Layout Adjustment and the Mental Map
TL;DR: This paper discusses some layout adjustment methods and the preservation of the 'mental map' of the diagram, and two kinds of layout adjustments are described, an algorithm for rearranging a diagram to avoid overlapping nodes and a method aimed at changing the focus of interest of the user without destroying the mental map.
Abstract: Many models in software and information engineering use graph representations; examples are data flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, flow charts, PERT charts, organization charts, Petri nets and entity-relationship diagrams. The usefulness of these graph representations depends on the quality of the layout of the graphs. Automatic graph layout, which can release humans from graph drawing, is now available in several visualization systems. Most automatic layout facilities take a purely combinatorial description of a graph and produce a layout of the graph; these methods are called 'layout creation' methods. For interactive systems, another kind of layout is needed: a facility which can adjust a layout after a change is made by the user or by the application. Although layout adjustment is essential in interactive systems, most existing layout algorithms are designed for layout creation. The use of a layout creation method for layout adjustment may totally rearrange the layout and thus destroy the user's 'mental map' of the diagram; thus a set of layout adjustment methods, separate from layout creation methods, is needed. This paper discusses some layout adjustment methods and the preservation of the 'mental map' of the diagram. First, several models are proposed to make the concept of 'mental map' more precise. Then two kinds of layout adjustments are described. One is an algorithm for rearranging a diagram to avoid overlapping nodes, and the other is a method aimed at changing the focus of interest of the user without destroying the mental map. Next, some experience with visualization systems in which the techniques have been employed is also described.
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TL;DR: This is a survey on graph visualization and navigation techniques, as used in information visualization, which approaches the results of traditional graph drawing from a different perspective.
Abstract: This is a survey on graph visualization and navigation techniques, as used in information visualization. Graphs appear in numerous applications such as Web browsing, state-transition diagrams, and data structures. The ability to visualize and to navigate in these potentially large, abstract graphs is often a crucial part of an application. Information visualization has specific requirements, which means that this survey approaches the results of traditional graph drawing from a different perspective.
1,648 citations
Cites background from "Layout Adjustment and the Mental Ma..."
...Predictability is often ignored during analysis of classical layout algorithms, which are usually used to produce a static view of a graph....
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01 Jan 2004
TL;DR: Graphviz is a collection of software for viewing and manipulating abstract graphs that provides graph visualization for tools and web sites in domains such as software engineering, networking, databases, knowledge representation, and bioinformatics.
Abstract: Graphviz is a collection of software for viewing and manipulating abstract graphs. It provides graph visualization for tools and web sites in domains such as software engineering, networking, databases, knowledge representation, and bioinformatics. Hundreds of thousands of copies have been distributed under an open source license.
469 citations
TL;DR: A strategy based on two principles: layouts are based on user-defined semantic substrates, which are non-overlapping regions in which node placement is based on node attributes, and users interactively adjust sliders to control link visibility to limit clutter and thus ensure comprehensibility of source and destination.
Abstract: Networks have remained a challenge for information visualization designers because of the complex issues of node and link layout coupled with the rich set of tasks that users present. This paper offers a strategy based on two principles: (1) layouts are based on user-defined semantic substrates, which are non-overlapping regions in which node placement is based on node attributes, (2) users interactively adjust sliders to control link visibility to limit clutter and thus ensure comprehensibility of source and destination. Scalability is further facilitated by user control of which nodes are visible. We illustrate our semantic substrates approach as implemented in NVSS 1.0 with legal precedent data for up to 1122 court cases in three regions with 7645 legal citations
375 citations
Cites background from "Layout Adjustment and the Mental Ma..."
...Other researchers have identified mental maps as useful guides to layout and warn about surprising changes to node placement [30]....
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TL;DR: B Bubble Sets is introduced as a visualization technique for data that has both a primary data relation with a semantically significant spatial organization and a significant set membership relation in which members of the same set are not necessarily adjacent in the primary layout.
Abstract: While many data sets contain multiple relationships, depicting more than one data relationship within a single visualization is challenging. We introduce Bubble Sets as a visualization technique for data that has both a primary data relation with a semantically significant spatial organization and a significant set membership relation in which members of the same set are not necessarily adjacent in the primary layout. In order to maintain the spatial rights of the primary data relation, we avoid layout adjustment techniques that improve set cluster continuity and density. Instead, we use a continuous, possibly concave, isocontour to delineate set membership, without disrupting the primary layout. Optimizations minimize cluster overlap and provide for calculation of the isocontours at interactive speeds. Case studies show how this technique can be used to indicate multiple sets on a variety of common visualizations.
346 citations
Cites background from "Layout Adjustment and the Mental Ma..."
...Index Terms—clustering, spatial layout, graph visualization, tree visualization F...
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TL;DR: This work examines 2D distortion techniques, bearing in mind the particular 3D problem of occlusion, and proposes a possible detail-in-context view for 3D layouts that can extend to any type of 3D information display.
Abstract: Addresses the visual exploration of 3D information layouts. Several visual exploration techniques have been proposed for 2D information layouts. Many of these try to take advantage of humans' natural visual pattern-recognition abilities to understand global relationships while simultaneously integrating this knowledge with local details. This desire for detail-in-context views (also called fisheye, multiscale and distortion views) has fueled considerable research in the development of distortion viewing tools. Generally, these tools provide space for magnification of local detail by compressing the rest of the image. In considering a possible detail-in-context view for 3D layouts, we first examine 2D distortion techniques, bearing in mind the particular 3D problem of occlusion. Comparing 2D and 3D information layout adjustment tools leads directly to a 3D visual access tool that clears a line of sight to any region of interest. While our technique can extend to any type of 3D information display, we focus on graphs.
320 citations