9.1         Graph Layout Algorithms

A brief description of each graph layout algorithm is given in the table below.

 

Layout Name

Description

Sugiyama

Nodes are organized in levels according to their parent child relation as in a company organization chart. Nodes without parents are at the top. A child node is always below all of its parent nodes.

CCL Sugiyama

CCL stands for Child Count Layout. Nodes are organized in levels according to their child count. Nodes with the most children are at the top. Nodes with the same number of children are in one row. In this layout a child node can be above its parent.

Circle

Nodes are positioned on a circle

Tree

Requires the selection of one node inside the Graph Layout window. This node becomes the root (starting point) of  the tree. The tree is constructed by placing connected nodes below the current node. The edge direction (parent-child or child parent) does not matter.

Moen

Improved tree layout

Radial Tree

A tree layout converted to a circle. The tree root is in the middle of the circle.

Both tree layouts, called Tree and Moen, require the selection of one node inside the Graph Layout window as the starting point for the tree.