disguise…

11.1 Adding forms

In the Form section of the profile, add a form from the common names with one click or name your own (up to 12 per character). Each form can have:

• Its own portrait (croppable as usual);
• A kind and a summary (left empty, the base character's is used);
• Fields that differ from the base character only: the base value shows in gray in each field (if the base says "Age: 45", the teenage form just needs "17"). You can also add fields only this form has (e.g. "Transformation trigger").

Relationships, factions, kinship and entry links still belong to the person and don't change with the form.

11.2 Forms on the canvas

• Tick Show this form on the canvas by default to show that form's portrait and summary on the character's card.
• With a relationship timeline, a form can claim moments (e.g. "Thirty years ago" uses the teenage form). When you switch to or preview that moment, the card and review view switch to that form automatically and show the form's name. Each moment belongs to at most one form.

Forms appear on character cards, in the world bible, in Export for AI and in search, and chapters can specify which form appears.

12. Multi-select and batch editing

12.1 Batch editing characters

Click Select next to the character list's title:

• Tick characters; Shift selects a range; ⌘/Ctrl A selects everything in the current list (only what's visible after a search); Esc exits.
• The Batch actions bar at the bottom: Color, add tags (several at once; click a tag to remove it from the selection), Factions (section 8.3), Template (apply a template, section 16.4), Merge (with exactly two selected), and Delete (with a preview of what will be affected).
• Selected characters are highlighted on the canvas (green outline with a check), and a "Multi-select · N selected" bar appears above it. While multi-selecting, clicking a character on the canvas ticks or unticks it.
• The toolbar gains Box-select to add: drag a rectangle (or switch to a freehand lasso) to add the characters inside to the selection.

12.2 Batch editing relationships

Switch the list to Relationships, click Select, and tick relationships. The batch bar offers:

Box-select relationships in the toolbar lets you drag a rectangle or loop; relationships with both ends inside are added. Relationship and character multi-select can't be on at the same time.

12.3 Batch editing entries and events

The World entry list and the Timeline event list also have Select. Their batch bar offers: Color, add / remove tags, Move (under a parent, or to the top level), Template, Merge, Delete and Select children. Events also get Time: Shift (move everything earlier or later by a number), Set one time and Clear time.

Every batch action is a single undo step.

13. Finding duplicates and merging

13.1 Duplicate character hints

The character list automatically looks for characters with the same or very similar names (ignoring full-/half-width differences, case and spaces, notes in brackets like "(copy)" or "(2)", one name containing the other, or longer names differing by a character or two). When it finds some, "N possible duplicate pairs" appears above the list. For each pair you can:

• Merge… to open the merge window;
• Not a duplicate to stop being asked (remembered in this browser, and reversible).

13.2 Merging characters

Open it from the batch bar (with two characters selected) or Merge with another character… at the bottom of a profile.

Choose which one to keep (their name, color and portrait win), review what will happen, and confirm. It's one step and can be undone:

• The other character's relationships move over (relationships between the two are removed; duplicates combine into one with their notes joined);
• Faction identities, kinship facts, entry links, map markers, chapter appearances and forms move to the one you keep;
• Fields and tags are combined; where the two differ, both values are kept as "A / B", so nothing is lost;
• Relationships and identities at every moment are merged the same way.

13.3 Duplicate entries and merging entries

World entries (organizations, locations, items, concepts) and Timeline events also flag duplicates of the same type, with a Check for duplicates link above the list. When merging, choose which to keep; the other's children, links, memberships, images and markers move over.

You don't have to wait for a hint: Merge… at the bottom of any entry or event page merges it with another of the same type (similar names first, with search).

13.4 Duplicate relationships

The relationship list finds relationships with the same two ends and type, showing "N groups of duplicate relationships". For each group, keep one, Combine into one, or Clean up all at once. Relationships with different subtypes are never combined automatically.

Part 3. The world

14. World profile

The first row in the World list is always the World profile (shown by default when nothing is selected). It holds settings for the world as a whole:

• Tagline;
• Genre tags (Jazz Age, Mystery, Ensemble… up to 12);
• World size statistics (automatic);
• Profile sections: choose from Core concept, World rules, Power system, Historical eras, Geography and climate, Society and culture, Balance of power, Themes and conflict, Tone and style, and Writer's notes (each with a writing prompt), or name your own (e.g. "Urban legends", "Common currency"). Each section is a block of text you can reorder, rename or delete.

The world profile appears in the world bible and in the world overview of Export for AI, and its tagline is the default blurb when you export the manuscript.

15. World entries

15.1 Four kinds of entries

Click World in the sidebar to open the list of entries, filterable by type:

(Events are entries too, but they live in the Timeline module; see section 18.)

