Canvim

A vim-like canvas editor for JSON Canvas files. Built with Tauri 2, SvelteKit, and Rust.

Canvim lets you create and edit .canvas files (the format used by Obsidian Canvas) using vim-style navigation and modal editing. Full mouse support is also included.

Installation

canvim [file.canvas]

Opens the given .canvas file (creates it if it doesn't exist).

Features

• Keyboard-first -- navigate, create, move, resize, and connect nodes without touching the mouse
• Modal editing -- six vim-like modes: Normal, Insert, Visual, Move, Resize, and Connect
• JSON Canvas spec -- reads and writes standard .canvas files compatible with Obsidian
• Markdown rendering -- node text is rendered as markdown with syntax highlighting
• Search -- / to search node text, cycle through matches
• Undo/redo -- full history with u and Ctrl+r
• Yank/paste -- copy and paste nodes (with edges) using y and p
• Configurable -- colors, keybindings, and fonts via ~/.config/canvim/config.toml
• Borderless window -- minimal chrome, maximum canvas

Modes

Normal

Default mode. Pan the viewport, select nodes/edges, and enter other modes.

Insert

Edit node text as markdown. Enter with i (on a node) or by adding a new node with a. Press Escape to return to Normal mode.

Visual

Rectangle selection. Press v to start a selection from the cursor position, then move with hjkl to grow/shrink the rectangle. Press Enter to select all enclosed nodes, or Escape to cancel.

Move

Move selected nodes. Press m on a node or selection, then use hjkl to move in grid steps. The viewport follows the movement. Press Escape or Enter to confirm. Switch to Resize with r.

Resize

Resize selected nodes. Press r on a node or selection, then use hjkl to grow/shrink. Press r again to auto-fit height to content. Press Escape or Enter to confirm. Switch to Move with m.

Connect

Draw edges between nodes. Press c on a source node, navigate with hjkl to a target node, then Enter to create the edge. Escape to cancel.

Keybindings

Normal Mode

Key	Action
h j k l	Pan viewport
a	Add node at cursor
Enter	Select node/edge under cursor
i	Edit node under cursor
d / Delete	Delete node/edge (or selection)
m	Enter Move mode
r	Enter Resize mode
c	Enter Connect mode
v	Enter Visual mode
V	Deselect all
y / Ctrl+c	Yank (copy) node(s)
p / Ctrl+v	Paste
u	Undo
Ctrl+r	Redo
/ / Ctrl+f	Search
1-6	Set color (red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, purple)
0	Clear color
+ / -	Zoom in/out
Tab / Shift+Tab	Cycle through nodes
Escape	Deselect
q	Save and quit

Insert Mode

Key	Action
type freely	Edit node text (markdown)
Escape	Return to Normal mode

Visual Mode

Key	Action
h j k l	Expand/shrink selection rectangle
Enter	Select enclosed nodes
Escape	Cancel

Move Mode

Key	Action
h j k l	Move selected node(s) by grid step
r	Switch to Resize mode
i	Confirm and enter Insert mode
Enter / Escape	Confirm and exit

Resize Mode

Key	Action
h j k l	Resize selected node(s) by grid step
r	Auto-fit height to content
m	Switch to Move mode
i	Confirm and enter Insert mode
Enter / Escape	Confirm and exit

Connect Mode

Key	Action
h j k l	Pan to target node
Enter	Create edge to node under cursor
Escape	Cancel

Search

Key	Action
Tab / Shift+Tab	Cycle through matches
Enter	Confirm search (select match)
n / N	Next/previous match (after confirm)
Escape	Close search

Arrow keys work as aliases for hjkl in all modes. Mouse drag is also supported for moving and resizing nodes.

Configuration

Config file: ~/.config/canvim/config.toml

A default config is created on first run. You can customize:

• Colors -- background, node, edge, text, crosshair, dot grid, status bar, and preset colors (1-6)
• Fonts -- node_font (family) and node_font_size
• Keybindings -- every key in every mode can be rebound

Example (default):

[colors]
background = "#0f172a"
node_background = "#1e293b"
node_border = "#334155"
edge = "#475569"
text = "#cbd5e1"
crosshair = "rgba(148, 163, 184, 0.3)"
dot_grid = "rgba(148, 163, 184, 0.08)"
node_font = "system-ui, sans-serif"
node_font_size = 14

[keybindings.normal]
pan_left = "h"
pan_right = "l"
pan_up = "k"
pan_down = "j"
add_node = "a"
select = "Enter"
insert = "i"
delete = "d"
enter_move = "m"
enter_resize = "r"
connect = "c"
enter_visual = "v"
search = "/"
# ... see config.toml for full list

Building from Source

Requires: Rust, Node.js, Bun

bun install
bun tauri build

The binary will be at src-tauri/target/release/canvim.

License

MIT