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📋 Kanban / Matrix

The Kanban / Matrix layout arranges the items connected to the current root item as an interactive board. Unlike isolated Kanban tools, cards in KnowledgeBase Builder are full-fledged nodes in your knowledge base: each card remains connected with its requirements, notes, attachments, and cross-connections in the network.

🚪 Switching the Board On and Off

The primary access point for the board is located in the Tools menu:

  • Kanban / Matrix — This toggle activates the board view. Clicking it again turns the board off and automatically returns you to the diagram layout that was set previously.
  • Alternative via “Adjust View”: You can also select the Kanban / Matrix layout from the drop-down menu of 20 layouts in Adjust View. However, the interactive workspace containing all axes and board options is located in the Tools panel.

Note: The Kanban toggle is hidden in 3D and table mode, as well as on an active whiteboard.

📊 Configuring Axes: Columns and Swimlanes

As soon as the board is active, the sections for both axes appear in the Tools menu directly below the toggle:

  • Columns: Lists all categories and tags in your knowledge base. Simply check or uncheck entries to define which values are displayed as vertical columns on the board.
  • Swimlanes: Allows you to select horizontal rows using the same criteria as for columns. This creates a two-dimensional matrix (e.g., Eisenhower matrix, risk matrix, or effort/benefit grid).
  • (none): Sits at the top of both axes and serves as the collecting area for all cards that do not carry any of the selected values.

Columns and swimlanes selection in the tools panel

🃏 The “Cards” Section

Below the axes you will find the Cards section containing board-specific commands:

  • Show Rank: Puts a small number on every card, counted sequentially from top to bottom (across swimlanes). This immediately reveals the priority and ordering within a column or cell.
  • Show Category Labels: Displays colored category badges (blue) and tag badges (purple) directly above the cards.
  • Hand Over Cards…: Opens the sprint handover dialog (visible only in edit mode) to retain finished tasks on the old board and automatically transfer remaining cards to a new board.

🎛️ Working Directly on the Diagram

You can interact with the board directly:

  • Re-filing Cards via Drag & Drop: Drag a card with the mouse into another column or swimlane. Dragging automatically updates the card's category or tag (not its physical coordinate).
  • Column and Swimlane Toolbar: Clicking the header of a column or swimlane reveals its toolbar:
    • Grip: Drag the column left or right to reorder columns.
    • ✎ Rename: Changes the name of the category or tag throughout the database.
    • ➕ Add Column / Swimlane: Inserts a new column to the right or a new swimlane below.
    • ✕ Remove: Hides the column from the board. Its cards retain their category and move into the collecting column (none).
  • No Diagram Rotation: On the board, rotation angle, rotation speed, and the Rotate button are disabled.

For a detailed, step-by-step guide on practical Scrum sprints, backlogs, and matrix use cases, please visit the How-To: Kanban and Scrum Boards tutorial.