Hi,

I am trying to use a layout and to scatter the non-attached boxes around. Meaning - boxes that have no arrows should be scattered in space.
When I use FlowLayout or SpringLayout - all the boxes are ordered in a horizontal line.
This causes a problem - when I have 1000 boxes, I get a long line instead of a square surface with the boxes in it.
Is there a layout that can scatter the boxes evenly? Or at least in a way that may look randomly?

Thanks,
Yoav

I was looking for API or documentation on AnnealLayout but couldn't find any.
Is there a code example how to use it?

Thanks,
Yoav

Here is some sample code:

AnnealLayout layout = new AnnealLayout();
layout.setIterationsPerStage(50);
layout.setStages(15);
layout.setInitialTemperature(40f);
layout.setTemperatureScale(0.75f);
layout.arrange(fc);

fc.repaint();
 

You might have to run more iterations and cooling stages when there are more nodes in the graph. Starting from a higher initial temperature will help the algorithm find a low-cost configuration much faster, but it introduces a lot of randomness. Starting from a low temperature will yield results closer to the initial configuration of the graph.

We forgot to call repaint() at the end of AnnealLayout.Arrange(), so you will need to call it yourself. We'll fix this in the official release.

Stoyan

Hi,

I used the default values as you wrote here. I'm using a really simple diagram: 5 pairs of boxes, each pair connected from one to another.
When I use the Anneal (to create a scatter), I seem to be getting these problems:
1. Boxes still overlap.
2. There is a really large empty space between each pair. No matter how I chage the parameter - they don't seem to get closer.
See link:
http://albums.tapuz.co.il/Albums/getImage.asp?a=1248443&b=0&c=124844320075301883...

Do you have any suggestion for me?

Thanks,
Yoav

Hi,

I'm sorry, by I don't seem to find these parameters... 
ArrowLengthFactor - do you mean maybe ArrowsCompactFactor? If not - where do I find it?
The same for DistributionFactor and BoundaryFactor  - I don't find these parameters in FlowChart or in AnnealLayout. Where can I find them?

Thanks,
Yoav

I've created a small program that draws a simple diagram (5 pairs of boxes, each pair connected from one to another). It has a panel with slider that control the different parameters of Anneal Layout: Stages, Iter. per stage, Init. temp., Temp. scale, Arrow length factor, Dist. factor, Boundary factor.
I played with the settings a lot. The diagram does change all the time - but I don't see any big changes between the parameters. No parameter seems to help - the distribution and overlap of boxes seems like random - sometimes I have it aometimes I don't.
I've tried changing the Arrow length and Distribuition factors - still I get overlaps.
See here: [url]http://albums.tapuz.co.il/Albums/getImage.asp?a=1248443&b=0&c=12484432007531112357.jpg&d=87.-14.-13.-11.-7.-11.-11.-12.-13.-15.-15.-8.-10.-12.-14.-14.-14.-13.-12.-10.-8.-17.43.49.40.111[/url]
The same when I test higher Boundary factor - the position changes all the time but they don't get any nearer or further.
Suggestions?

And calling layout.setBoundaryFactor(100000); does a good job on moving the nodes closer one to another:



Stoyan

I have discovered something interesting in the Anneal layout.
It seems that if I run it several times on the same chart, on each iteration the layout becomes less and less scattered. After too many re-layouting (about 5-6 of them) they become so close that arrows start to cross over each other.
Do you know the reason for this behaviour?
Is it possible to imitate it in the Anneal Layout?

Thanks,
Yoav