Link Analysis Dimension Menus

All the link analysis configurations are available into the Dimension option menus. These menus can be opened by right-clicking on the corresponding dimension button in the left input vertical menu.

Each one of the different dimension buttons opens a different dimension menu. Therefore, we are going to describe them one by one in the next sections.

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Link Analysis Layout Options

The Link Analysis options menu controls the set of options which affect the link analysis layout as a whole.

All the options available in the Link Analysis menu can be customized in parametric mode. Once the options have been customized as desired, users need to click APPLY to confirm the changes or CANCEL to discard them.

They differ according to the selected link analysis layout type. Below, you’ll find a list of layout option menus organized by this selection:

• Tree Layout

• Force Directed Layout

• Layered Digraph Layout

• Circular Layout

Users can find all the available options and the corresponding GOLD references in the table below.

To know more about GOLD, go to the corresponding page.

Tree Layout

This type of layout positions nodes and links in a tree-structured graph. In the tree layout, by default all the children of each node are lined up horizontally from left to right.

In the Tree Layout, every child node has a single father node, so there’s a unique path to go back to the root node, and a node cannot have two different roots.

Option	Description	GOLD Ref
Layer spacing	It’s the distance between layers, so between a parent node and its child nodes.
Node spacing	It’s the distance between nodes within a layer, so between siblings.

Force Directed Layout

Using the Force Directed Layout you can customize the strength between each node in the graph. In this layout a new dimension is added to the input configuration to allow the user to customize the node attraction or repulsion.

In this new dimension, by using the right-click to open the corresponding options layout panel, users can configure the force type. Possible values are:

• Distance: in this configuration links are supposed to be springs applying an elastic force through the data connected to them. The attribute dropped on this dimension is then used to define the rest position of each spring. Spring coefficient is equal for all the links and can be configured from the plot general layout.

• Medoid: in this configuration the system is lead to build a solar system layout with a central star (the medoid) and a set of nodes around them. This is obtained by associating an electric charge to each node. This electric charge force nodes with the same sign electric charge to repulse each other, while forces different sign electric charge nodes to be attracted. In the Medoid configuration the attribute is used to select a subset of nodes which are going to become the stars of our final systems. In particular a value needs to be selected to filter all the nodes which have this value for the given attribute. These selected nodes will own a big positive electric charge while the rest of the nodes will own a small negative electric charge.

• Firework: in this configuration, the graph is divided in levels according to the distance of each node from the root and the leaf. Each node at the same level has a small electric charge of the same sign while continuous levels own always nodes with different sign charge. The final effect is a fragmentation of the graph very similar to a firework pattern.

In the plot configuration panel you can modify the default value for the electric charge of each node, or the spring default rest length and spring coefficient. Moreover, rest system configuration is found iteratively. Since this operation may reduce performance of the plot refresh maximum number of iteration can be imposed to speed up the plot draw operation. The full list of the available options is reported in the table below:

Option	Description	GOLD Ref
Link min length	It defines the minimum length for a link.
Default electrical charge	It assigns the electrical charge for all vertexes.
Default spring stiffness	It assigns the default spring stiffness for all edges. The spring forces on a vertex are only exerted by the edges connecting it with other vertexes. The force along an edge is the stiffness of the spring times the difference of the distance between the vertexes and the nominal length of the spring divided by the distance between the vertexes. When the distance is less than the nominal length, the force pushes the vertexes apart; when the distance is greater, the force pulls them together.
Default spring length	It assigns the default spring length for all edges. The spring forces on a vertex are only exerted by the edges connecting it with other vertexes. The force along an edge is the stiffness of the spring times the difference of the distance between the vertexes and the nominal length of the spring divided by the distance between the vertexes. When the distance is less than the nominal length, the force pushes the vertexes apart; when the distance is greater, the force pulls them together.
Epsilon distance	It gets or sets approximately how far a node must move in order for the iterations to continue. The default value is 1, and the inserted value must be larger than zero.
Infinity distance	It gets or sets a threshold for the distance beyond which the electrical charge forces may be ignored. The default value is 1000, and the inserted value must be larger than 1.
Max iterations	It gets or sets the maximum number of iterations to perform when doing the force-directed auto layout. The value must be non-negative.

Layered-Digraph Layout

This layout positions nodes and links in a layered digraph structure. This means nodes are still organized in layers as in the Tree layout, but layers can be mixed or skipped according to the more complicated link structure supported.

The layer position of each node is evaluated by calculating the distance from all the roots and from all the leafs and by taking the mode of these values. Each node therefore can have multiple roots, differently from the Tree layout.

