Just wanted to encourage you to pursue this. Properly fleshed out, it would be a massive boon when understanding production chains. Oil processing between Refining, Cracking, and Liquefaction can be a little funny to separate mentally beyond raw numbers, for example like your mod thumbnail. This is especially true when using complex mods and multiple recipes of different methods for the same items. (looking at you, Pyanodon and Alien Life...)

You may consider a dynamic means of turning off certain nodes to remove their paths, or turn them gray/dotted, to highlight the path you want to focus on.
Another thought is integrating another mod's functions, like Factorio Planner, into a deeper calculation. Perhaps simply a ratio calculator at each step to produce one of the target item to keep it simpler, which would limit scope and conceptually integrate with factory planner mods.

Hi, thanks for testing and the positive feedback !

You may consider a dynamic means of turning off certain nodes to remove their paths, or turn them gray/dotted, to highlight the path you want to focus on.

If it's just coloring/hiding nodes/links, it's something that can be reasonably done and it's a good idea. If it's about being able to add/remove nodes in an existing graph and adjusting the layout on the fly, that'll be too much dev time for what I think it's worth.

Right now I want to give priority to a different approach: better algorithms to select the relevant things to display. This is much needed anyway (for example, to not pull all the barreled fluid cycles everytime). Hopefully it will make manual hiding less needed.

Another thought is integrating another mod's functions, like Factorio Planner, into a deeper calculation. Perhaps simply a ratio calculator at each step to produce one of the target item to keep it simpler, which would limit scope and conceptually integrate with factory planner mods.

This is an interesting idea on the very long term. But at this stage of Dana's development, this could be called feature creeping. There are still many situations where Dana does a poor job at choosing the right things to display, or generating an understandable graph. Dana has to become consistent in both these areas to bring added value upon Factory Planner / Helmod.

I had thought about removing versus just disabling, but not displacing nodes. Highlighting changes would keep the referential position of other options present, but visually enhance the method. Perhaps being able to drag nodes (locked to a grid even) to make paths easier to trace. Visual adjustments of path thickness, color based on simple parameters, etc. There is a ton you can do.

The second idea was kind of looking at later useful complexities and half at simple math inclusions where each step hierarchically references what material numbers are needed. Just a simple number representation of the ratios of production, time notwithstanding, is a useful piece.

Perhaps displayed by the ingredient lines when zooming in a format like this: This-step (aggregate-steps)
Exactly what I have in mind is proving difficult to quantify at the moment, but you are off to a fascinating start.

Another idea might be having an option to pause the game while in the Dana interface, similar to research. I know you are just starting, so there is a lot of ground yet before I expect you have this rough proof developing into a refined tool.

But do take care with the balance of things you add. The best place to land is somewhere between Microsoft bloat and oversimplified Apple. Both have issues, but a default setting of minimalism with nearly dev-grade options to enable for those that want to nerd out will likely give you plenty of room.

Factorio is remarkably simple in its core aspects, but the interactions of all the simple parts coming together are what keeps us engaged.

Edit: I know very small amounts of programming, but it seems reasonable to set a flag on every entry (side menu to open?) that can be unchecked and manually remove it from the query.

Great Idea, I'm very willing to try it!

I agree. It's a great idea! Keep up the great work!

This mod is soooooo goood. Thumbs up - love it.