Selected Related...
In TheBrain v15, the Select Related Thoughts dialog is a batch-selection tool that allows you to automatically select linked thoughts across multiple generations, directions, and relationship types, starting from your active thought or current selection.
Once selected, those thoughts populate the selection panel (the side bar/tray), allowing you to perform bulk actions—such as:
- copying as an outline,
- creating documents,
- applying/removing tags,
- setting privacy levels,
- or isolating sub-networks.
How to Access It
- Set the starting point by navigating to or selecting your target thought.
- Open the menu via Edit > Select Related Thoughts
(or right-click a thought in the plex and choose Select Related Thoughts).
Key Options & Controls in the Dialog
| Control / Option | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Relationship Direction | Choose which relationship branches to traverse:
• Children (downwards through sub-topics)
• Parents (upwards through broader topics)
• Jumps (lateral associations) |
| Generations / Degrees of Separation | Specify the depth or number of levels to include (e.g., 1 for immediate children only, 2 for children and grandchildren, or max depth to select the entire branch). |
|---|---|
| Include Active Thought | Checkbox that determines whether the starting thought itself is added to the selection box alongside its relatives. |
| Filter by Types / Tags | Restrict the branch expansion so it only selects thoughts carrying specific Thought Types or Tags. |
Common Workflows & Use Cases
- Exporting Sub-Trees: Select a parent topic and all of its descendants down $N$ generations, then right-click the selection tray to Copy as Text Outline or Create Document (e.g., exporting a branch to Markdown).
- Branch Isolation & Copying: Copy a branch or cluster of thoughts from one Brain to another without manually Ctrl-clicking every individual node.
- Bulk Property Edits: Change privacy settings (Make Public / Make Private), assign or replace tags, or update thought types across an entire sub-network in one click.
- Mass Deletion or Unlinking: Isolate obsolete branches to safely remove or disconnect them as a group.
Pro-Tips in v15
- Additive Selection: Running Select Related Thoughts multiple times accumulates thoughts into your selection tray rather than clearing previous selections.
- Quick Keyboard Alternative: If you only need immediate 1st-generation children, you can Ctrl+Click (or Cmd+Click on Mac) a thought's child gate directly in the Plex to add all immediate children to the selection tray instantly.
- Use the dialog when you need multi-generational depth or direction controls.