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DOC-752 | Graph Visualizer UI (#701)
* DOC-752 | A new page is created site/content/3.13 Graphs/graph-visualizer/_index.md * Some changes are made on Graph Visualizer page for better understanding the all usecases * All Images are Attatched * Made changes as per guidence from Simran * Made all changes as per guidence from Simran * Made all changes as per guidence from Simran * Made all changes as per guidence from Simran and took screenshots again as per with highier browser zoom * Remove the A..B and 1..2.. Only used UnOrdered List * Node and Edge Images are Re Captured and uploaded * Changes are done as per guidence from Simran on 02-06-2025 * Review * Remove screenshots * First round of improvements * Finish restructuring * Paula's feedback * Mention that write permissions are necessary to edit graph data --------- Co-authored-by: bluepal-shiva-darapaneni <shiva.darapaneni@.bluepalcom> Co-authored-by: Simran Spiller <simran@arangodb.com>
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---
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title: Graph Visualizer
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menuTitle: Graph Visualizer
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weight: 102
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description: >-
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Visually explore and interact with your ArangoDB graphs through an intuitive interface
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---
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The **Graph Visualizer** is a browser-based tool integrated into the web interface
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of the ArangoDB Platform. It lets you explore the connections of your named graphs
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to visually understand the structure as well as to inspect and edit the attributes
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of individual nodes and edges. It also offers query capabilities and you can
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create new nodes (vertices) and relations (edges).
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{{< info >}}
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Graph creation is **not** performed within the Graph Visualizer. Graphs must be
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created in the **Management** section under **Graphs** of the second-level
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navigation in the [web interface](../components/web-interface/graphs.md). Once
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created, you can select a graph from the list for exploration and visualization.
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{{< /info >}}
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You can use the Graph Visualizer to do the following:
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- Filter and view specific nodes to focus on a subset of your graph.
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- Dynamically expand nodes to show more of their neighborhood to see how
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entities are connected.
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- Inspect the properties of nodes and edges.
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- Modify existing or create new nodes and edges.
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- Rearrange nodes automatically or manually for better visual clarity.
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- Use zoom and pan to explore large graphs more easily.
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## View a graph
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The core function of the Graph Visualizer is to provide an intuitive canvas for
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exploring graph structures. You can visualize any type of **named graph**
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(General Graphs, SmartGraphs, EnterpriseGraphs, SatelliteGraphs).
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{{< warning >}}
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Anonymous graphs using adhoc sets of document and edge collections are not
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supported by the Graph Visualizer.
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{{< /warning >}}
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### Select and load a graph
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1. In the ArangoDB Platform web interface, select the database your named graph
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is stored in.
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2. Click **Graphs** in the main navigation.
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3. Select a graph from the list.
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4. The viewport of the Graph Visualizer opens for exploring the graph.
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The main area of the viewport may initially be empty in the following cases:
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- You opened a graph for the first time and nothing is selected for displaying yet
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- You used the **Clear Canvas** option
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<!-- TODO: Doesn't it preserve the last state? Can it be lost?
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- Reopening the Graph Visualizer after a previous session
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-->
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You can [Add nodes to the canvas](#add-nodes-to-the-canvas) as well as
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[Display a subgraph using a query](#display-a-subgraph-using-a-query).
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### The viewport
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The Graph Visualizer interface is comprised of the following components:
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- **Canvas**: The main area of the viewport.
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- **Explore**:
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A widget in the top left corner that opens a dialog for selecting nodes and
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edges to display.
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- [**Customization**](#visual-customization):
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A sidebar on the right-hand side to adjust the styling.
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- [**Layout and Navigation**](#layouts-and-navigation-tools):
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A minimap and multiple tools for the canvas in the bottom right corner.
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### Add nodes to the canvas
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You can add individual nodes to the canvas in addition to what is already
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displayed.
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1. Click **Explore**.
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2. On the **Search** tab, select a **Vertex type**. This is the name of the
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collection that stores the node you want to select.
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3. Enter a value into the **Search** field. <!-- TODO: Which attributes?! -->
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4. Select one or more nodes from the list on the left-hand side.
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5. Optional: You can check the attributes of the selected nodes on the
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right-hand side. Use the buttons at the bottom to switch between nodes.
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6. Click **Add _n_ vertices**.
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7. To see the neighbor nodes and the edges that connect them, right-click a node,
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click **Expand (_n_)** and then **All (_n_)**. <!-- TODO: What other options exist? -->
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### Display a subgraph using a query
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You can run an AQL query to view a subset of the graph.
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It replaces the current content of the canvas.
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1. Click **Explore**.
