Vist offers four ways to view a note, plus per-note reading width and built-in Mermaid diagram rendering. Switch between them from the View Options menu in the editor header, from the command palette (Cmd+K), or with keyboard shortcuts.
View modes
Normal
The default view. Content is centred with comfortable margins, the sidebar and note list are visible, and all panels are accessible. This is the mode you'll be in most of the time.
Full-page
Cmd+\ (Windows/Linux: Ctrl+\)
Hides the sidebar and note list, expands the content panel to fill the window, and gives the note a wide maximum width. Use this when you want to write or read without distraction. Press Esc to return to Normal.
Tip: Full-page mode state is remembered across page loads, so if you close Vist in full-page mode, it opens that way next time.
Presenter mode
Cmd+Shift+P
Puts the note in fullscreen, enlarges the font, and activates a blue laser-dot cursor to guide your audience's eye. The table of contents appears in the sidebar to help you navigate longer documents. Designed to be displayed on a screen or projector.
Press Esc to exit.
Focus mode
Cmd+.
Dims every paragraph except the one your cursor is in. As you move through the note, the spotlight follows you. Helps when you're revising dense content and want to think one paragraph at a time.
Press Esc to exit.
Reading width
Each note stores its own reading width preference:
- Narrow — tighter line length, better for journalling or short notes
- Wide — more horizontal space, better for documents with tables or long lines
- Full — content spans the full panel width; useful for dashboards or reference documents
Use the View Options dropdown to switch. The setting saves automatically and syncs across devices.
Mermaid diagrams
Vist renders Mermaid diagrams inline in the editor. To insert a diagram, create a fenced code block with mermaid as the language:
```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
Alice->>Bob: Hello
Bob-->>Alice: Hi there
```
The block renders as an SVG when you click away from it. Click the diagram to switch back to edit mode. All standard Mermaid diagram types are supported: flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts, class diagrams, and more.
Mermaid loads on demand — there is no performance cost if you never use it.
Keyboard shortcut reference
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle Full-page | Cmd+\ |
Ctrl+\ |
| Toggle Presenter | Cmd+Shift+P |
Ctrl+Shift+P |
| Toggle Focus | Cmd+. |
Ctrl+. |
| Exit any mode | Esc |
Esc |
All modes are also available via the command palette (Cmd+K → type the mode name).