Meeting № 13 Summary

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Meeting № 13 Summary

transcription of the meeting: Meeting 13
Recording of the meeting

Summary

Discussion Points

• Groups vs. Sets: Discussed the conceptual differences between groups (visual-only relations with behaviors like movement and deletion) and sets (logical collections of nodes used structurally). Agreed that groups are more relation-like but distinct from sets in behavior and purpose.

• Extensible JSON Models: Explored the use of property bags versus prefix properties in extensible JSON formats. Property bags were preferred for their logical grouping and cleaner implementation, despite being more verbose.

• Schema Conflicts and Collisions: Considered how to handle cases where two property bags or schemas might overlap or conflict, such as a 2D arrow and a 3D arrow. Agreed that resolving conflicts is up to the implementing tool, with conventions to guide behavior.

• Schema Validation: Identified the challenge of validating an entire OCWG file using JSON Schema but proposed validating individual property bags. Discussed using tools to extract and parse sections for schema adherence.

• Adoption Strategies: Proposed targeting key tools like TLdraw, Excalidraw, Obsidian Canvas, and Stately for early adoption. Highlighted creating converters for OCWG to and from these formats to encourage uptake by users and developers.

• Naming and Branding: Discussed naming conventions for the project, debating between "Open Canvas" or "OCWG Canvas," and how the namespace (canvasprotocol.org) will handle subdomains or directories.

• Recursion and Referencing: Briefly touched on the need to handle recursive referencing in Open Canvas files, ensuring files can reference others without breaking structural integrity.

• Graph Layout Tools: Explored the potential of building a layout engine for OCWG files to display files lacking visual positioning or sizing, though acknowledged the complexity of such tools.

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Action Items

• Groups vs. Sets: No action items.

• Extensible JSON Models:

  • Confirm the final choice between property bags and prefix properties for extensible JSON models.

• Schema Conflicts and Collisions:

  • Document conventions for handling conflicts (e.g., prioritize 3D over 2D arrows) for clarity in implementation.

• Schema Validation:

  • Develop tools to extract and validate individual property bags using JSON Schema tooling.

• Adoption Strategies:

  • Create converters for OCWG to/from Obsidian Canvas, TLdraw and Excalidraw.
  • Investigate the interest and potential collaboration with plugin developers in the Obsidian community.

• Naming and Branding:

  • Finalize the project name and preferred capitalization style (e.g., "Open Canvas" vs. "OCWG Canvas").
  • Decide on namespace handling: subdomains or subdirectories.

• Recursion and Referencing:

  • Define how recursion will be supported in OCWG files, ensuring proper referencing and structural integrity.

• Graph Layout Tools:

  • Explore the feasibility of creating a layout engine for OCWG files.

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Takeaways

• Groups are primarily visual and behavior-focused, while sets are structural and logical, making them fundamentally distinct despite some overlap.

• Property bags offer a cleaner and more organized approach to extensible JSON, even if more verbose than prefix properties.

• Adopting conventions for resolving schema conflicts will enable clearer interoperability between tools.

• Early adoption efforts should focus on key tools and user communities like TLdraw, Excalidraw and Obsidian Canvas.

• The name and branding of the project are critical and should align with the broader goals of clarity and accessibility.

Would you like further detail or adjustments?