Encoding Relations

Learn about encoding relations in different dimensions!

encoding relations in 1d

arc diagram

what are arc diagrams good for?

showing pairwise relationships

how do arc diagrams work?

entities are represented through nodes along a single axis. relationships are represented through arcs.

different ways to represent the strength of the arc diagram relationship

arc thickness, height or colour

circle arrangements con

appear less “ordered” than positioning from left to right and gets messy fast

circle arrangement pros

easy to depict relationships using lines, and a high number of nodes and connections can be represented

circle arrangement solution

hierarchical edge bundling

hierarchical edge bundling

reduces visual clutter by joining adjacent edges together

what do chord diagrams show?

relationships between and within groups of entities

how do chord diagrams work?

each group is represented by a fragment on the outer part of the circle. arcs connect groups of entities

how is importance of relationship demonstrated in chord diagrams?

size of the arc is proportional to importance

what do sankey diagrams show

similar to chord diagrams, relationships between groups of entities but in a vertical layout