# Boards Source: https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/boards Section: Project Items Description: Create, organize, and manage boards and board folders, the canvases that hold your story flowcharts, plus performance and usage tips In Arcweave, your story's flow takes place on one or more **boards**—the canvases where you build your story flowcharts. A board is where you visually map out scenes, dialogue, choices, and logic. ![An open Arcweave project showing the current board and its flowchart.](https://docs.arcweave.com/assets/project-general.Cw-i8z_y.png) ## Board folders Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Board folders To organize your boards efficiently, Arcweave lets you create your own structure of board folders within your project. ## Boards section Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Boards section Once inside a project, you can view and manage your boards and folders in the **Boards** section, located in the lower half of Arcweave's left sidebar. ![The project environment with an orange rectangle emphasizing the position of the Boards section.](https://docs.arcweave.com/assets/boards-sidebar.ByQxC37P.png) Expand a board in this section to see an outline of its elements, connections, branches, jumpers, and notes. Click an item to zoom to it on the board. See [Board contents](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/interface/left-sidebar#board-contents). ## Create boards or folders Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Create boards or folders ### At section top Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Create boards or folders > At section top To create a new board or folder at the top of the **Boards** section: - Go to the header of the **Boards** section. - Click **Create board** (**+** icon) or **Create folder** (**folder** icon). ### At section bottom Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Create boards or folders > At section bottom To create a new board or folder at the bottom of the **Boards** section: - Right-click on an empty area of the **Boards** section. - Select **Create board** or **Create folder** from the menu. ### Above existing board Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Create boards or folders > Above existing board To create a new board or folder above an existing board in the **Boards** section: - Right-click on the existing board's name. - Select **Create board** or **Create folder** from the menu. Or: - Hover the mouse cursor over the existing board's name. - Click on the **(+)** icon that appears. - Select **Create board** or **Create folder** from the menu. ### Inside existing folder Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Create boards or folders > Inside existing folder To create a new board or folder inside an existing folder: - Right-click on the existing folder's name. - Select **Create board** or **Create folder** from the menu. Or: - Hover the mouse cursor over the folder's name. - Click on the **(+) icon** that appears. - Select **Create board** or **Create folder** from the menu. ## Delete boards / folders Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Delete boards / folders To delete a board or folder: - Right-click on its name, on the **Boards** section. - Select **Delete**. > ⚠️ Deleting a board folder will also delete all its contents. You can undo the action. > ℹ️ A project must keep at least one board. **Delete** is unavailable for the project's last remaining board, or for a folder that contains it. > ℹ️ When deleting a board, all [mentions](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/mentions) of this board will be removed as well. ## Rename boards / folders Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Rename boards / folders To rename a board or folder: - Right-click on its name, on the **Boards** section. - Select **Rename** from the menu. You can also rename the currently open board from the [top menu](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/interface/top-menu). You will find the current board's name next to the project name, on the left of the menu. Click it once to rename it. ## Duplicate boards Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Duplicate boards To duplicate a board: - Right-click on its name, on the **Boards** section. - Select **Duplicate**. > ℹ️ Duplicating board folders is not allowed. ## Open boards Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Open boards To open a board, go to your **Boards** section on the sidebar and click on its name. Your current board area will switch to display its contents. ## Copy a board link Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Copy a board link Right-click the board's name in the sidebar's **Boards** section and select **Copy link**. Opening the link switches to that board and restores its saved position and zoom. Board folders do not have this action. The link includes the current project language. See [Share an item or board position](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/share#share-an-item-or-board-position) for access requirements and how to share a particular board view. ## Board performance Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Board performance If board navigation, selection, or connection editing feels slower than expected, see [Troubleshooting](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/troubleshooting#board-performance). Board performance can also vary depending on the selected board renderer in [Project Settings](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/settings#board-renderer). ## Mention boards Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Mention boards You can create links to your boards while editing rich text in elements, notes, attributes, and labels. This kind of link is called a **mention** and you initiate it by typing the character `@` followed by a board name. Read more on [mentions](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/mentions) under the section of **Project tools**. > ℹ️ You can also mention [components](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/components#mention-components). ## Board properties Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Board properties To access the properties of any board: 1. Locate the board in the **Boards** section of the left sidebar 2. Right-click the board's name and select **Properties** from the menu. To access the properties of the current board: 1. Right-click in an empty board area. 2. Select **Board Properties**. The properties that you can access are the following: ### Board ID Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Board properties > Board ID Each board has a **unique identifier** in the form of: `81a30674-aa09-4eb8-8484-59298d37f984` (version 4 UUID) > ℹ️ Uses of this board ID include accessing the board in the project's [JSON](https://docs.arcweave.com/integrations/json). ### Custom ID Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Board properties > Custom ID Besides its UUID, every regular board has an editable custom ID. Arcweave generates it when the board is created and uses it to scope the board's [attribute variables](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/variables/board). To edit a board custom ID: 1. Right-click the board in the **Boards** section and select **Attributes**. 2. Select the custom ID beneath the panel title and enter a new value. The custom ID cannot be removed, must be unique across all boards and components, and must follow the [variable naming rules](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/variables/overview#variable-names-and-custom-ids). Renaming it updates existing Arcscript references automatically. ### Attributes Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Board properties > Attributes Regular boards can store [attributes](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/attributes), including String Field, Boolean, Integer, and Float attributes that act as [board variables](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/variables/board). To open a board's attributes, right-click it in the **Boards** section and select **Attributes**. Boards with attributes also display an attributes button next to their name. Board folders cannot contain attributes. To [add](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/attributes#create-attributes), [edit](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/attributes#edit-attributes), or [remove](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/attributes#delete-attributes) a board's attributes, see the **Attributes** page. ### Content Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Board properties > Content This section displays the board's item count by type: - [Elements](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/elements) - [Connections](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/connections) - [Notes](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/notes) - [Jumpers](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/jumpers) - [Branches](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/branches) - [Comments](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/comments) ### Total words Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Board properties > Total words This section displays the **board's word count**, adding together words in element titles, element content, and connection labels in the currently selected language. Arcscript blocks and notes are not counted. For the title and content breakdown of an individual element, see [element word count](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/elements#word-count). ### Total characters Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Board properties > Total characters This section displays the **board's character count** for the same text: element titles, element content, and connection labels in the currently selected language. Arcscript blocks and notes are not counted. ## Usage examples Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Usage examples There are no restrictions on how you use a board. It can visually represent a story chapter, a dialogue scene, a game level, or even an algorithm. Some examples include: - **Story parts**: Chapters, scenes, or levels—you decide what they are. Keep each one on its own board. - **Synopses**: Outline your entire narrative in a single board before zooming into individual scenes on separate boards. - **Subplots**: Keep main and secondary plots distinct by mapping each one on a different board. - **Dialogue**: Create a separate board for each NPC dialogue tree, and group them in a folder named "Dialogue Trees." - **Locations**: Build geography-based diagrams to give an overview of your game's terrain or specific areas. - **Puzzle dependencies**: Design puzzle logic and dependencies to avoid issues—like locking a drawer while the key's still inside! - **Storyboards**: Use [assets](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/assets/overview) as [element covers](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/elements#element-covers) to visually narrate your story. ## Usage tips Context: Arcweave docs > Project Items > Boards > Usage tips When working on your flowcharts, keep the following in mind: - ✅ Use multiple boards to keep your project modular, clear, and easy to navigate. - ✅ Use [jumpers](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/jumpers) to connect flowcharts across boards. - ✅ Group related boards into board folders for better organization.