Spring Embedders and Force Directed Graph Drawing Algorithms
Abstract
Force-directed algorithms are among the most flexible methods for calculating layouts of simple undirected graphs. Also known as spring embedders, such algorithms calculate the layout of a graph using only information contained within the structure of the graph itself, rather than relying on domain-specific knowledge. Graphs drawn with these algorithms tend to be aesthetically pleasing, exhibit symmetries, and tend to produce crossing-free layouts for planar graphs. In this survey we consider several classical algorithms, starting from Tutte's 1963 barycentric method, and including recent scalable multiscale methods for large and dynamic graphs.
- Publication:
-
arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- January 2012
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.1201.3011
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1201.3011
- Bibcode:
- 2012arXiv1201.3011K
- Keywords:
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- Computer Science - Computational Geometry;
- Computer Science - Discrete Mathematics;
- Computer Science - Data Structures and Algorithms;
- F.2.2;
- G.2.2;
- H.4.0;
- I.3.5
- E-Print:
- 23 pages, 8 figures