TreePlus: interactive exploration of networks with enhanced tree layouts

Area of Science:

• Information Visualization
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Visual Analytics

Background:

• Effective interactive layouts for large graphs remain a challenge.
• Dense layouts and occlusion hinder comprehension of complex networks like food webs, ontologies, and social networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce TreePlus, an interactive visual analytics component designed to improve graph readability and interaction.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of TreePlus compared to traditional graph interfaces for graph exploration tasks.

Main Methods:

• Developed TreePlus, a novel component utilizing a tree-style layout and a 'plant a seed and grow' interaction metaphor.
• Conducted a controlled user study with 28 participants comparing TreePlus against a traditional graph interface.
• Assessed performance across six distinct graph exploration tasks.

Main Results:

• TreePlus demonstrated increasing advantages over traditional interfaces as data density rose.
• Participants reported higher confidence in their answers when using TreePlus.
• A majority of participants expressed a preference for the TreePlus interface.

Conclusions:

• TreePlus effectively reveals graph structure and enhances readability for complex datasets.
• The 'plant a seed and grow' metaphor supports local graph exploration and information gathering.
• TreePlus offers a promising alternative for interactive analysis of large, dense graphs.