Use New organization / New location / New item / New concept to create one; an entry template picker opens first (section 16.2).

15.2 What an entry holds

Each entry can have a name, a parent, a summary, tags, a color, custom fields and an image. Items, concepts and locations also have a free-form Kind (e.g. City, Mansion, Heirloom, Motif).

Parents and children: country › city › mansion › room; a suit of armor › its parts; a magic system › its schools. The list indents children under their parents.

15.3 Links

Characters and entries, and entries and other entries, can be connected by named links: Residence, Headquarters, Loyal to, Holder, storage place, Believer…

• Add links on the entry page, or in the world entries section of a character profile.
• Leave the name empty and a default for that type is used.
• Organization members and identities are managed in Factions & roles (organizations are factions).
• Entry pages also show Related events, Appears in chapters and On maps.

15.4 Other entry actions

• Show in graph: jump to the entry in the Graph;
• Ask AI: see section 33.6;
• Save as template: save this entry's kind and fields as a template;
• Merge…: see section 13.3.

16. Templates

16.1 Character templates

New characters start from a template. Eight are built in: Protagonist, Supporting character, Antagonist, Mentor, NPC, TRPG character sheet, Historical figure and God / otherworldly being. Each has a default name, tags (like "Protagonist" or "PC") and a set of empty fields (age, motive, weakness, character arc…).

16.2 Entry templates and suggested fields

Creating an organization, location, item, concept or event starts with a template picker (the first card is blank). Each type has 6–8 built in, for example:

• Location: City, Mansion, Ruins…
• Item: Weapon, Book, Artifact…
• Concept: Magic system, Religion, Species…
• Event: War, Treaty, Disaster…

A new entry gets the template's kind and a set of empty fields (population, climate, material, cause…). More details also suggests common fields for that type.

16.3 Your own templates

• Create one: Save these fields as a template in a character's More details; Save as template on an entry; or New template in the template picker to build one from scratch.
• Templates store field names only, never content. They can also carry tags that are added automatically to anything created from them.
• My templates come before the built-in ones when creating, and can be edited in place (name, description, default name, kind, tags, adding / removing / reordering fields) or deleted.
• Templates are stored in the world and travel with its JSON backup. Editing or deleting a template doesn't change anything already created.
• Import / export: export templates to a file and import them into another world, or import the templates straight from another world's backup. A preview shows which are new, identical or same-named but different; for those you can Save as a new template, replace, or skip.
• Manage · Import/export in the picker opens your templates with Usage at the top: which characters or entries use each one.

16.4 Applying a template

Characters and entries that already exist can still get a template's fields: Apply a template… under More details, or Template in the batch bar. Preview, then apply:

• Only missing fields are added; existing fields stay as they are;
• An entry's kind is filled in only if it's empty;
• Tags are added only if you tick Also add the template's tags.

16.5 Keeping templates in sync

Characters and entries created from your own templates remember where they came from. If you later add fields to the template, saving it asks whether to sync: the new fields are added (empty) to everything that used it, without touching existing content. You can also sync a single character or entry, or Unlink it so it no longer syncs.

17. Location maps and markers

Add a map or diagram to a location entry and you can place markers on it.

This section is about an image attached to a location. To draw a map yourself, see Part 5, "Drawn maps". The two work together: any drawn map can become a location's map with Use as a location map.

17.1 Markers

1. On a location's page, click Add map and upload an image;
2. Click Edit markers, then click the map to add a marker (a click, not a drag);
3. Drag markers or move them with the arrow keys; select one and press Delete to remove it.

Each marker has a name and notes and can be linked to characters, organizations or this location's child locations. Click a link to jump there; character profiles and organization / location pages list where they appear on maps. Markers are positioned relative to the image, so they stay in place even if the image's resolution changes.

17.2 Zooming and panning

• + / − / Reset at the bottom right;
• ⌘/Ctrl + scroll or pinch to zoom around the pointer; double-click to zoom in;
• When zoomed in, drag empty space or scroll to pan;
• Keyboard + / − / 0;
• On phones, pinch to zoom and drag with one finger.

17.3 Character trails

Character trails on a location map's toolbar: see section 23.

18. The world timeline and events

18.1 Events

Click Timeline in the sidebar to open the world timeline, and New event to create one (optionally from a template like War, Treaty or Disaster). An event is an entry with:

• Kind, summary, tags, image, parent event / child events;
• A Start time, an optional End time, and optional custom time text (e.g. "Spring of the third year of Yongxi");
• Links to characters, organizations, locations and other events, where the link name is the role: Participant, Protagonist, Took place at, Victim… Cause and effect between events can be recorded with Led to and Stems from links.

