Cairn Documentation
The System Tree
The System Tree on the left is the outline of your system: every node from the root system down to the parts, in order. Selecting a node scopes the lenses to it. The tree is also where you shape the hierarchy: add, rename, reorder and move nodes without leaving it.
Reading the tree
- Glyphs mark the node type: a ringed dot for the system, a diamond for subsystems, a triangle for assemblies, a square for parts, and a dashed square for external actors.
- Indent guides run down from each parent. The guide under the selected node turns copper, so you can see its whole subtree at a glance.
- A number on a collapsed parent counts the nodes inside it.
- A red dot means Quality has an error on that node, such as a reference to something that no longer exists. Warnings stay in the Quality tool.
- In the Completeness lens, each row shows the node's gaps instead, or ✓ when nothing is missing.
Finding a node
Type in Filter nodes (or press / with the tree focused). The tree narrows to matching nodes and the parents that lead to them, with the match highlighted. Node ids match too. Esc clears the filter; ↓ jumps into the results.
Moving nodes
Drag a node onto another to put it inside, or onto the top or bottom edge of a row to place it before or after. Hovering over a collapsed parent while dragging opens it. From the keyboard:
- ⌥↑ ⌥↓ move the node up or down among its siblings.
- ⌥→ moves it inside the node above it.
- ⌥← moves it out one level, just after its parent.
The same moves are in the row's menu. Every move is one entry in History and can be undone. A node can never be moved inside its own subtree, and the root stays where it is. A node that changes parent has its Architecture position reset, so the new parent's diagram lays it out fresh.
Everything else
- Rename: double-click a name or press F2.
- Add a child: hover a row and click +, or use the header's + to add under the selection.
- More actions: right-click, click ⋯ on hover, or press ⇧F10. Decompose with AI, connect, open in the Model Explorer, or delete with a preview of everything the delete removes.
- Pruned alternatives (design paths the Dendritic lens rejected) are hidden by default; the branch button in the header shows them, struck through.
- Width: drag the tree's right edge. Double-click the edge to reset it. The Tools list folds away under its heading.