Option	Description	GOLD Ref
Layer spacing	It defines the distance between layers. This value must be non-negative.
Column spacing	It controls the size of each “column”, this affects the distance between nodes within a layer. This value must be positive.
Layering option	It sets which layering option is being used. Available options are: Layer optimal link length (default value), which assigns layers using optimal link length layering, so that links tend to cross the fewest number of layers. Layer longest path source, which assigns layers using the longest path source layering, so that nodes without any predecessors are placed in the first layer possibly resulting in longer links from nodes at the first/shallowest layers. Layer longest path sink, which assigns layers using the longest path sink layering, so that nodes are placed in the latest possible layer, possibly resulting in longer links to nodes at the last/deepest layers.
Direction	It sets the direction the graph grows towards. Available options are: Right (default value), Down, Left, Up.
Aggressive option	It specifies how much effort the Layered Digraph Layout puts into trying to look for link crossings. Available options are: Aggressive less (default value), Aggressive none, Aggressive more.

Circular Layout

This layout positions nodes and their corresponding links in a circular arrangement.

Option	Description	GOLD Ref
Radius	It sets the horizontal radius of the elliptical arrangement.
Aspect ratio	It sets the ratio of the arrangement’s height to its width (1 for a circle, >1 for a vertically elongated ellipse). This is 1 by default. The value must be a positive number. Modifying this value changes the height, but keeps the width and the radius values constant.
Start angle	It sets the angle (in degrees, clockwise from the positive side of the X axis) of the first element. The default value is 0.
Sweep angle	It sets the absolute angle (in degrees) between the first and last node. The default value is 360. The value must be greater than zero and less than or equal to 360. If it is not in this range, it will be automatically set to 360.
Node spacing	It’s the distance between nodes within a layer.
Direction	It defines how nodes are arranged. Available options are: Clockwise (default value), Counterclockwise, Bidirectional left, Bidirectional right.
Node diameter formula	It specifies how the diameter of nodes will be calculated. Available options are: Pythagorean, (default value), Circular.
Circular arrangement	It specifies how nodes should be spaced in the ring. Available options are: Constant spacing, (default value), Constant distance, Constant angle, Packed.
Sorting	It defines if and how the nodes are sorted. Available options are: Forward, Reverse, Ascending, Descending, Optimized, (default value).

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Node Option Menu

The node options menu allows changing and customizing all the various layout options related to nodes in any Link Analysis chart.

The node options menu can be opened by right-clicking on the corresponding Node layout button in the left input vertical menu.

In the node option menu, there are several tabs available. The options users define in the GENERAL tabs are applied to every single node/link in the selected Link Analysis widget. All the options in the other tabs allow modifying the layout features (e.g. icon, shape, color etc.) of a single node or single link in a Link Analysis widget.

The node options menu contains the same options for each one of the different Link Analysis layout types. Most of the options available in the Node options menu can be customized in parametric mode. Once the node options have been customized as desired, users need to click APPLY to confirm the changes or CANCEL to discard them.

Users can find all the available options and the corresponding GOLD references in the table below.

To know more about GOLD, go to the corresponding page.

GENERAL

Subsection	Option	Description	GOLDref
Node customization	Node size	It defines the size of nodes.
	Node color	It defines the color of nodes. By clicking it, users can select Standard colors and generated color palettes, otherwise they can use the color picker or insert the color code, which can be: Hex, Rgb, Hsl, Hsv. The default color is blue.
	Node shape	It defines the shape of nodes. From the drop-down menu users can select one of the available shapes, which correspond to those available in the Shapes family in the Graphics category listed here.
	Node icon	It defines the type of icon to be displayed on nodes. By clicking it, users can select the desired one in the corresponding Select icons window. In this window, users can also define the Color and the Color hover of the selected icon. By clicking on the Custom option in the Select icons window, you can upload an icon present on your local machine in SVG or PNG formats.
	Icon size (%)	It defines the size of the icon as a percentage.