18.2 Calendar

Times are plain numbers. Set the Unit (years, months…) and the Era name under Calendar on the timeline, and times are shown in your world's own reckoning.

18.3 The timeline screen

• The overview axis at the top is to scale; events with a duration are drawn as bars; click to open one;
• The event list below is in order, with the gap between neighboring events shown;
• Search, or show only the events related to a particular character, organization or location;
• Events at the same time can be reordered with Earlier / Later;
• Character profiles and organization / location pages list their Related events.

18.4 Linking with the relationship timeline

See section 10.3.

19. Graph

Graph in the sidebar puts characters, organizations, locations, items, concepts and events in one picture, connected by their links (entry links, memberships, parent / child, and optionally relationships).

• Each type has its own shape;
• Select an object to fade unrelated ones and label its connections; all of its connections are listed on the right;
• Filter by type and by where connections come from; search; show only what's 1–3 steps away from one object;
• Drag objects to place them (saved and undoable); Rearrange lays everything out again;
• Export at the top right saves a PNG / SVG that keeps the current filters, positions and highlight, with a title, statistics and a legend;
• Show in graph on entry pages, event pages and character profiles jumps straight to that object.

Part 4. Writing the story

20. Story and chapters

20.1 The Story page

Click Story in the sidebar. On the left is the chapter list (optionally divided into volumes, searchable by title, outline and cast); on the right, the chapter you're editing. New chapter and Find and replace sit above the list.

20.2 Editing a chapter

Each chapter has two tabs: Outline & cast and Text. The Outline & cast tab holds:

Pull in event participants and locations adds everyone and everywhere linked to this chapter's events in one click.

At the bottom: previous / next chapter, Move chapter up / down in this volume, Write the next chapter, and delete (undoable).

20.3 Story overview

With no chapter selected you see the Story overview:

• Number of chapters and volumes, how many are at each stage, a progress bar, and word counts for outlines and text;
• Volumes: add, rename, delete and reorder;
• Export book (Word / e-book);
• Cast chart: each character's role in each chapter (● dark for POV, ● light for appears, ○ for mentioned). Characters who never appear go last. Click a cell to open that chapter.

Character profiles and location and event pages show Appears in chapters, listing where each one appears.

20.4 Chapters and relationship moments

With a relationship timeline, a chapter can have a Relationship moment. If you don't pick one, it's the same as the previous chapter, so you only need to set it where time jumps. Then:

• Relationships at the time appear in the chapter: relationships between the cast at that moment, and which were added, broken or changed since the previous chapter's moment;
• Preview on the character canvas switches the canvas to that moment, with a banner to return to the chapter;
• Cast members without a specific form take their form from the moment automatically (the menu shows "Auto: Teenage years").

21. Writing the text

21.1 Writing

Switch to a chapter's Text tab and write (up to 100,000 characters per chapter):

• A live word count sits at the top: each Chinese / Japanese / Korean character counts as one, each English word counts as one, and punctuation and spaces don't count. Each chapter's count appears in the list, and the Story overview shows the total.
• The text saves about half a second after you stop typing, when you leave the box, or when you switch pages or chapters; undo works paragraph by paragraph.
• Focus mode fills the window with the text; press Esc to leave.
• Outline shows the outline while you write.
• A line containing only "＊＊＊" (or similar) is a scene break, centered in exports.

21.2 Mention hints

If the text mentions a character or location that isn't in the chapter yet, a hint appears: "Mentioned in the text but not in this chapter yet". Add them one by one, all at once, or not at all. It recognizes character names and the values of alias fields (Alias, Aliases, AKA, Also known as, Known as, Nickname, Nicknames, Other names, Courtesy name, and their Chinese equivalents). For three-character Chinese names it also recognizes the given name without the surname.

21.3 Exporting the manuscript

See section 34.4.

22. Find and replace, and rename hints

22.1 Find and replace

Find and replace above the chapter list or in the text toolbar:

• Searches the text and outlines of all chapters for the literal phrase; you can match case, search text only or outlines only, or only the current chapter;
• Lists each match with its chapter, whether it's in the text or the outline, and its context; with Replace with filled in, it shows before and after;
• Replace or Skip match by match, Replace in chapter, or Replace all (after confirming). Each replacement can be undone;
• Click a match's context to open that chapter and select the text.

22.2 Rename hints

After you rename a character or an entry, if the old name still appears in chapters, a hint at the bottom left says "The old name still appears in the text and outlines: …". Click Preview and replace to open find and replace. When only the given name of a three-character Chinese name changes, the short form is checked too.

23. Character trails and footprints

Connect "character × event / chapter × location" and draw a character's route across a map.

