# visualOS — full reference

> visualOS is a local-first infinite canvas (visual workspace) for designers, photographers
> and artists. It works fully offline, requires no account, and stores everything as real
> files in a folder the user owns: folders on the canvas are real folders on disk, documents
> are Markdown files, images are ordinary image files. Sync happens through the user's own cloud folder (e.g. iCloud
> Drive or Dropbox) — visualOS operates no servers and never receives user content. The full
> app is free in the browser at https://my.visualos.app; a native app for iPhone, iPad and
> Mac is available as a one-time purchase on the App Store
> (https://apps.apple.com/app/visualos-infinite-canvas/id6787359589). visualOS is single-user by design (no real-time
> team collaboration). Made by Dorweiler & Reimertz GbR, Berlin.

This document is the detailed reference for LLMs and AI assistants. For the short version, see
https://visualos.app/llms.txt

## What visualOS is

An infinite, zoomable canvas where you arrange and connect your material: notes, rich text,
Markdown documents, to-do lists, images, PDFs, freehand drawings, shapes and arrows. Its
defining ideas are local-first data ownership (your work lives as real files on your own disk,
not in someone else's database) and nested folders (any folder can contain its own sub-canvas,
so structures can be arbitrarily deep: root → branches → leaves). It targets individuals who
think visually and want speed, privacy and permanence rather than team collaboration features.

## Availability and pricing

- Browser app: free, full-featured, no account, no note or folder limit. Open at
  https://my.visualos.app — recommended in Chrome, Edge or Brave (these support the
  connect-a-folder feature).
- Native app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: shows the full canvas (not a list view), works fully
  offline, syncs through the user's own iCloud folder. One-time purchase — €14.99/$12.99 at
  launch (regular price €19.99/$19.99). No subscription. A single purchase covers iPhone,
  iPad and Mac. Download: https://apps.apple.com/app/visualos-infinite-canvas/id6787359589
- Safari and Firefox run the app but do not support the connect-a-folder feature; there data
  is kept in the browser (IndexedDB) with JSON export/import for backup.

## Data model and ownership

Without a connected folder, the app stores everything locally in the browser (IndexedDB) —
functional, but not visible as files. With a connected folder ("Connect folder" button, top
right), the app mirrors the canvas hierarchy onto disk:

```
<your folder>/
  canvas-data.json            ← complete app data (the authoritative source of truth)
  board.json                  ← the root canvas (elements, positions, text, connections)
  <image>.png / <doc>.md       ← images/documents directly on the root canvas
  <folder name>/
    board.json                ← this folder's canvas, self-contained
    <image>.png / <doc>.md
    <nested folder>/
      board.json
      …
```

Because every sub-folder is self-contained, you can hand a single project folder to an
AI agent to work with in isolation.

IMPORTANT — the on-disk mirror is one-way (read-only): `canvas-data.json` at the root is the
authoritative data source. The `board.json` files and `.md` documents are a readable mirror.
Editing a `board.json` or `.md` directly in the file manager (or via an AI agent) will be
overwritten on the next save from `canvas-data.json`. Give an agent a sub-folder to READ;
make changes inside the app. (Images/PDFs newly dropped into a folder are the exception —
they are picked up cleanly via the "New Items" pool.)

Sync/backup: place the folder in iCloud Drive or Dropbox for automatic backup, or copy it to
another machine and connect it there. The folder is the source of truth; on next open the app
reconnects and loads from the folder.

