The Engine

Liefwork's engine is a mechanical algorithm that turns a folder-tree into a "coral" like the one you see here. Point it at any folder of files and it renders the same branching shape every time. Every position on the map is a reflection of the underlying structure.

It achieves this by "growing" the structure according to a set of rules. When a new element is added - a file say - the rest of the structure expands to accommodate it. Imagine the outline of a plant on the surface of a balloon that expands when any new leaf is added.

The shape is informed by biology. Every folder becomes a branch, every file becomes a "lief". New liefs appear at the branch tips; older growth sits beneath.

Regardless of the complexity of the underlying data, the engine will render it as a coherent shape with no overlaps and nothing hidden. At wide zooms the main branches and subtrees form the backbone. Zoom in and every element is revealed in its place.

No files are moved or copied; the data on the disk remains the same. Just instead of being tucked into folders, it is unfurled on branches. The entire data set is out in the open, revealing its full structure.