ICON

Option	Description	GOLDref
Icon attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select a nominal attribute belonging to the node attribute dataset. By default, the attribute dragged onto the Node layout icon is displayed. Based on the attribute selection, each node displays a different icon for each value of the selected attribute.
Icon size (%)	It defines the size of the displayed icon.
Hide icon	If selected, it hides all the icons from nodes in the link chart.
First icon	In this area, users can decide the default configuration which affects automatic node icon assignation. There is a predefined list of icons, and each distinct value of the node attribute is cyclically assigned an icon. Icons are assigned according to a cyclical sequence, meaning that if the number of distinct values exceeds the number of available icons, the icons repeat in sequence for the remaining values. From this drop-down menu, users can select which icon will start the cycle. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Icon attribute menu.
Icon of traces	In this area, users can decide the single icon configuration for any present node. It displays the list of distinct values of the node attribute and the corresponding icon. By clicking on the icon, users can define a specific icon for the corresponding node value in the Select Icons panel. Users can also define the Color as well as the Color hover of the selected icon (available for standard icons only). Additionally, a Custom option allows users to upload their own icons in PNG or SVG format. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Icon attribute menu.

SHAPE

Option	Description	GOLDref
Shape attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select a nominal attribute belonging to the node attribute dataset. Based on the selected attribute, users can define a rule specifying that each node will display a different shape for each unique value of that attribute.
Hide shape	If selected, it hides all the shapes from nodes in the link chart.
Size attribute	Users can define the shape size of a node by selecting either integer of continuous attributes. The shape size of the node will vary according to the corresponding attribute value.
First shape	In this area, users can decide the default configuration which affects automatic node shape assignation. There is a predefined list of shapes, and each distinct value of the node attribute is cyclically assigned a shape. Shapes are assigned according to a cyclical sequence, meaning that if the number of distinct values exceeds the number of available shapes, the shapes repeat in sequence for the remaining values. From this drop-down menu, users can select which shape will start the cycle. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Shape attribute menu.
Shape of traces	In this area, users can decide the single shape configuration for any present node. It displays the list of distinct values of the node attribute and the corresponding shape. By opening on the shape drop-down menu, users can define a specific shape for the corresponding node value. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Shape attribute menu.

COLOR

Option	Description	GOLDref
Color attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select a nominal attribute belonging to the node attribute dataset. Based on the selected attribute, users can define a rule specifying that each node will display a different color for each unique value of that attribute.
Color stroke instead of fill	If selected, only the shape borders of nodes are colored.
First color	In this area, users can decide the default configuration which affects automatic node coloring. There is a predefined list of colors, and each distinct value of the node attribute is cyclically assigned a color. Colors are assigned according to a cyclical sequence, meaning that if the number of distinct values exceeds the number of available colors, the colors repeat in sequence for the remaining values. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Color attribute menu. From this area, users can select: Colorway, where users are able to change the default colorway among a list of possibilities. Colorway start color index, the starting color is fundamental to obtain the desired pattern, and here users can define the color starting position.
Color of traces	In this area, users can decide the single color configuration for any present node. It displays the list of distinct values of the node attribute and the corresponding color. By clicking on the color circle, users can define a specific color for the corresponding node value. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Color attribute menu.

TEXT

Option	Description	GOLDref
Text attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select any attribute belonging to the node attribute dataset. Based on the selected attribute, users can define the text layout for the name of each unique value of that attribute.
Text Layout	Here, users can select the text layout of every node value, which can be bold, italic or underlined, as well as the values horizontal alignment, which can be right, center, left, and the vertical alignment, which can be center, top, bottom.
Font family	Select from the drop-down list the node values’ font.
Font size (px)	Define the node values font size.
Text Position	Select from the drop-down list the position of node values displayed text. Possible values are: Top, Left, Right, Bottom (default value)
Font color	Click on the color circle to define the font color, which is black by default. In the color selection popup, Standard colors and generated custom color palettes can be used, as well as Rgb, Hex, Hsl and Hsv colors. An Eye dropper is also available to work as a color picker.

HALO

In the HALO tab, users can customize what to display on the four corners of nodes. Configurations can be applied to any of the four corners (TL top-left, TR top-right, BL bottom-left, BR bottom-right). Changes can only be performed for a single corner at a time. To select the corners to be considered in the current modification, you need to use the corners halo selector which is located in the top left corner of the HALO tab.

Once users have selected the node corners on which to perform halo customizations, they need to choose an option from the Halo type drop-down menu. The available options are:

• Icon

• Number

Depending on which Halo type option has been selected, the lower section of the HALO tab will display completely different options. If Icon is selected, the lower section of the HALO tab will display options that allow users to show an icon on the selected node corner.

