Vizaj - A free online interactive software for visualizing spatial networks

Thibault Rolland () and Fabrizio De Vico Fallani ()
Additional contact information
Thibault Rolland: ARAMIS - Algorithms, models and methods for images and signals of the human brain = Algorithmes, modèles et méthodes pour les images et les signaux du cerveau humain [ICM Paris] - ICM - Institut du Cerveau = Paris Brain Institute - AP-HP - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP] - AP-HP - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) - SU - Sorbonne Université - SU - Sorbonne Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Centre Inria de Sorbonne Université - Centre Inria de Paris - Inria - Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique, NERV - Equipe Neuroingénierie des systèmes pour modéliser et interfacer les réseaux cérébraux = Systems neuroengineering to model and interface brain networks [ICM Paris] - Centre Inria de Paris - Inria - Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique - ICM - Institut du Cerveau = Paris Brain Institute - AP-HP - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP] - AP-HP - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) - SU - Sorbonne Université - SU - Sorbonne Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Fabrizio De Vico Fallani: ARAMIS - Algorithms, models and methods for images and signals of the human brain = Algorithmes, modèles et méthodes pour les images et les signaux du cerveau humain [ICM Paris] - ICM - Institut du Cerveau = Paris Brain Institute - AP-HP - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP] - AP-HP - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) - SU - Sorbonne Université - SU - Sorbonne Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Centre Inria de Sorbonne Université - Centre Inria de Paris - Inria - Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique, ICM - Institut du Cerveau = Paris Brain Institute - AP-HP - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP] - AP-HP - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) - SU - Sorbonne Université - SU - Sorbonne Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, NERV - Equipe Neuroingénierie des systèmes pour modéliser et interfacer les réseaux cérébraux = Systems neuroengineering to model and interface brain networks [ICM Paris] - Centre Inria de Paris - Inria - Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique - ICM - Institut du Cerveau = Paris Brain Institute - AP-HP - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP] - AP-HP - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) - SU - Sorbonne Université - SU - Sorbonne Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: In many fields of science and technology we are confronted with complex networks. Making sense of these networks often require the ability to visualize and explore their intermingled structure consisting of nodes and links. To facilitate the identification of significant connectivity patterns, many methods have been developed based on the rearrangement of the nodes so as to avoid link criss-cross. However, real networks are often embedded in a geometrical space and the nodes code for an intrinsic physical feature of the system that one might want to preserve. For these spatial networks, it is therefore crucial to find alternative strategies operating on the links and not on the nodes. Here, we introduce Vizaj a javascript web application to render spatial networks based on optimized geometrical criteria that reshape the link profiles. While optimized for 3D networks, Vizaj can also be used for 2D networks and offers the possibility to interactively customize the visualization via several controlling parameters, including network filtering and the effect of internode distance on the link trajectories. Vizaj is further equipped with additional options allowing to improve the final aesthetics, such as the color/size of both nodes and links, zooming/rotating/translating, and superimposing external objects. Vizaj is an open-source software which can be freely downloaded and updated via a github repository. Here, we provide a detailed description of its main features and algorithms together with a guide on how to use it. Finally, we validate its potential on several synthetic and real spatial networks from infrastructural to biological systems. We hope that Vizaj will help scientists and practitioners to make sense of complex networks and provide aesthetic while informative visualizations.

Keywords: Complex systems; Physical networks; Dataviz; Software; Art (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-03-23
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-net and nep-ure
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03837671v2
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Published in PLoS ONE, 2023, 18 (3), pp.e0282181. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0282181⟩

Downloads: (external link)
https://hal.science/hal-03837671v2/document (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03837671

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282181

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().