Searching for character relation map software
I've started working on a project and wanted to keep all my characters and their relationships well organised.
I'm already using TiddlyWiki to archive all the ideas about the world and its inhabitants I come up with, but I wanted to separately save the relations of the single characters in a map.
Features I'm looking for:
nodes (characters) are inserted like a set of data
relations can be added anytime
the software has a search tool to find nodes
I can add tags or search criteria to a node like I would in a database (e.g. age; "select name where age = 25" or something like that)
visual output of all the relations
If you have ever worked with a database you probably know what I mean with the search criteria.
If I knew how to set up a database and code the visual interface I'd probably write the software myself, but I hope there's already something like this out there.
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I've recently launched Graphy (https://graphy.studio/) for relationship map enthusiasts! It's still in the alpha release but free, fun, and functional!
Here are some examples:
Simpsons: graphy.studio/graphs/xMxlExGqjF2IlllBCmJo
SpongeBob: graphy.studio/graphs/yZnI0Ek6HLOrJLvnSDnX
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
I've now started working no making my own software that serves all the points I've mentioned.
I'm using Unity because it's the only developing platform I've got experience with building GUIs in.
For my database I've decided on SQLite.
I hope to have a first simple prototype soon.
I'll post a link when it's available.
The description of what you're looking for immediately brought mind maps to mind (no pun intended, but WOCKA WOCKA WOCKA!). I'm not sure if they'll fit the bill, but I thought I'd toss them out for your consideration.
Hopefully, someone with better information will be able to help soon, but a quick, precursory search found a couple of mind mapping packages you might be interested in.
The first is Scapple from Literature and Latte, the makers of Scrivener. It allows you make free associations between various nodes, and connect them when and if you'd like. It has no built-in hierarchy, which makes it seem close to what you expressed in your question:
www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple.php#scapple-features
The one thing I didn't see mentioned on their site anywhere was search capabilities. But as noted, this was a quick overview.
The second I found boasts a powerful search feature among many, many other features, but at a price. It's called XMind:
www.xmind.net/features/
XMind also has filtering and what they call "drill-down" features which might make it more what you're looking for in this case. But again, it comes at a price. The Premium license gives access to all of it, but it seems the free version only provides the diagramming capabilities. so there's that.
Just a couple of options to look over. This isn't, of course, the ONLY way to do this, and in fact, there's another post here on Writers in a similar vein:
Software for developing and organizing characters
Maybe those suggestions will help more. Whatever the case, good luck in your search and with your project!
Building your own software might provide writers with a tool that they have been missing.
On the other hand, obsessing about the perfect tool instead of writing is a common problem in aspiring writers – psychologists call this procrastination – and I would strongly advise you to write instead, if writing is your primary goal.
I have been happily developing character relations on paper for all my life, and have found no limitations to that method yet. If you draw out your graphs in pencil you can easily delete, change, or add relations. I found that even redrawing the whole annotated graph usually doesn't take more than a few minutes.
Pencil and paper are extremely versatile, they are cheap, available everywhere, and don't require techology that some writers might not have available.
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