Chapter 3. Selecting the Layout

The nature of your dataset, coupled with the goals you defined earlier, will go a long way to help you select a layout algorithm. It is important to note that while the patterns and statistics within your data will remain unchanged by your layout selection, the impression your graph makes can be remarkably different depending on your selected algorithm. As you become more experienced in creating graphs, your ability to filter these choices will likely be enhanced, and you will instantly reject some approaches as inappropriate for your data. However, there will still be multiple options to choose from, particularly when many of the exceptional layout plugins are used. Your final choice might become evident only after a significant period of experimentation and visual assessment.

In this chapter, we will look at several critical steps that will help and guide you toward a final choice that fits both your data and the intent of your graphical output...