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Learn how to use StructureGram

Focus Entity (Ownership Diagrams)

Use Focus Entity when you want StructureGram to quickly narrow an ownership diagram to the entities connected to one selected entity.

This is useful when a full structure is too large and you need a cleaner working set for analysis, review, or presentation.

Common Examples

Use Focus Entity when you want a diagram for a distinct sub-structure, for example:

  • SMSF-focused view: set the SMSF as the Focus Entity to show entities linked to that SMSF.
  • Discretionary trust-focused view: set the trust as the Focus Entity to show the trust-side structure.
  • Corporate group-focused view: set the holding company as the Focus Entity to show that connected corporate cluster.

If those structures are distinct in the relationship graph under your current settings, the diagram narrows to that connected set.

What This Feature Does

When you apply Focus Entity:

  • StructureGram looks at the full parent group behind the diagram.
  • It finds entities connected to your selected focus entity.
  • It replaces that diagram's Entity Filter with that connected set.
  • It saves the selected focus entity on the diagram for convenience.

This is an apply action, not a temporary visual toggle.

Important Behavior to Understand

Focus Entity changes the diagram's Entity Filter membership.

  • It is not a separate "live trim mode" that sits on top of the filter.
  • After apply, you can still add or remove entities manually in the Entity Filter dialog.
  • Applying again with the same or another focus entity recalculates and replaces the filter again.

Where You Can Use It

You can access Focus Entity anywhere you can edit an ownership diagram's Entity Filter:

  1. Open an ownership diagram and click Entity Filter.
  2. Or open the diagrams list and click a diagram's Entity Filter badge.

In the dialog, use the Focus Entity row at the top.

Quick Steps

  1. Open Entity Filter for an ownership diagram.
  2. In Focus Entity, choose an entity.
  3. Click Apply.
  4. Wait for the update to complete.
  5. Review the updated Entity Filter membership.

If you apply the same focus again, the button label can show Re-apply.

How Connected Entities Are Chosen

StructureGram uses relationship connectivity from the diagram's parent group.

  • Traversal is graph-based (connected component around the focus entity).
  • Traversal is undirected for connectivity.
  • Only relationship types drawn as links are used for connectivity bridging.
  • Relationship display settings therefore directly affect which entities are included.

Relationship Settings Control the Scope

The limit of the focused group is determined by link relationships shown on the diagram using current settings.

  • Go to Settings -> Relationships.
  • Relationship types set to display as links can bridge to more entities.
  • Relationship types not shown as links do not bridge for Focus Entity connectivity.

In short: more relationship types drawn as links usually means a wider focused set; fewer link relationships usually means a narrower set.

Node Information vs Drawn Entities

Node-level information can still show details about entities that are not drawn as separate nodes.

For example, if relationship details like directors or trustees are configured to display in nodes, those details can appear in node content even when the diagram is trimmed and those related entities are not drawn as separate nodes.

This lets you keep a simpler diagram while still showing richer context inside the nodes.

What Is Included and Not Included

Included

  • Connected entities that are reachable from the selected focus entity through supported ownership-structure links.

Not Included

  • Disconnected entities.
  • Entities connected only through excluded or non-bridging relationship types.
  • Assets as focus targets (the focus picker is for assignable core entity types).

Changing or Undoing the Result

You have two common ways to adjust after applying Focus Entity:

  1. Apply Focus Entity again with a different entity.
  2. Manually edit the Entity Filter assignments (select/clear entities) to shape the final set.

There is no separate "turn off focus mode" toggle because Focus Entity writes a new Entity Filter membership set.

Scenarios Interaction

Scenarios resolve from the base diagram's Entity Filter boundary.

That means if you apply Focus Entity on the base diagram:

  • The base Entity Filter changes.
  • Scenario scope can change accordingly.
  • Existing scenario step geometry is still managed by scenario step state.

See Scenarios for full behavior.

Troubleshooting

"Failed to apply focus entity"

Common causes:

  • The selected entity is not valid for this diagram/group context.
  • You do not have access to update this diagram.
  • A temporary network or server error occurred.

Try reopening the dialog and applying again.

"I got fewer entities than expected"

Possible reasons:

  • Some expected entities are not connected through supported bridging relationship types.
  • Relationship display settings changed which links are treated as bridged in focus calculation.

Check relationship setup and view settings, then Re-apply.

"Why did my scenarios change?"

Focus Entity updates the base diagram's Entity Filter. Scenario base scope follows that filter.

Best Practices

  • Keep one full-reference diagram for complete structures.
  • Use Focus Entity to build a targeted working or presentation view quickly.
  • After applying, review and fine-tune assignments manually.
  • Re-apply after major relationship or view-setting changes.

Related Topics