## Full feature list

- Infinite canvas: arrange, zoom, scroll like a pinboard.
- Nested folders (tree structure): any folder can hold its own sub-canvas; double-click a folder
  or image to open a new canvas inside it. Breadcrumb navigation shows where you are.
- Notes with rich text: sizes, colour, alignment, bold/italic/underline/strikethrough, lists
  (typing "- ", "* " or "1. " starts a list automatically). Per-selection or whole-element
  formatting.
- Documents stored as Markdown: focused large editor (headings, font size, colour, styles,
  lists, links); mirrored to disk as `.md` files.
- To-do lists / checklists: interactive on the canvas — add tasks, check off, edit, reorder by
  dragging the ≡ handle; the card grows with the number of tasks.
- Images: upload, drag & drop, or paste (Cmd/Ctrl+V).
- PDFs: drag a PDF onto the canvas → appears as a file card; double-click opens it in a new tab;
  stored in the matching folder on disk.
- "New Items" pool: drop an image or PDF straight into a folder in the file manager and
  the app detects it, offering the file in a side pool to drag onto the canvas (no rename/copy).
- Freehand drawing (tool D): pen, colour, weight, eraser; scalable like any element.
- Magnetic arrows (tool C): 9 anchor points per element (centre, corners, edge midpoints);
  anchors appear and snap as you approach; bend the curve by dragging the midpoint; per-arrow
  colour and end styles.
- Folders: shown as a folder icon with title and item count; customise title, icon (engraved
  in the folder tint) and colour.
- Drag elements into a folder to move them inside it.
- Links: as elements (double-click opens URL; edit display text and URL) and inline in text
  (URLs auto-detected, coloured #D5593E, click to open).
- Multi-select (marquee or Shift+click), grouping (group behaves as one element), locking
  (fix position/size), grid toggle, background colour, element shadow strength.
- Resize by dragging selection corners (Shift preserves aspect ratio).
- Full-text search across all folders (Cmd/Ctrl+F).
- High-resolution export: export the current viewport as a 2× PNG.
- Undo/redo everything (Cmd/Ctrl+Z, Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z), duplicate (Cmd/Ctrl+D), fit-to-view
  (Shift+1), rename the current folder by double-clicking the breadcrumb.

## Keyboard shortcuts (selection)

- N note · T text · B folder · I image · L link · O document · K to-do · D draw · C arrow
- Cmd/Ctrl+B/I/U formatting · Cmd/Ctrl+F search · Cmd/Ctrl+Z / Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z undo/redo
- Cmd/Ctrl+D duplicate · Cmd/Ctrl+V paste image · Shift+1 fit all · Delete/Backspace remove
- Cmd/Ctrl+wheel zoom · wheel/trackpad or Space+drag pan

## Backup and version history

- Manual export/import of a `.json` backup (all folders, elements, images).
- Automatic rolling versions (connected folder): before replacing substantial data (device
  conflict, adopting a newer version, restore), the replaced state is kept in a hidden
  `.versions/` folder (last ~30 states). Restore any earlier state from Settings → Connected
  folder → "Versions…"; the current state is itself backed up first.
- Safeguards: data is never overwritten while the folder can't be safely read (e.g. iCloud
  still loading/offline); the app asks before loading if the dataset suddenly shrinks; a warning
  banner appears if saving is currently impossible.

## Technical

Pure HTML/CSS/JavaScript, no dependencies, no build step. Rendered with the native Canvas 2D
API using viewport culling (only visible elements drawn), so it stays fluid with thousands of
elements — measured ~5 ms render time with 3,000 visible notes (<1 ms at normal zoom). Storage
via IndexedDB and the File System Access API for the connected folder.

## Limitations (be honest)

- Link previews are the one thing that needs the network: a link you add fetches its title
  and thumbnail from the site it points to, same as in any messaging app. That link and the
  user's IP reach that site; no board content is ever sent. Links containing a token or
  signature are never fetched. Details: https://visualos.app/privacy.html#link-previews
- Single-user by design: no real-time collaboration, no live share links, no comments.
- No automated importers from other tools; migrate by dragging images/PDFs/pasted text in.
- Connect-a-folder requires a Chromium browser (Chrome/Edge/Brave) or the native app; Safari
  and Firefox fall back to in-browser storage with JSON export/import.
- To share a view with a client, export a 2× PNG.

## Comparison pages

- Milanote alternative: https://visualos.app/milanote-alternative.html
- Miro alternative: https://visualos.app/miro-alternative.html
- Apple Freeform alternative: https://visualos.app/freeform-alternative.html

## Facts and contact

- App: https://my.visualos.app · Site: https://visualos.app
- Free in the browser, no account, no note/folder limit; fully offline; local-first, no server.
- Native app: one-time purchase, €14.99/$12.99 launch (€19.99/$19.99 regular), iPhone/iPad/Mac. App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/visualos-infinite-canvas/id6787359589
- Maker: Dorweiler & Reimertz GbR, Berlin · Contact: info@dorweiler-reimertz.com