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2. On the **New query** tab, enter an AQL query that returns edges or paths
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(e.g. a graph traversal query), for example:
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```aql
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FOR edge IN edgeColl FILTER edge.value > 10 RETURN edge
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```
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```aql
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FOR v, e, p IN 1..3 ANY "coll/753" GRAPH "myGraph" RETURN p
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```
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3. The edges and their nodes appear on the canvas.
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{{< tip >}}
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You can save queries for future use:
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1. Click **Explore**.
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2. On the **New query** tab, click **Save as**, enter a name and optionally a
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description, then click **Save**.
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3. To run a saved query, click **Explore**.
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4. On the **Saved Queries** tab, you can see a list of saved queries, and the
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following actions are available for each:
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- **Run** the query.
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- **Copy** the query string to the clipboard.
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- **Delete** a no longer needed query.
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{{< /tip >}}
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### View node and edge properties
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You can inspect the document attributes of node or edge as follows:
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- Double-click a node or edge to open a dialog with the properties.
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- Right-click a node to open the context menu and click **View Node** to open
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the dialog with the properties.
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### Layouts and navigation tools
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These features allow you to clear, zoom, and pan the canvas, as well as rearrange
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the displayed graph data for a better spatial understanding of node clusters,
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hierarchies, and relationship flows.
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- **Minimap**: A small overview to easier navigate the canvas.
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- **Zoom Controls**: Zoom in/out or reset the zoom to 100%.
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- **Fit to Screen**: Resize and center the canvas so you can see everything.
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- **Re-run Layout**: Automatically rearrange the nodes using the selected algorithm.
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- **Layout Algorithms**: Choose between different ways of arranging the nodes.
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Which algorithm to use depends on the situation and the graph topology.
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## Edit graph data
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While the Graph Visualizer is primarily designed for exploring graph data, you
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can also create and modify nodes and edges directly from the canvas.
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You need to have write access for the database and the collections for this.
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### Create new nodes
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You can add nodes to the graph's document collections directly from the
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canvas. This allows you to create additional entities to the graph.
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1. In the **Graphs** section of the ArangoDB web interface, select your graph.
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2. Right-click on the canvas and choose **Create Node**.
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3. A dialog opens with the following options:
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- Select the target collection (**Node Type**).
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- Optionally specify a unique identifier (**Node ID**).
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4. Click **Create** to add the node to the canvas and database.
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### Create New Edges
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You can add edges to the graph's edge collections directly from the canvas.
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This allows you to create additional connections between nodes.
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1. In the **Graphs** section of the ArangoDB web interface, select your graph.
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2. Right-click on the canvas and choose **Create Edge**.
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3. In the dialog:
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- Select the target collection (**Edge Type**, which corresponds to an edge collection).
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- Set the `_from` and `_to` fields by selecting the source and target nodes.
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- Optionally specify a unique identifier (**Edge ID**).
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4. Click **Create** to add the edge to the canvas and database.
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{{< info >}}
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If you select two nodes before right-clicking to open the edge creation
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dialog, the `_from` and `_to` fields are automatically pre-filled.
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The order is not based on your selection sequence but the document key.
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{{< /info >}}
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### Edit node and edge properties
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You can modify the document attributes of nodes and edges from the canvas as follows:
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1. Double-click a node or edge.
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2. In the properties dialog that opens, click **Edit**.
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3. Change the properties and click **Save**. <!-- TODO: Can't change system attributes, even though _from and _to are generally mutable -->
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### Delete nodes
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You can delete individual nodes which deletes the corresponding document.
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1. Right-click a node to open the context menu.
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2. Click **Delete Node**.
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3. Any edges connected to this node are deleted by default to ensure graph
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consistency. To keep the edges, untick **Delete connected edge(s)**.
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4. Confirm the deletion by clicking **Delete**.
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### Delete edges
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1. Right-click an edge to open the context menu.
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2. Click **Delete Edge**.
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3. Confirm the deletion by clicking **Delete**.
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## Visual customization
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You can adjust how the graph data is displayed, like the color, opacity, and
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labels. All styling changes are visual-only and do not affect the underlying data.
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1. Optional: Reset to default styling if desired.
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2. Click the _palette_ icon in the top right to open the **Customization** panel
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if it's closed.
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3. Adjust the styling for nodes or edges:
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- Select a **Label Attribute** to display a custom top-level field
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(e.g. `name` or `type`) instead of `_id`.
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- Assign a specific **Color** to highlight and distinguish elements.
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- Adjust how transparent elements are with the **Opacity**.
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- Set the **Line Thickness** (edges only).
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- Choose different **Arrowhead Styles** (edges only).
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4. You can also do the following:
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- Clear the styling modifications.
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- See the number of nodes respectively edges on the canvas (by collection).

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