23.1 Trails on a location map

Character trails on a location map's toolbar:

• Show up to 4 characters at once, each in their own color;
• By event (in world-time order; each location linked to an event is a stop) or By chapter (in reading order; "Mentioned" doesn't count; drawn as a dashed route);
• Each stop is a small numbered badge; consecutive stops at the same place merge into one ("1–3"); arrows show the direction of each leg;
• Play walks through the stops in order;
• Where a stop lands: on a marker for that location if this map has one, otherwise on the nearest parent location's marker (living room → mansion);
• The stops are listed below the map; click one to open its event or chapter.

23.2 Footprints on a drawn map

Footprints at the right of a drawn map's toolbar works the same way; each stop lands on the symbol linked to that location.

23.3 Footprints in the profile

Footprints in a character profile lists the places they've been, with one-click links like "Show footprints on the drawn map …".

Part 5. Drawn maps

24. Map basics

24.1 Creating a map

Click Maps in the sidebar. On the left is your list of maps (with thumbnails). Click New map and pick a size:

You can change the size (300–6000 pixels, or custom) and background later in the map settings.

24.2 A good order to draw in

Lay down land and sea first, then mountains, rivers and roads, add cities and landmarks, and finish with place names.

24.3 Map settings

With nothing selected, the right panel shows Map settings: name, size, Background (Parchment / Sea / Plain paper), compass, title box, Scale, Legend position, trace images, notes, and export, print and Use as a location map.

24.4 Map guide

The ? at the bottom right of the editor (or the ? key) opens the Map guide, with pages on drawing, editing, layers and time, tracing, measuring, connecting and exporting.

24.5 Moving around

• Scroll to zoom;
• Hold Space and drag, drag with the middle mouse button, or use the Hand tool (H);
• On touch screens, drag empty space with one finger and pinch to zoom;
• F fits the whole map.

25. Drawing tools

The toolbar has seven tools (shortcuts in brackets): Select (V), Hand (H), Region (R), Line (L), Pen (P), Symbol (S), Text (T), plus Measure (M).

25.1 Region (R)

Region kinds: Land, Sea, Lake, Forest, Grassland, Desert, Swamp, Snowfield, Farmland, Urban area, plus Shape with a color of your choice.

Four ways to draw:

For Shape, pick a fill color or None (outline only) in the toolbar first, then adjust fill, opacity, outline color and thickness on the right afterwards.

25.2 Line (L)

Line kinds: River, Road, Path, Railway, Border, Wall, and Mountain range (a row of peaks of varying heights along the line, with adjustable width). Draw freehand or point by point, as with regions.

25.3 Pen (P)

For precise vector curves (choose whether you're drawing a line or a region, and its kind, first):

• Click to place a corner point; click and drag to pull out symmetrical Bézier handles;
• Double-click or Enter to finish; when drawing a region, click the first point to close;
• Esc cancels; Backspace removes the last point.

Select a point on a pen-drawn shape (or one converted with Convert to editable curve) to see its handles: drag a handle to bend the curve; hold Alt to move the two handles independently; Alt-drag a corner point to pull handles out of it; the panel can switch a point between corner and smooth.

25.4 Symbol (S)

Choose a category in the toolbar, pick a symbol, and click to place it. See section 27.

25.5 Text (T)

Four kinds: Region name, Water name, Place name, Note, each with adjustable size and angle.

26. Selecting, editing and arranging shapes

26.1 Selecting and editing

With the Select tool (V), click a shape to edit its kind, name, size / thickness, smoothness and stacking order on the right:

• Drag to move; arrow keys nudge (Shift moves 10 at a time);
• ⌘/Ctrl D duplicates; Delete deletes; ⌘Z undoes;
• Select large regions before dragging them, so you don't move a whole continent by accident.

26.2 Editing points

Select a region or line to see each of its points:

• Drag a point to reshape;
• Drag the small dot between two points to insert a new point (or just click it);
• Select a point and press Delete, or double-click it, to remove it; arrow keys nudge it;
• Regions keep at least 3 points, lines at least 2.

26.3 Selecting several shapes

• Drag a box over empty space: only shapes completely inside are selected (so boxing a city won't grab the continent under it);
• Shift-click to add or remove; ⌘/Ctrl A selects all;
• Move, nudge, duplicate or delete them together; the panel lists what's selected.

26.4 Groups

• Select several shapes and press ⌘/Ctrl G (or Group on the right) to group them; ⌘/Ctrl Shift G ungroups.
• Clicking any shape in a group selects the whole group; Alt-click selects just one.
• Groups can be renamed and are listed at the top of the Layers panel.

