Graph Visualization Using Hierarchical Edge Routing and Bundling

Abstract

Driven by rapidly growing application areas such as semantic knowledge bases and social networks, visualization of large graphs has been gaining importance recently. A large amount of nodes and intersecting edges presents a major challenge for usability and aesthetics, and may also pose a scalability problem. Edge routing and bundling methods proved useful for reducing clutter, while hierarchical techniques, besides providing the basis for level of detail rendering, also address scalability. We present work in progress which combines hierarchical techniques with edge routing and bundling methods, and utilizes their respective advantages. The proposed graph visualization method employs hierarchical aggregation of graph nodes and edges, and applies edge routing and bundling along the hierarchy to reduce clutter and improve the clarity of the representation.