Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Nodes
Nodes are the most important elements of a graph. They are the subjects
between which you are looking to find relationships. No facet of information
is complete without them. A rich and informative graph visualization begins
with expressive nodes. The world of possibilities is much bigger than with
colored circles. Application of even the least bit of creative thinking about
node expression can increase graph effectiveness immensely.
Because nodes are more important than links, they should be drawn in
a layer above them. The one exception is if a subgraph is highlighted in
the context of a larger graph, in which case links in the subgraph should
be drawn above nodes that are not. For example,
Figure 16-1
shows how
flights in and out of William P. Hobby airport in Houston (HOU) might be
highlighted in the context of larger graphs to look for flight routes with high
average delays.
