Canvas Chat: node-based AI chat for research that branches
Follow every tangent without losing the thread. Each answer is a node you can branch from, and you choose which nodes the next question builds on.
Why long AI chats get messy
Real questions do not stay in a straight line. A good answer raises three more, and a linear chat makes you pick one. Ask all three in the same thread and they pile on top of each other; open new chats and you lose the context you built.
A week later it is worse. The answer you need is somewhere in the middle of a long thread, surrounded by tangents, and the only way back is to scroll.
What is canvas chat?
Canvas chat replaces the single scrolling thread with an infinite canvas. Each question you ask and each answer you get becomes a node, connected to the node it came from. The conversation grows as a tree rather than a list.
In Nody, that tree is the interface. Double-click a node to branch from it, and select nodes from different branches to use as context for your next question. When you want a second opinion on a node, you can also compare AI models side by side.
Canvas chat vs linear chat
Branch from any answer
An answer raises three new questions. Ask each one as its own branch from that node. The original thread stays where it was, so a tangent never buries the main idea.
Select nodes as context
Pick the nodes that matter, even from different branches, and use them as the context for your next question. You decide what the model reads instead of pasting old answers back in.
Come back and find it
Every question and answer keeps its place on the canvas. Zoom out to see the whole map, then jump straight to the branch you need instead of scrolling a long thread.
| Linear chat | Canvas chat in Nody |
|---|---|
| One thread, one direction at a time | Any number of branches from any answer |
| A tangent pushes the main idea out of view | The tangent is its own branch; the main line stays intact |
| Context is everything above, wanted or not | Context is the nodes you select |
| Reusing an old answer means copy and paste | Select the old node and ask from it |
| Long threads are hard to revisit | Zoom and pan across the whole conversation |
Where a canvas earns its place
Research that branches
Start with one question, then follow the fundamentals, the practical side and the open problems as three separate branches. None of them interrupts the others.
Two directions, one starting point
Take the same answer in two directions, such as a cautious plan and an ambitious one, and keep both on screen while you decide.
Pulling the threads together
When the branches have done their work, select the best node from each and ask for a summary built only on those.
Frequently asked questions
What is canvas chat?
Canvas chat is an AI chat interface where each prompt and answer is a node on an infinite canvas instead of a message in a single scrolling thread. Nodes connect to the node they were asked from, so a conversation becomes a tree you can see and navigate.
How is node-based chat different from a normal AI chat?
A normal chat is linear: each message follows the last, and everything above is carried along. In a node-based chat you can branch from any earlier node, keep several directions open at once and choose which nodes form the context for the next question.
How do I branch from an answer?
Double-click the node you want to continue from and ask your next question there. It becomes a new branch from that node, and the rest of the canvas is left as it was.
Can I use a specific node as context for my next question?
Yes. Select one or more nodes, including nodes from different branches, and they are used as the context for the question you ask next.
My linear chats get long and messy. How does a canvas help?
In a linear chat every tangent is stacked into the same thread, so earlier answers scroll away and are hard to find again. On a canvas each tangent is a separate branch and every answer keeps its position, so you can zoom out, see the whole conversation and go back to any point.
Can I share a canvas?
Yes. Canvases can be shared by link, and public canvases can be featured in the Showcase.
How do I pay for canvas chat?
With one-time credit packs. Every model on the canvas spends from one shared credit pool, credits never expire, and you buy more credits when you need them. There is no subscription and no bring-your-own-key.
Give your next question room to branch
Buy the Starter pack and open a canvas. One shared credit pool for every model, and credits never expire.