26.5 Align and distribute

With several shapes selected, Align & distribute on the right offers align left / center / right, align top / middle / bottom, and distribute horizontally / vertically (three or more). Grouped shapes move as one; locked shapes stay put.

27. Symbols and custom symbols

27.1 Built-in symbols (46, in seven categories)

27.2 Linking symbols to entries

A symbol can be linked to a world entry (a location, organization…). If the symbol has no name of its own, it shows the entry's name (and follows renames); one click opens the entry. The entry's page lists On maps: which symbol on which map; click to jump there and center it.

27.3 Custom symbols

+ Custom at the end of each symbol category, or Custom symbols… in a symbol's panel:

• Upload a small icon (PNG, SVG, JPG, WebP; transparent backgrounds look best), give it a name (up to 20 characters, unique) and choose one of the seven categories;
• It becomes a symbol for the whole world, used just like the built-in ones, including the legend, world bible and exports;
• Rename it, change its category or image (every use updates), or delete it; up to 100.

27.4 Symbol packs

• In the custom symbols window, Export all or tick some and export the selected ones to get a .lianxu-symbols.json file;
• In another world, Import symbol pack… (or drag the file in), preview, and choose to skip or replace any with the same name;
• Built-in packs: Xianxia, Fantasy, Sci-fi and Jazz Age (8 symbols each: spirit veins and cave abodes; wizard towers and dragon lairs; starports and wormholes; skyscrapers and jazz clubs…). Click Preview to import.

28. Layers, trace images, references and moments

28.1 Layers

Layers in the toolbar opens a panel listing every shape, grouped as text, symbols, lines and regions (shapes higher in the list are drawn on top):

• Click a row to select (Shift / ⌘ to add);
• Eye: hide (hidden shapes aren't drawn, exported, searched or included in Export for AI);
• Lock: lock (still drawn, but can't be clicked, dragged, box-selected or deleted on the canvas; still editable from the panel);
• Drag rows within a group to change the stacking order.

28.2 Trace images

Trace image in the map settings lets you place sketches or reference pictures (PNG / JPG / WebP, up to 8) under the map and trace regions, lines and symbols over them:

• Semi-transparent and locked by default; adjust with the Opacity and Size sliders;
• Unlock to drag it into position; Fill covers the whole map, Fit centers it;
• Tick Include the trace image in exports to draw it in exports and the world bible (by default only your traced shapes are exported).

28.3 Reference window

Reference in the toolbar floats a small window in a corner of the canvas to draw from: another drawn map, an image already in your world (location images, portraits, trace images…), or a temporary upload (you can drag an image straight in).

• Drag the title bar to move, the corner to resize, or collapse it;
• Scroll to zoom, drag to pan, double-click to fit; opacity can be 100% / 70% / 45%;
• References are not part of the map and not in backups; they're remembered only in this browser.

28.4 Maps that change over time

Each shape can be set to Appears at (from which relationship moment it exists) and Disappears at (from which moment it's gone): a newly built city, a burned bridge.

• The moment picker in the toolbar defaults to the current moment; you can also choose All moments or a specific one;
• While editing, shapes that don't exist at the chosen moment are semi-transparent (still clickable and editable) and marked with a clock in the Layers panel.

29. Measuring, area, scale and ways to travel

29.1 Measure (M)

Click point by point to measure a route; double-click / Enter to finish, Backspace to remove a point, Esc to clear. Points near a symbol snap to it. A card at the top left shows the distance (e.g. "Manor → Village · about 16 li (8 km)") and how long it takes on foot, on horseback or by carriage, with a copy button.

Selecting a line also shows its length and travel times on the right. Measurements aren't saved in the map.

29.2 Area

While measuring, click the starting point to close a loop and get its area and perimeter. A selected region also shows its area and perimeter on the right.

29.3 Scale

Write a scale in the map settings (e.g. "10 li", "5 km", "3 miles") to convert distances. Units understood include li, km, m, mile, nautical mile, league and zhang, with Arabic or Chinese numerals.

Calibrating the scale: if you know how far apart two places really are, measure between them and click Set scale from this…, enter the real distance (e.g. "30 li"), and the scale adjusts itself.

29.4 Ways to travel

Ways to travel on the measuring card sets how people travel in this world: name, kilometers per hour, and hours of travel per day (up to 12 ways). Add common ones in one click (express courier, sailing ship, steamship, train, car, airship, flying horse, Sword flight…). Reset to defaults returns to walking, horseback and carriage.

30. Linking, exporting and printing maps

30.1 Jumping between maps

Opens map in a symbol's panel links it to another map (or + Create and link a new map). Double-click the symbol to open that map; its toolbar then shows "↑ parent map name" to go back.

