> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pensiv.so/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 3.4.3 Connecting files, sheets, and documents

> Linking documents, sheets, plotboards on the canvas; links are references, not copies

On the canvas, every file\
works as a **connectable node**.

Documents, sheets, and plotboards\
are separate files,\
but on the canvas they can sit in one structure.

Linking on the canvas\
does not copy the file;\
it **visualizes a reference**.

***

## When to use it

Useful when:

* You want to see a document and character sheet on one screen
* You want to see which setting a scene ties to
* You want to check plot and character relations at once
* You want to see how one file works in several contexts

The canvas is\
not for listing files;\
it’s for **showing how files relate**.

***

## What can you connect?

### Documents

You can place scenes or drafts\
as cards.\
You see where they sit in the structure\
without opening the document.

***

### Sheets

You can link files that hold reference info:\
character, event, place, etc.\
You see who appears in a scene\
and which setting is in play\
directly in the layout.

***

### Plotboard

You can place a plotboard file\
on the canvas too.\
Then you can check\
flow and relationships together.

***

### One file on many canvases

The same file\
can appear on several canvases.

Examples:

* Character-relationship canvas
* Emotion-flow canvas
* Event-cause canvas

The same character sheet\
can be referenced on each.

***

## How to connect

1. Add a file card on the canvas.
2. Choose the existing file.
3. Draw connections to other cards as needed.

You’re not duplicating files;\
you’re **placing them in a structure**.

***

## Important: linking is not copying

Canvas file cards\
**reference** the original file.

* Edit the original document\
  → all canvases that use it update.
* Change sheet info\
  → it updates everywhere it’s linked.

So the canvas\
doesn’t make copies;\
it **shows the file in context**.

***

## What it means for structure

Connections on the canvas\
are not just lines.

They let you see in one view:

* What’s central
* What influences what
* Which file is used in several contexts

The canvas\
keeps files from scattering;\
it’s a structural device.