ERD Visualization
The ERD (Entity-Relationship Diagram) canvas is the visual centerpiece of TalkingSchema.
Navigating the canvas
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Pan | Click and drag on empty canvas space |
| Zoom in/out | Scroll wheel or pinch gesture |
| Fit to view | Click the fit-to-view button (bottom-left controls) |
| Reset zoom | Double-click on empty canvas space |
Table nodes
Each table appears as a node showing:
- Table name (header)
- Fields list — name, type, and constraint badges
- PK badge — marks the primary key
- FK badge — marks foreign key fields
Relationship lines
- Lines connect tables via foreign keys
- Crow's foot notation shows cardinality
- Lines update automatically when you add/remove relationships
ELK auto-layout
TalkingSchema uses the ELK (Eclipse Layout Kernel) layout engine to automatically arrange table nodes. The layout:
- Minimizes edge crossings
- Groups related tables
- Adapts when tables are added or removed
The layout runs automatically after AI changes. You can also manually drag nodes to your preferred positions.
Node visibility panel
Use the node visibility panel to show/hide specific tables:
- Toggle visibility per table
- Useful for focusing on a subset of a large schema
- Hidden tables are excluded from image exports
Exporting the diagram
Click Export → Image to download:
- PNG — raster image, good for presentations
- SVG — vector, scalable, good for documentation
- PDF — print-ready format
Only visible tables are included in the export.
Large schemas
For schemas with many tables:
- Use the node visibility panel to focus on relevant sections
- Export section-by-section for documentation
- Use the search/filter capability to find specific tables