Architect Overview
The Architect is Canoryn's visual programming environment — an infinite canvas where you design workflows by connecting nodes with wires.
Think of it as a visual script: instead of writing code line by line, you connect building blocks together to describe what your workflow should do and when.
You can also describe the workflow in chat — with Build with chat (sparkles in the top toolbar) or from main Chat. Both can build and edit the graph. Build with chat keeps the conversation beside the canvas you’re on. Manual wiring and chat authoring work together.
The Workspace
The Architect is split into main panels:
| Panel | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Projects sidebar | Left (grid mode) | Open and organize workflows (.cryn) in your workspace |
| Build with chat | Left (sparkles mode) | Chat linked to this canvas — build and edit the graph |
| Canvas | Center | Build the graph: nodes, wires, live surfaces |
| Inspector | Right | Configure the selected node |
Switch Projects ↔ Build with chat with the grid / sparkles control in the Architect toolbar (top left). Details: Build with chat.
TIP
Press Cmd + . to toggle Focus Mode, which hides both sidebars for a distraction-free canvas.
Core Building Blocks
Nodes
Nodes are Visual blocks that represent a single action or decision. Every node has:
- Input Ports (left side): Receive execution flow or data.
- Output Ports (right side): Send execution flow or data.
- Properties: Configurable settings edited in the Inspector (right).
There are 5 categories of nodes:
| Category | Color | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trigger | 🟡 Yellow | Start execution | On Start, Voice Command, Schedule, Webhook |
| Logic | 🟣 Purple | AI and control flow | Simple AI, OpenAI, If/Else, For Each |
| Action | Various | Interact with the world | Speak, Play Music, Open URL |
| Memory | 🟢 Green | Store and recall data | Recall Memories, Set Variable |
| Utility | 🔘 Gray | Transform and inspect | Prompt Builder, JSON Parser, Result Viewer |
Wires
Wires are the connections between nodes. There are two fundamental types:
- Flow Wires (White): Control the order of execution. "Do this, then do that."
- Data Wires (Colored): Pass values between nodes. "Use this text as the prompt."
Groups
Groups are visual containers that help organize related nodes. Select nodes and press Cmd + G to group them.
How Execution Works
- Every workflow starts from a Trigger node (e.g., "On Start").
- Execution follows Flow Wires (white) from output to input.
- When a node executes, it reads its Data Wires for input values.
- The node processes and passes its results downstream.
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ On Start │────▶│ Simple AI│────▶│ Speak │
│ (Trigger)│flow │ (Logic) │flow │ (Action) │
└──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘
│ data
"Summarize the
latest news"Enable vs Play
- Play — run the graph now while drafting (including scheduled / event-triggered graphs for testing).
- Enable — publish so schedules, CLI, and external agents can run it.
Details: Build with chat → Enable vs Play.
Next: Projects Sidebar & Inspector · Build with chat · Browser Nodes · Canvas & Interactions · Node Reference.