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Manual Connections & Polytomies

Treemble allows you to manually define connections between nodes. This capability enables two major use-cases:

  1. Quickly fixing mis-inferred parent–child relationships (which will only happen in images with distorted or freeform edges).
  2. Constructing polytomies (nodes with 3-plus children) and working in Freeform mode, where Treemble’s automatic topology algorithm is disabled.

Adding / Editing a Connection​

  1. Hold Shift.
  2. Left-click an child node.
  3. A dashed green line follows the cursor. Hover over the intended parent node (older / closer to the root).
  4. Left-click the parent to finalise the edge.

The dashed line persists to visualise the link.

Tip: All standard editing applies; drag nodes, click to delete the node and its manual connections, etc.

Creating Polytomies​

By assigning three or more children to the same parent you define a polytomy.

Treemble’s reconstruction algorithm normally assumes bifurcations (two children per internal node). Manual connections let you override this assumption where required by your source figure.

Freeform Tree Shape​

Select Freeform in Options ▸ Tree Shape to disable Treemble’s automatic reconstruction entirely.

In Freeform mode:

  • No algorithmic layout – branches are plotted as straight lines between the exact node positions you provide.
  • Euclidean distances are used; there is no specified time axis.
  • Any node can be a parent of any other; the root may be anywhere.
  • Tip name labels are applied in the order the tips appear down the page.
  • The Equalize Tips tool is disabled.
  • Manual connections (Shift-click) are the primary way to build the topology—including polytomies.

Freeform is ideal for unconventional tree illustrations, network-like diagrams, or exploratory sketches where formal time calibration is unnecessary.

See Also​