Visualization
Citracer produces an interactive HTML graph. Nodes are papers, edges are citations.
Node colors
| Color | Status | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | root |
The source PDF |
| Green | analyzed |
PDF retrieved and the keyword (or concept) was found |
| Gray | no_match |
PDF retrieved and parsed, but no keyword match |
| Red | unavailable |
PDF could not be retrieved |
| Orange | new |
Not in the --diff baseline and/or after the --since date |
Edge styles
| Style | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Solid dark | keyword-associated | Paper A cites paper B near a keyword match |
| Dashed blue | bibliographic link | Paper A cites paper B, but not near any keyword. Hidden by default |
Control panel
The top-left panel provides:
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Search | Fuzzy match by title or author. Click a result to focus the node |
| Layout | Sugiyama by year (default), Sugiyama by depth, Force-directed, Fruchterman-Reingold |
| Node size | Scale by in-graph citations, keyword hits, PageRank, or betweenness |
| Spread | Slider (0.3x to 3.0x) to stretch or compress the layout |
| Curved edges | Toggle between curved and straight edge rendering |
| Export PNG | Export the current view as a high-resolution raster image (2x, 3x, or 4x scale) |
| Export SVG | Export as a vector file (lossless zoom, ideal for LaTeX figures and posters) |
| Nodes legend | Click to show/hide nodes by status |
| Edges legend | Click to show/hide keyword-associated or bibliographic edges |
Interactions
- Hover a node to see its info panel (title, authors, year, status, metrics, keyword hits, abstract)
- Click a node to pin the panel. Click again or press x to unpin
- Right-click a node for Hide, Pin/Unpin, Open link, and Supply PDF (on unavailable nodes, generates the
--supply-pdfcommand to copy) - Drag any node to reposition it
- Undo/Redo with Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y (Cmd on Mac). Reverts positions, filters, layout, and all settings
- Resizable panel: drag the right edge of the control panel to widen or narrow it
- LaTeX in passages is rendered with KaTeX
State persistence
Node positions, filters, pin state, and all control settings are saved to localStorage. Refreshing the page restores the exact view. Use "reset saved state" at the bottom of the legend to clear everything.