Option	Description	GOLDref
Icon Attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select a nominal attribute belonging to the node attribute dataset. Based on the attribute selection, each node displays a different icon for each value of the selected attribute.
First icon	In this area, users can decide the default configuration which affects automatic node halo icon assignation. There is a predefined list of icons, and each distinct value of the node attribute is cyclically assigned an icon. Icons are assigned according to a cyclical sequence, meaning that if the number of distinct values exceeds the number of available icons, the icons repeat in sequence for the remaining values. From this drop-down menu, users can select which icon will start the cycle. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Icon attribute menu.
Halo Position	In this area, users can decide the default configuration which affects automatic node halo icon position. From this drop-down menu, users can define the halo position of the icon. The available options are: Inside, Outside (default value). Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Icon attribute menu.
Icon of traces	In this area, users can decide the single icon configuration for any present node. It displays the list of distinct values of the node attribute and the corresponding icon. By clicking on the icon, users can define a specific icon for the corresponding node value in the Select Icons panel. Users can also define the Color as well as the Color hover of the selected icon (available for standard icons only). Additionally, a Custom option allows users to upload their own icons in PNG or SVG format. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Icon attribute menu.

While, if Number is selected, the lower section of the HALO tab will display options that allow users to show a number on the selected node corner.

Option	Description	GOLDref
Number attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select a continuous or integer attribute belonging to the node attribute dataset. Based on the selected attribute, users can define the text layout for the values of that attribute displayed in the selected node corner.
Text Layout	Here, users can select the text layout of every halo node value, which can be bold, italic or underlined.
Font family	Select from the drop-down list the halo values’ font.
Font size (px)	Define the halo values font size.
Halo Position	Select from the drop-down list the position of halo node values displayed text. Possible values are: Inside, Outside.
Font color	Click on the color circle to define the halo font color, which is black by default. In the color selection popup, Standard colors and generated custom color palettes can be used, as well as Rgb, Hex, Hsl and Hsv colors. An Eye dropper is also available to work as a color picker.

TOOLTIP

Option	Description	GOLDref
Text Attributes	Here users can drop extra attributes belonging to the node dataset which will be used in constructing hover text displays. The graphical structure of this area is the standard attribute drop area.
Tooltip Text	Insert here what you want to display as a tooltip when hovering over each node. You can either: insert plain text to display the same value repeatedly for every single node when hovering. Reference an attribute to show the corresponding row value for each node when hovering. To reference an attribute in the node dataset, use the following syntax: $datasetname!$"attributename". If you haven’t dragged the corresponding attribute in the Text Attributes area, the attribute reference will not take effect. Note that variables are not accepted in this area and will be treated as text strings.
Tooltip visible	If selected, the tooltip will be visible on mouse hover.

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Link Option Menu

The link options menu allows changing and customizing all the various layout options related to links in any Link Analysis chart.

The link options menu can be opened by right-clicking on the corresponding Link layout button in the left input vertical menu.

In the link option menu, there are several tabs available. The options users define in the GENERAL tabs are applied to every single node/link in the selected Link Analysis widget. All the options in the other tabs allow modifying the layout features (color, thickness etc.) of a single node or a single link in a Link Analysis widget.

The link options menu contains the same options for each one of the different Link Analysis layout types. Most of the options available in the Link options menu can be customized in parametric mode. Once the link options have been customized as desired, users need to click APPLY to confirm the changes or CANCEL to discard them.

Users can find all the available options and the corresponding GOLD references in the table below.

To know more about GOLD, go to the corresponding page.

GENERAL

Subsection	Option	Description	GOLDref
Link customization	From ArrowHead	Define from this drop-down menu if and how you want to display the arrow link head defining the starting point of the link. Available options are: None (default value), Standard, Backward, Triangle, Boomerang, OpenTriangle, Circle.
	To ArrowHead	Define from this drop-down menu if and how you want to display the arrow link head defining the destination point of the link. Available options are: None, Standard (default value), Backward, Triangle, Boomerang, OpenTriangle, Circle.
	Routing	Define from this drop-down menu how you want to display the routing of links. Available options are: Normal (default value), Orthogonal, Avoid Nodes.
	Curve	Define from this drop-down menu how you want to display the curving of links. Available options are: Curve, Straight (default value), Jump Over, Jump Gap.
	Link thickness	Define in this box the thickness of your links.
	Link color	It defines the color of links. By clicking it, users can select Standard colors and generated color palettes, otherwise they can use the color picker or insert the color code, which can be: Hex, Rgb, Hsl, Hsv. The default color is black.