30.2 Using a drawn map as a location map

Use as a location map in the map settings renders the drawn map as an image on a location entry, so you can place markers on it (section 17). After changing the map, click Update this location's map; markers keep their relative positions.

30.3 Legend

Choose a corner under Legend in the map settings (bottom right, bottom left, top right, top left) and the map draws a legend box listing the symbols, lines and regions it uses.

30.4 Exporting images

Export PNG / SVG from the map settings. With a map open, Export in the top bar also exports that map.

30.5 Print layout (PDF)

Print layout (PDF)… in the map settings:

• Paper (A4 / A3 / A5 / Letter), orientation, Margin (0–30 mm), legend;
• Optional Title page, Grid (A, B, C… × 1, 2, 3…) and Place index;
• Preview each page on the right, then Export PDF, or Export map page only (PNG).

30.6 Ask AI on a map

Ask AI on the map toolbar can Add nearby places, Add roads and rivers or Name places. See section 33.7.

Part 6. Tools

31. Search the whole world

Search the whole world in the top bar, or ⌘/Ctrl K (works even inside text boxes):

• One box searches characters, organizations, locations, items, concepts, events, maps (names, notes and place names), map markers, relationships, relationship moments and chapters (titles, outlines, text and cast notes);
• Names, tags, kinds, custom fields, event time text, summaries and notes are all searched;
• Several words separated by spaces must all appear; name matches come first;
• Results show the type, which field matched and a highlighted snippet, and can be filtered by type;
• ↑↓ to choose, Enter to jump there, Shift+Enter to locate it in the Graph;
• Your last 6 searches are remembered.

32. World check

Check in the top bar opens a report of things in your world that may need attention:

• Each item is a Problem, Warning or Suggestion, and you can filter by level;
• Show me jumps to the spot; a bar at the bottom of the screen shows which item you're on, previous / next, and back to the report. Fixed items disappear on their own;
• Some can be handled in place: merge duplicates, combine relationships, manage faction members, delete empty markers;
• Ignore items you don't need to fix (you can restore them all at the bottom of the report);
• The check looks at the current moment only and never changes your data.

33. Working with AI

LIANXU has no built-in AI and doesn't connect to the internet. Every AI feature works in two steps: LIANXU writes a prompt with all the context → you copy it into ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek or any AI chat → you paste the reply back → preview, then import.

33.1 Export for AI

Export for AI (Markdown) in the Export menu turns your world into a prompt an AI can read easily: it opens with a role and reading instructions for the AI, then lists modules (World overview, Characters, Relationships, Kinship (inferred), Factions and organizations, Locations, Items, Concepts and rules, World timeline (events), Relationship moments, Story outline (chapters), Drawn maps (geography)), and ends with Your request.

• Tick the modules you want, or Select all;
• Choose a Purpose: Writing a novel, Making a game (narrative / quests / NPCs), Running a tabletop RPG (GM) or Reference only (each with its own opening and sample requests);
• Choose whether to Include secret identities;
• Write your request;
• Preview live on the right, then Copy or Download .md.

33.2 Scope

• Only certain characters: characters, relationships, kinship, events and chapters are limited to those involving them; factions, locations, items and concepts default to the related ones too (you can change that);
• Only certain chapters of the story outline (optionally Only characters who appear in these chapters).

33.3 Request templates

Request templates fill in the request, modules and scope in one click: Write a two-person scene, Faction secrets, Write the next chapter, Write a biography, Design a side quest, Check for contradictions. You can still edit everything afterwards.

33.4 Token estimate

Above the preview is an estimated token count (as a range), with an estimate next to each module and a note on what context size you'll need.

33.5 Importing the AI's reply

1. In Export for AI, tick Ask the AI to reply in LIANXU format (so you can import it back). Reply-format instructions are added to the end of the prompt (the AI puts new content in a ```lianxu code block);
2. When you have the reply, click Import AI reply in the Export menu (or Got a reply from the AI? Import it → in the Export for AI window) and paste the whole reply;
3. Preview first: each character / entry / chapter and what will happen to it. Items with the same name as existing ones default to Add to existing (fill empty fields only, merge tags, never overwrite); you can switch to Create a separate one or Skip;
4. Confirm to import in one step, which can be undone.

What can be imported: characters (summaries, tags, fields, faction identities, relationships), entries (locations / organizations / items / concepts / events, with parents, kinds, times and links), chapters (volume, progress, outline, cast and roles, locations, events), and positions on drawn maps. If the AI's format isn't quite right, LIANXU still tries to read it (Chinese or English keys, ```json blocks, stray commas…). Importing the same reply twice won't duplicate relationships.

