Skip to main content

Workspace Controls

The visualization workspace is organized into the left sidebar, central tree canvas, top-right canvas controls, bottom movie timeline, and optional floating windows.

Phylo-Movies visualization workspace with sidebar, tree canvas, and movie timeline
The loaded workspace shows the sidebar, tree canvas, pinned tree panel, and timeline.
GroupControls
DatasetChange Dataset, Provenance, Sequence Alignment.
LayoutBranch Lengths, Tree Layout.
StyleGeometry & Labels, Taxa & Highlights, Taxa legend.
AnalysisMoved Subtrees, Tree Metrics.
ViewView Mode, Focus & Dimming, Changed Edge Effects, Group Connectors.

Dataset

ControlMeaning
Change DatasetReturns to the setup screen.
ProvenanceShows dataset source, tree source, alignment source, and processing settings when available.
Sequence AlignmentOpens the MSA viewer and toggles Follow Current Window when the dataset includes an alignment.

Branch Lengths

ModeMeaning
Original: input branch lengthsPreserves input branch lengths.
Readable scale: global sqrt transformApplies one square-root transform across the series for readability.
Readable scale: global log transformApplies one log transform across the series for readability.
Animation scale: normalized sqrtNormalizes each tree after a square-root transform for stable motion.
Animation scale: normalized input lengthsNormalizes each tree using input branch lengths for stable motion.
Animation scale: normalized logNormalizes each tree after a log transform for stable motion.
Topology only: cladogram-styleIgnores branch lengths and emphasizes topology.
Experimental: doubled input lengthsDoubles input branch lengths.
Experimental: squared input lengthsSquares input branch lengths for experimental inspection.

Original scale preserves proportional input branch lengths. Readable scale applies one global transform. Animation scale is useful for visual continuity, but it is not absolute evolutionary scale.

ModeMeaning
Radial ElbowDraws links with elbow geometry in the radial layout.
Straight LinesDraws direct branch segments between nodes.

Tree Layout

ControlMeaning
Tree SpreadControls how much of the circle the radial tree uses.
RotationRotates the whole tree around the canvas.

The tree canvas can also be magnified with the top-right zoom controls, mouse wheel, or two-finger trackpad gesture. Dragging the canvas moves the view across the current tree without changing the underlying topology or branch lengths.

Geometry and Labels

ControlMeaning
Node SizeChanges rendered node size.
Branch WidthChanges branch line thickness.
Label SizeChanges tip-label text size.
Show LabelsShows or hides labels.
Branch AnnotationSelects available internal-branch labels. Label / Raw Internal Label is the original Newick/source label text. Support / IQ-TREE / SH-aLRT is the parsed numeric SH-aLRT support value, so it can look identical when the raw label contains only that one value.

Taxa and Highlights

ControlMeaning
Edit Taxa ColorsOpens the Taxa Coloring floating window.
Monophyletic Branch ColorsApplies group/taxa color assignments to monophyletic branch groups.
Change EdgesShows changed/pivot edges and lets you choose their color.
Subtree HighlightingHighlights moved or manually selected subtrees.
Highlight OpacityControls subtree highlight opacity.
Highlight ScopeChooses all affected edges or only the current subtree.
Highlight StyleUses a solid color, taxa colors, or high contrast.
FocusZooms to the manually highlighted subtree.
ClearRemoves manually marked subtree highlights.

View Mode

ControlMeaning
Switch to 2D Camera / Switch to 3D CameraToggles the camera controls only. The 3D view tilts and orbits the same flat tree layout; topology, rooting, and branch lengths are unchanged.

Focus Effects

ControlMeaning
Current ChangeDims branches outside the current changed edge.
Subtree HighlightDims branches outside the highlighted subtree.
Dim StrengthControls how strongly non-focused branches are faded.
PulseAnimates changed edges.
Dashed EdgesDraws changed edges as dashed lines.
Past/Future ChangesShows previous and upcoming change context.
Connector OpacityControls group connector opacity.
Connector WidthControls group connector stroke width.