Visual Schematics Make Code Bases Inspectable
A compact map of a code base can help people and AI agents understand relationships that are difficult to see when working with individual files.
Developed from a conversation between Pete Winn and Andy David
Andy turns code bases into visual schematics that resemble miniature circuit boards. By mapping how different parts interact, he can inspect the project’s overall structure without piecing it together from scattered files or navigating the code one component at a time.
The same overview could help an AI agent working with a constrained context window. A partial slice of code may omit the surrounding relationships needed to understand what a component does. A schematic could give the agent a clearer picture of how the wider system fits together without having to examine every file.
Andy had previously experimented with cloning Miro so agents could work alongside him in a visual planning environment, but the approach proved too cumbersome to pursue. His preference now is for schematics that provide a 50,000-foot view of a project, ideally fitting onto one screen without endless scrolling, while retaining enough detail to show how its parts fit together.