33.6 Ask AI

Ask AI next to a chapter's title, in a character profile (below the portrait) and next to an entry's title writes a prompt focused on that item. The window has two steps: ① copy the prompt to the AI, ② paste the reply back, preview, and import.

The prompt includes the related characters, factions, places and events. You can add a note, choose whether to include secret identities, view the full text, and see a token estimate. If the AI spells a name a little differently, LIANXU still matches it to the right character or chapter.

33.7 Ask AI on a map

Ask AI on the map toolbar includes a description of the map's geography in the prompt:

• Add nearby places: 4–6 new places, imported as location entries with symbols placed on the map;
• Add roads and rivers: 3–6 roads, rivers, railways or borders, drawn straight onto the map;
• Name places: names for unnamed regions, plus a few place-name labels.

Each item can be skipped in the import preview. The AI is also told about your custom symbols and can use them.

34. Exporting and sharing

The Export menu gathers every export.

34.1 PNG / SVG

PNG image / SVG vector exports the current canvas (the relationship map, the Graph, or the map you're editing). Tick Transparent background if you like.

34.2 JSON backup

JSON backup saves all of the world's data, including characters, relationships, entries, links, layouts, chapters, maps, templates and the images they use, in a single .lianxu.json file. It's the only way to fully move or restore a world. Importing adds it as a new world.

34.3 World bible (PDF / long image)

Lays out the whole world as a booklet to share or print:

• Chapters you can tick: the world profile, characters (a card each; you can pick which), factions & organizations, places (with their maps and markers), drawn maps (with legend, place index and geography), items & concepts, the relationship map, the timeline and the story outline. Empty chapters are skipped;
• Choose whether to include secret identities (turn it off when sharing with readers or players);
• PDF: A4 portrait with a cover, a contents page with page numbers, each chapter on a new page, running headers and page numbers;
• Long PNG: everything from the cover down in one tall image for phone reading, split automatically if it gets too long;
• Live preview on the right, with progress while exporting.

34.4 Manuscript (Word / e-book)

Manuscript (Word / e-book) in the Export menu, or Export book in the Story overview:

• Formats: Word (.docx) (keep editing, submit or print), E-book (.epub) (Apple Books and other readers) or Markdown;
• Fill in the Title, Author and Tagline; tick which volumes to export (chapters without text are skipped by default);
• A Cover is generated automatically, or use your own image (cropped to 5:8);
• Word: cover → title page → table of contents (choose to update fields when Word asks, and page numbers appear) → each volume on its own page → each chapter on a new page, with first-line indents and page numbers;
• EPUB 3: cover → title page → two-level contents (volume → chapter) → chapters.

34.5 Export for AI / Import AI reply

See section 33.

34.6 Other exports

• Character card (PNG): from a character profile;
• Graph (PNG / SVG): Export at the top right of the Graph;
• Map print layout (PDF): section 30.5;
• Template files and symbol packs: share them between worlds.

Every export is created on your device; nothing is uploaded.

35. Saving, backups and versions

35.1 Automatic saving

Every change is saved in the browser automatically; chapter text saves about half a second after you stop typing. If saving fails, a notice appears with a Retry button, and your changes are kept until a retry succeeds.

If the browser's storage is full, the notice says how much is used and available and what to do: export a JSON backup, delete versions, large images or other worlds you don't need, then click Retry.

35.2 Undo and redo

• ⌘/Ctrl Z to undo, ⌘/Ctrl Shift Z (or Ctrl Y) to redo, up to 80 steps;
• Continuous typing in one field is one step; a finished drag is one step; a batch action is one step;
• Undo history only lasts for the current session; switching worlds or reloading clears it (earlier states can be recovered from Versions).

35.3 Versions

The clock button next to Undo / Redo (on phones, in the Export menu):

• Auto versions are saved about every 10 minutes while you edit, and when you leave the page or switch worlds (only if something changed);
• Save a version yourself and give it a name (e.g. "Book 1 final"); manual versions are kept forever;
• Versions are listed by day, with the time, type, counts and what changed since the previous version;
• Select a version to Compare with now or Compare with previous (every addition, deletion and change listed), see What's inside, or View on canvas (browse that version read-only);
• Restore this version first saves the current state as a "Before restore" version, then switches; you can also undo it;
• Save as new world makes an independent copy, leaving the original alone;
• You can also export a version as JSON or delete it.

How long auto versions are kept: everything from the last day; the last one of each day for two weeks; one a week for three months; one a month before that (up to 12). There are never more than 100 auto versions.

35.4 Backup reminder

LIANXU remembers when you last exported each world as JSON. If you've made changes and haven't exported for 7 days, the top bar shows "N days without backup". Click it to export in one click, or Remind me in 7 days.

