Controls
| Control | Click | Shift-click | Alt-click | Right-click |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chain | New Synapse, a line between each layer in selection order | Add a chain to the selected Synapse | Remove the selected Synapse | Link the first two selected layers |
| Hub | New Synapse, lines from the first selected layer to every other | Add a hub to the selected Synapse | Remove the selected Synapse | |
| Web | New Synapse, lines between layers closer than Max Distance | Add Web lines to the selected Synapse | Remove the selected Synapse | |
| Star in the sky | Pick it, then click a second star to link the two |
On Mac, Alt is Option. Press Escape to cancel a picked star. Hover a tile for a tooltip with its gestures, or a star for its layer’s name.
Choose Chain, Hub or Web and Add lines to a Synapse, or remove it explain each click.
The sky
| What you see | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ghost constellation, Select two or more layers | Fewer than two layers to show. |
| Filled star | A selected layer, or a layer in the selected Synapse. |
| Hollow star | A selected layer that isn’t in the selected Synapse yet. |
| Blue star | The first of two stars you’re linking. |
| Grey lines | The selected Synapse’s lines in reach now, faded as the comp fades them. |
| Blue lines | The lines the hovered tile would make. Dashed with Shift held. |
| Red dashed lines | With Alt held, the lines that Remove would delete. |
The sky frames the stars so they fill it, keeping their shape.
Captions and badges
The caption at the top of the sky:
| Caption | When |
|---|---|
| 5 layers | Layers are selected and no Synapse is. |
| Synapse · 8 lines | A Synapse is selected. Counts its lines in reach now. |
| Chain · 4 lines | Hovering a tile. With Shift, Chain · +2 lines. |
| Web · 14 of 66 lines in reach | Hovering Web. |
| Remove Synapse | Holding Alt over a tile with a Synapse selected. Otherwise Select a Synapse to remove. |
| Pick a second star | One star is picked. |
After a click, the tile shows a short badge. 4 lines or +3 lines counts the lines drawn now. Removed follows Alt-click and Linked follows right-click on Chain. A refused click shakes the tile with the reason, such as Select 2+. Troubleshooting lists every reason. Narrow tiles show just the number or nothing.
Slot sizes
Synapse rearranges itself to fit. The three tiles always stay. The sky and the hint line come and go with the room.
A tall slot puts the sky above the tiles. The hint line, Shift adds · Alt removes, shows once the slot is wide and tall enough.
A short wide slot puts the sky beside the tiles.
A narrow strip hides the sky and stacks the three tiles as icons. Every click and modifier still works. Right-click Chain to link two layers without the sky.
The default slot is 8 columns by 6 rows of the Motion Dock grid. Minimum slot shapes are 2 by 4 or 5 by 2 grid cells. Resize Synapse in Edit layout, then click Exit layout mode to use it.