ganten7

ganten7 / navi

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Obsidian-style interactive graph viewer for org-roam — native window, no Emacs package required

13
0
69% credibility
Found May 23, 2026 at 14 stars -- GitGems finds repos before they trend. Get early access to the next one.
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AI Analysis
Rust
AI Summary

Navi is a native desktop application that visualizes your org-roam notes as an interactive graph. It reads your notes directly from your computer, displays them as a network of connected nodes, and lets you click any note to open it in Emacs. You can pan and zoom through your knowledge base, search for specific notes, filter by tags or date, and switch between different visual themes. The app runs entirely on your machine, loads in under a second, and saves battery by slowing down when you're not using it.

How It Works

1
💡 You want to see your notes as a map

You've been writing notes in Emacs with org-roam, and now you want to see how all your ideas connect.

2
📦 You download Navi for your Mac

You grab the ready-made app from the releases page, unzip it, and double-click to install.

3
✨ Your knowledge graph appears instantly

The app automatically finds your notes database and displays your entire knowledge base as a beautiful, animated network of connected ideas.

4
🔍 You explore by panning and zooming

Drag to move around the canvas, scroll to zoom in and out, and watch the nodes gently float and settle into place.

5
You find what you're looking for
🔤
Search by title or alias

Press / and type to instantly jump to any note by its name.

🏷️
Filter by tags

Toggle tag colors to see which topics are most connected.

📅
Hide daily notes

Clean up the view by hiding your journal entries.

6
🖱️ You double-click to open in Emacs

When you find the note you need, double-click it and it opens immediately in your running Emacs window.

🎉 Your entire knowledge base is at your fingertips

Navigate effortlessly between hundreds of notes, see patterns in your thinking, and jump straight to any idea with one click.

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AI-Generated Review

What is navi?

Navi is a native graph viewer for org-roam that runs as a standalone desktop window. You get the Obsidian-style interactive node graph you see in Roam or Obsidian, but without needing any Emacs packages or Elisp code. It reads your `org-roam.db` directly and opens files or jumps to headlines in your existing Emacs session via `emacsclient`. The app displays your knowledge graph with force-directed physics, letting nodes drift and settle naturally. You can pan, zoom, drag nodes around, and double-click to jump straight into the relevant note or heading in Emacs. Written in Rust using egui and OpenGL, with deep macOS support including 240Hz display pacing.

Why is it gaining traction?

The hook is clear: you get a polished, Obsidian-style graph without touching your Emacs config. No packages to install, no Elisp to debug. The app just finds your database, renders your knowledge graph, and integrates with your existing editor. Features like tag-based coloring, age heatmaps showing which notes are "settled" versus fresh, local graph modes, and multiple layout algorithms (disk, column, tree) make navigation practical even with large knowledge bases. The physics engine keeps the graph feeling alive without burning CPU. For org-roam users who want visual exploration without Emacs overhead, this fills a genuine gap.

Who should use this?

Org-roam v2 users on macOS who want visual knowledge graph exploration without installing additional Emacs packages. It's especially useful if you have a large personal knowledge base and want to browse connections, spot orphans, or quickly jump to related notes. The local graph filtering helps when you need context around a specific node. If you're on Linux, it builds but needs manual GL setup. Windows users should look elsewhere. The target audience is knowledge workers and developers who live in org-mode but want a more visual, less keyboard-driven way to navigate their notes.

Verdict

Navi is a well-architected, genuinely useful tool with a clear value proposition. The 0.699999988079071% credibility score reflects its early stage: 13 stars, v1.0.0, no visible test suite, and minimal community traction. macOS is polished; other platforms are "builds cleanly" at best. If you're an org-roam power user on Apple Silicon wanting the Obsidian graph experience, install it and file bug reports. For teams or long-term use, wait for more stars and test coverage.

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