⚠️ Versions are stored in this browser just like your worlds, so they don't replace an exported JSON backup.

35.5 Moving to another device or browser

1. In the old place: Export → JSON backup;
2. Move the file to the new device;
3. In the new place: My worlds → Import JSON backup.

36. Working offline and installing

36.1 Installing the online version

The online version can be installed like an app:

Once installed, LIANXU has its own window and icon, and asks the browser not to clear its data when space runs low.

36.2 Working offline

The first time you open the online version, LIANXU caches everything it needs and tells you once that it now works offline. After that it opens and edits without a connection, and changes are saved as usual. Offline appears in the top bar when you're not connected.

36.3 Updating

When a new version is published, an open LIANXU shows A new version of LIANXU is ready at the bottom right. Refresh switches now (your changes are already saved); Later switches the next time you open it.

36.4 The offline (downloaded) version

Unzip and double-click 连叙.html. To upgrade, export a JSON backup first, then replace the old 连叙.html with the new one (same place, same file name) and open it; your work appears automatically.

37. Interface language

LIANXU comes in Chinese and English:

• The first time, it follows your browser's language; after that, switch at the bottom of the sidebar (on phones, in the Contents drawer) or at the bottom of My worlds. Your choice is remembered;
• Switching takes effect immediately, keeping your undo history and the current page;
• Exports (world bible, print layout, legends, manuscript, Export for AI prompts) follow the interface language;
• Your own content is never translated. Built-in templates, sample characters and symbol packs are in English when created in the English interface; the Thunderstorm demo stays in Chinese;
• In English, kinship terms follow English usage (father, uncle, first cousin once removed, sister-in-law…), and map measurements show units like li, km, mile and league.

Appendices

A. Keyboard shortcuts

⌘ on Mac, Ctrl on Windows. Shortcuts never interfere with typing in text boxes or with input methods.

General

Character canvas

Multi-select

Drawn maps

Location maps

Search

B. Capacity and limits

Also note:

• Data lives only in the current browser at the current address. No cloud sync and no real-time collaboration.
• Don't edit the same world in several tabs at once.
• "Secret identity" is an author's note, not a permission system for players.
• Safari and Firefox work, but Chrome / Edge are recommended.

C. FAQ

Q: Where is my work stored? Can anyone else see it? A: Only in your own browser. It's never uploaded, so no one else can see it. LIANXU doesn't connect to the internet.

Q: I switched computers / browsers and my work is gone. What now? A: Work doesn't sync automatically. On the old computer, use Export → JSON backup; on the new one, My worlds → Import JSON backup.

Q: Will clearing my browser cache delete my work? A: Clearing only "cached images and files" usually won't. Clearing "cookies and site data" will. That's why regular JSON backups matter.

Q: Do the online and offline versions share work? A: Not automatically. Move work between them with a JSON backup.

Q: I deleted or broke something by accident. A: Try ⌘/Ctrl Z first. If you've already reloaded the page, open Versions (the clock button), find an earlier version, and Restore this version, or Save as new world to recover what you need.

Q: Do I need an AI account or API key? A: No. LIANXU only writes prompts and reads replies; use any AI chat you like (ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek…) by copying and pasting.

Q: The AI import made a mess. A: An import is a single step, so ⌘/Ctrl Z undoes it. In the preview you can also Skip individual items before importing.

Q: Why wasn't kinship inferred? A: Check that the relationship type is Family and that you picked a specific subtype (Father, Son, Elder brother…) in its details. LIANXU only infers from explicit labels and never guesses gender or birth order; adoptive, step and sworn relatives aren't used.

Q: The calculator says two people are related by marriage, but there's no line on the canvas. A: The canvas only draws close family and spouses; more distant in-laws appear only in the calculator.

Q: Why do some factions get an area and others just a dashed ring? A: A faction with more than 3 members on the canvas gets an area; smaller ones get dashed rings around their members, to keep the canvas tidy.

Q: Does it work on phones? A: Yes. The layout switches to a bottom tab bar and drawer panels. You can also add the online version to your home screen and use it like an app.

Q: Saving failed because storage is full. A: Export a JSON backup, then free up space by deleting versions, large images or other worlds you don't need, and click Retry. Your changes are kept until the retry succeeds.

Q: The table of contents in the exported Word file has no page numbers. A: When Word asks whether to update fields, choose Yes.

Q: Can several people edit the same world? A: Not at the moment. Send someone your JSON backup; importing it gives them their own independent copy.

Q: The Thunderstorm demo is in Chinese. A: It's based on a Chinese play and stays in Chinese. For an English example, use Try the feature tour.

D. Glossary

Every stroke makes your world more complete.