Orthogonal connector routing

Abstract

Orthogonal connectors are used in a variety of common network diagrams. Most interactive diagram editors provide orthogonal connectors with some form of automatic connector routing. However, these tools use ad-hoc heuristics that can lead to strange routes and even routes that pass through other objects. We present an algorithm for computing optimal object-avoiding orthogonal connector routings where the route minimizes a monotonic function of the connector length and number of bends. The algorithm is efficient and can calculate connector routings fast enough to reroute connectors during interaction. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.