ImPrEd: An Improved Force-Directed Algorithm that Prevents Nodes from Crossing Edges

PrEd [Ber00] is a force‐directed algorithm that improves the existing layout of a graph while preserving its edge crossing properties. The algorithm has a number of applications including: improving the layouts of planar graph drawing algorithms, interacting with a graph layout, and drawing Euler‐li...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computer graphics forum Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 1071 - 1080
Main Authors: Simonetto, Paolo, Archambault, Daniel, Auber, David, Bourqui, Romain
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2011
Wiley
Series:IEEE Symposium on visualization 2011 (EuroVis 2011)
Subjects:
Algorithms
Angular resolution
Computation
Computer graphics
Computer programming
Computer Science
G.2.2 [Discrete Mathematics]: Graph Theory
Graph Algorithms
Graphs
Image processing systems
Links
Other
Preserving
Smooth boundaries
Studies
ISSN:0167-7055, 1467-8659
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:PrEd [Ber00] is a force‐directed algorithm that improves the existing layout of a graph while preserving its edge crossing properties. The algorithm has a number of applications including: improving the layouts of planar graph drawing algorithms, interacting with a graph layout, and drawing Euler‐like diagrams. The algorithm ensures that nodes do not cross edges during its execution. However, PrEd can be computationally expensive and overly‐restrictive in terms of node movement. In this paper, we introduce ImPrEd: an improved version of PrEd that overcomes some of its limitations and widens its range of applicability. ImPrEd also adds features such as flexible or crossable edges, allowing for greater control over the output. Flexible edges, in particular, can improve the distribution of graph elements and the angular resolution of the input graph. They can also be used to generate Euler diagrams with smooth boundaries. As flexible edges increase data set size, we experience an execution/drawing quality trade off. However, when flexible edges are not used, ImPrEdproves to be consistently faster than PrEd.
Bibliography:istex:A278695655999835F5065ACD8ECAB21A00CBEC86
ArticleID:CGF1956
ark:/67375/WNG-H0DZ87J8-1
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ISSN:0167-7055
1467-8659
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-8659.2011.01956.x