Quick Start
Get productive in 5 minutes. Build your first mountain.
Create Your First Node
Every project starts with a root node. This is your foundation—the big idea everything else branches from.
How to do it
- Click anywhere on the canvas
- Type your project name or goal
- Press Enter
Start broad. "Launch Product" is better than "Design button for homepage." You'll break it down in the next step.
Add Branches
Break your root node into major phases or categories. These become Level 2 nodes that branch off your foundation.
How to do it
- Select your root node
- Press Ctrl + B
- Type the branch name
- Repeat to add more branches
The physics engine will push nodes apart automatically. Drag one and watch the others adjust—no manual spacing needed.
Lock Dependencies
Some things can't be done until other things are done. Lock nodes to show what's blocked and what's ready to work on.
How to do it
- Right-click any node
- Select "Set Lock Condition"
- Choose what needs to be completed first
- Locked nodes appear grayed out until conditions are met
Locked nodes aren't obstacles—they're future possibilities. They keep you from getting ahead of yourself.
Filter Your View
When your map gets dense, hide what doesn't matter right now. Focus on what you can actually act on.
How to do it
- Click the filter icon (top right)
- Toggle Focus Mode to hide locked nodes
- Or filter by tags, status, or level
- Press Esc to clear filters
The power isn't in seeing everything—it's in hiding what doesn't matter right now.
You're Done
That's it. You now know 80% of what Tectonian does. The rest is just refinement—colors, tags, lateral connections, deadlines. But the core loop is: create nodes, show dependencies, filter noise.
Your map auto-saves to the cloud. Switch devices and pick up where you left off.