diff --git a/www/css/styles.css b/www/css/styles.css
index bc0d516..53e62c6 100644
--- a/www/css/styles.css
+++ b/www/css/styles.css
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ img.icon {
     width: 385px;
     max-height: 100%;
     overflow-y: auto; }
+    #story #msg .directions h3 {
+      text-overflow: ellipsis;
+      overflow: hidden;
+      white-space: nowrap;
+      margin-right: 5em; }
     #story #msg .msg__info, #story #msg .directions > div {
       padding: 10px;
       margin-bottom: 10px;
diff --git a/www/index.html b/www/index.html
index fb867df..26ff637 100644
--- a/www/index.html
+++ b/www/index.html
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
 				<div id="btn-addMsg" class="btn">Create message</div>
 			</div>
 			<div id="msg"></div>
-			<svg id='graph' viewbox="0 0 1280 1024"
+			<svg id='graph' viewbox="-640 -512 1280 1024"
 				preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid">
 	            <defs>
 	                <marker markerHeight="8" markerWidth="8" refY="0"
diff --git a/www/js/hugvey_console.js b/www/js/hugvey_console.js
index 0ca4710..2c1e9c7 100644
--- a/www/js/hugvey_console.js
+++ b/www/js/hugvey_console.js
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ class Graph {
                 crel(
                     'h3',
                     {'title': direction['@id']},
-                    direction['source'] == msg ? `To ${direction['target']['@id']}`: `From ${direction['source']['@id']}`
+                    direction['source'] == msg ? `To ${direction['target']['text']}`: `From ${direction['source']['text']}`
                     ),
                 crel('div', {
                     'class':'btn btn--delete',
@@ -982,6 +982,8 @@ class Graph {
         document.getElementById('current_lang').appendChild(crel('span', {
             'class': 'flag-icon ' + this.language_code
         }));
+        
+        this.distances = this.calculateDistancesFromStart();
 
         // save state;
         this.saveState();
@@ -1018,12 +1020,18 @@ class Graph {
 
     build( isInit ) {
         this.simulation = d3.forceSimulation( this.messages )
-            .force( "link", d3.forceLink( this.directions ).id( d => d['@id'] ) )
-            .force( "charge", d3.forceManyBody().strength( 100 ) )
-            .force( "center", d3.forceCenter( this.width / 2, this.height / 2 ) )
-            .force( "collide", d3.forceCollide( this.nodeSize * 1.7 ) )
+            .force( "link", d3.forceLink( this.directions ).id( d => d['@id'] ).strength(0) )
+//            .force( "charge", d3.forceManyBody().strength( 100 ) )
+//            .force( "center", d3.forceCenter( this.width / 2, this.height / 2 ) )
+            .force( "collide", d3.forceCollide( this.nodeSize * 2.3 ) )
+            .force( "forceX", d3.forceX(function(m){
+            	let fx = panopticon.graph.distances[m['@id']] !== null ? panopticon.graph.distances[m['@id']] * panopticon.graph.nodeSize * 4 : 0
+            	console.log('fx', m['@id'], panopticon.graph.distances[m['@id']], fx);
+            	return fx;
+            }).strength(50))
+            .force( "forceY", d3.forceY(m => panopticon.graph.distances[m['@id']] !== null ? 0 : panopticon.graph.nodeSize * 3 ).strength(30))
             ;
-        this.simulation.velocityDecay(.99);
+        this.simulation.velocityDecay(.98);
 
         // Update existing nodes
         let node = this.nodesG
@@ -1036,7 +1044,7 @@ class Graph {
 
         let newNodeG = newNode.append( "g" )
             .attr( 'id', d => d['@id'] )
-            .call( d3.drag( this.simulation ) )
+//            .call( d3.drag( this.simulation ) )
             .on( 'click', function( d ) {
                 this.clickMsg( d );
             }.bind( this ) )
@@ -1162,10 +1170,56 @@ class Graph {
         // this.simulation.restart();
         if ( typeof isInit != 'undefined' && isInit ) {
             for ( let i = 0, n = Math.ceil( Math.log( this.simulation.alphaMin() ) / Math.log( 1 - this.simulation.alphaDecay() ) ); i < n; ++i ) {
-                this.simulation.tick();
+//                this.simulation.tick();
             }
         }
         return this.svg.node();
     }
+    
+    calculateDistancesFromStart() {
+    	let starts = this.messages.filter( m => m.hasOwnProperty('start') && m['start'] == true);
+    	if (starts.length < 1) {
+    		console.error("No start set");
+    		return;
+    	}
+    	let startMsg = starts[0];
+    	
+    	//initiate distances
+    	let distances = {};
+    	for(let msg of this.messages) {
+    		distances[msg['@id']] = msg === startMsg ? 0 : null;
+    	}
+    	
+    	let directionsPerMsg = {};
+    	console.log("dir", this.directions);
+    	for(let direction of this.directions) {
+    		let from = typeof direction['source'] == "string" ? direction['source'] : direction['source']['@id'];
+    		let to = typeof direction['target'] == "string" ? direction['target'] : direction['target']['@id'];
+    		
+    		if(!directionsPerMsg.hasOwnProperty(from)) {
+    			directionsPerMsg[from] = [];
+    		}
+    		directionsPerMsg[from].push(to);
+    	}
+
+		let traverseMsg = function(msgId, depth) {
+			if(!directionsPerMsg.hasOwnProperty(msgId)) {
+				// end of trail
+				return;
+			}
+			
+			for(let childMsgId of directionsPerMsg[msgId]) {
+				if(distances[childMsgId] === null || distances[childMsgId] > depth) {
+					distances[childMsgId] = depth;
+					traverseMsg(childMsgId, depth+1);
+				} else {
+					// apparently, there is a loop. Don't traverse it.
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		traverseMsg(startMsg['@id'], 1);
+		
+		return distances;
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/www/scss/styles.scss b/www/scss/styles.scss
index c1fc44b..1cbb47b 100644
--- a/www/scss/styles.scss
+++ b/www/scss/styles.scss
@@ -265,6 +265,15 @@ img.icon{
         max-height:100%;
         overflow-y: auto;
         
+        .directions{
+        	h3{
+        		text-overflow: ellipsis;
+				overflow: hidden;
+				white-space: nowrap;
+				margin-right: 5em;
+        	}
+        }
+        
         .msg__info, .directions > div{
         	padding: 10px;
             margin-bottom: 10px;