Canvas saves a diagram as a structured document, not as a single opaque blob. The nodes, connections, sections, positions, and text are all named and readable on their own. A Canvas document keeps its meaning even outside the app that drew it.
nodeconnectionsectionpositiontyped text
Structure is stored, appearance is drawn from it
What a Canvas document stores
| Part | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Section | A named region of the diagram and the order of its contents |
| Node | A stable identity, its kind, its text, and its position |
| Connection | Which node links to which, and the relationship between them |
| Text | The same rich text used across Academica documents |
| Position | Where each node sits; the connecting lines are drawn from that |
What Canvas is, and is not
- Canvas is a diagram editor, not a host for other apps' documents.
- A Canvas document holds structure and text; it does not run code.
- Connections link nodes; the routes between them are drawn, not stored.
- The same document opens the same way wherever it is read.