Skeletal Images as Visual Cues in Graph Visualization

Abstract

The problem of graph layout and drawing is fundamental to many aproachesto the visualization of relational information structures. As thedata set grows, the visualization problem is compounded by the needto reconcile the user's need for orientation cues with the dangerof information overload. Put simply: How can we limit the numberof visual elements on the screen so as not to overwhelm the useryet retain enough information that the user is able to navigate andexplore the data set confidently? How can we provide orientationalcues so that a user can understand the location of the current viewpointin a large data set? These are problems inherent not only to graphdrawing but information visualization in general. We propose a methodwhich extracts the significant features of a directed acyclic graphas the basis for navigation