Hypothesis rules

A watch that adds its answers to a case by itself fills the board with evidence. A hypothesis rule says what the case thinks of it: answers of this watch go to that hypothesis, as supporting, contradicting or neutral. From then on, every answer that comes into the case through the watch is:

linked to the hypothesis with the stance you chose, so the hypothesis’ balance of evidence moves by itself;
landed on the board next to the hypothesis, instead of wherever the board happens to have room. If the hypothesis sits inside a frame, the evidence lands inside that frame (and the frame grows to hold it);
written on the timeline: which watch, which hypotheses, which stance and how many findings. A watch that scans every few minutes reads as one growing entry.

Rules belong to the case, like finding filters. The watch itself is untouched: the same watch can feed other cases that handle its answers differently.

Adding a rule

Open the Watches panel on the board and pick a watch. Under Rules you find Link to hypothesis. Press +:

Hypothesis: one of the case’s hypotheses (shown with its colour and its H-number on the board).
Stance: Supports (the answer speaks for it), Contradicts (it speaks against, a reject) or Neutral (related, but it does not decide).
Which answers: All, only a finding type, or only values that match a pattern (a regular expression, tested against the matched value).
Why (optional): the reason, shown when you hover the rule.
Also link what the case already holds from this watch: on by default. Links you made by hand are never changed.

One watch can have several rules. An answer can go to several hypotheses with different stances: the same finding can support one theory and contradict another.

You want	Rule
Everything the watch finds counts for a theory	All → hypothesis, Supports
Only some answers count against a theory	A finding type or A value pattern → hypothesis, Contradicts
Keep related answers on the hypothesis without a verdict	All → hypothesis, Neutral

If two rules name the same hypothesis for the same answer, the narrower one (the one with a finding type or pattern) wins, and between equals the older one. A rule can’t be added twice with another stance: change the first one.

Where evidence lands

New evidence is placed the way the board places things you add yourself, only anchored to the hypothesis:

The hypothesis is…	The evidence lands…
inside a frame	inside the same frame, in the first free spot. A frame that is too small grows. A folded frame stays folded
on the open canvas	right of the hypothesis card, on its band, clear of everything else
not on the board yet	wherever the board places it when it is opened, as before

An asset that is already on the board keeps its place; only its new finding is linked. Nothing you have placed is ever moved.

An answer linked to hypotheses in two different frames lands in the first one. You can drag it anywhere afterwards.

Changing and removing rules

Edit a rule by pressing its hypothesis name: a new stance or a new hypothesis carries the links the rule already made. A new filter on the answers applies from then on.
Remove a rule with ×. The links it made stay by default (they become ordinary links of the hypothesis). Tick Also take away the links this rule made to remove them too. The findings and assets stay in the case and on the board either way.
Unlink the watch from the case, and its rules go with it.

Deleting a hypothesis

A hypothesis’ rules go with it. Deleting it asks what to do with its evidence:

Choice	What happens
Keep the evidence in the case (default)	The findings and assets stay in the case and on the board, without a stance
Also take out its evidence	The findings and assets linked to it leave the case, except what another hypothesis is also linked to and what carries a note. An asset leaves only when none of its findings stay

The dialog counts what would leave and what stays before you confirm, and the timeline records what was taken out.

For agents

list_case_hypothesis_rules, add_case_hypothesis_rule, update_case_hypothesis_rule and remove_case_hypothesis_rule do the same over MCP. add_case_hypothesis_rule takes applyToExisting to link what the case holds already.