Orthogonal Edge Routing for the EditLens

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel orthogonal edge routing algorithm designed for the EditLens, enabling efficient, interactive graph editing by providing suitable edge routes during incremental modifications.

Contribution

The paper presents a new orthogonal edge routing algorithm optimized for interactive graph editing, outperforming existing solutions in speed and quality.

Findings

The algorithm computes orthogonal routes efficiently at interactive speeds.

It outperforms alternative routing solutions in tests.

Supports incremental graph editing with suitable edge routes.

Abstract

The EditLens is an interactive lens technique that supports the editing of graphs. The user can insert, update, or delete nodes and edges while maintaining an already existing layout of the graph. For the nodes and edges that are affected by an edit operation, the EditLens suggests suitable locations and routes, which the user can accept or adjust. For this purpose, the EditLens requires an efficient routing algorithm that can compute results at interactive framerates. Existing algorithms cannot fully satisfy the needs of the EditLens. This paper describes a novel algorithm that can compute orthogonal edge routes for incremental edit operations of graphs. Tests indicate that, in general, the algorithm is better than alternative solutions.