COLOR

Option	Description	GOLDref
Color attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select a nominal attribute belonging to the link attribute dataset. Based on the selected attribute, users can define a rule specifying that each link will display a different color for each unique value of that attribute. If the selected color attribute has different values for the same node-link pair, the link line will be divided into sections, each displayed in a different color.
Weight attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select a continuous or integer weight attribute indicating a weight value for each color node-link pair. The link line is proportionally divided in areas according to the values of the weight attribute.
First color	In this area, users can decide the default configuration which affects automatic link coloring. There is a predefined list of colors, and each distinct value of the link attribute is cyclically assigned a color. Colors are assigned according to a cyclical sequence, meaning that if the number of distinct values exceeds the number of available colors, the colors repeat in sequence for the remaining values. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Color attribute menu. From this area, users can select: Colorway, where users are able to change the default colorway among a list of possibilities. Colorway start color index, the starting color is fundamental to obtain the desired pattern, and here users can define the color starting position.
Color of traces	In this area, users can decide the single color configuration for any present link. It displays the list of distinct values of the link attribute and the corresponding color. By clicking on the color circle, users can define a specific color for the corresponding link value. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Color attribute menu.

THICKNESS

Option	Description	GOLDref
Thickness attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select a continuous or integer attribute indicating a thickness value for each node-link pair. The link line is proportionally displayed as thicker or thinner according to the values of the thickness attribute.

HALO

In the HALO tab, users can customize what to display on the above or below the link line. Configurations can be applied above or below any link line (top, bottom). Changes can only be performed for a single line space at the time. To select the above or below line space to be considered in the current modification, you need to use the line halo selector which is located in the top left corner of the HALO tab.

Once users have selected the link line space on which to perform halo customizations, they need to choose an option from the Halo type drop-down menu. The available options are:

• Icon

• Text

Depending on which Halo type option has been selected, the lower section of the HALO tab will display completely different options. If Icon is selected, the lower section of the HALO tab will display options that allow users to show an icon on the selected node corner.

Option	Description	GOLDref
Icon Attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select a nominal attribute belonging to the link attribute dataset. Based on the attribute selection, each link displays a different icon for each value of the selected attribute.
First icon	In this area, users can decide the default configuration which affects automatic link halo icon assignation. There is a predefined list of icons, and each distinct value of the node attribute is cyclically assigned an icon. Icons are assigned according to a cyclical sequence, meaning that if the number of distinct values exceeds the number of available icons, the icons repeat in sequence for the remaining values. From this drop-down menu, users can select which icon will start the cycle. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Icon attribute menu.
Halo Position	In this area, users can decide the default configuration which affects automatic link halo icon position. From this drop-down menu, users can define the halo position of the icon. The available options are: Left, Right, Center (default value). Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Icon attribute menu.
Icon of traces	In this area, users can decide the single icon configuration for any present link value. It displays the list of distinct values of the attribute selected from the Icon attribute menu and the corresponding icon. By clicking on the icon, users can define a specific icon for the corresponding node value in the Select Icons panel. Users can also define the Color as well as the Color hover of the selected icon (available for standard icons only). Additionally, a Custom option allows users to upload their own icons in PNG or SVG format. Only available if an attribute has been selected from the Icon attribute menu.

While, if Text is selected, the lower section of the HALO tab will display options that allow users to show a number or a text on the selected node corner.

Option	Description	GOLDref
Text attribute	From this drop-down menu you can select a continuous, integer or nominal attribute belonging to the link attribute dataset. Based on the selected attribute, users can define the text layout for the values of that attribute displayed in the selected link space area.
Text Layout	Here, users can select the text layout of every halo link value, which can be bold, italic or underlined, as well as the values horizontal alignment, which can be right, center, left, and the vertical alignment, which can be center, top, bottom.
Font family	Select from the drop-down list the halo values’ font.
Font size (px)	Define the halo values font size.
Halo Position	Select from the drop-down list the position of halo link values displayed text. Possible values are: Left, Right, Center, (default value).
Font color	Click on the color circle to define the halo font color, which is black by default. In the color selection popup, Standard colors and generated custom color palettes can be used, as well as Rgb, Hex, Hsl and Hsv colors. An Eye dropper is also available to work as a color picker.

TOOLTIP

Option	Description	GOLDref
Text Attributes	Here users can drop extra attributes belonging to the link dataset which will be used in constructing hover text displays. The graphical structure of this area is the standard attribute drop area.
Tooltip Text	Insert here what you want to display as a tooltip when hovering over each link. You can either: insert plain text to display the same value repeatedly for every single link when hovering. Reference an attribute to show the corresponding row value for each link when hovering. To reference an attribute in the link dataset, use the following syntax: $datasetname!$"attributename". If you haven’t dragged the corresponding attribute in the Text Attributes area, the attribute reference will not take effect. Note that variables are not accepted in this area and will be treated as text strings.
Tooltip visible	If selected, the tooltip will be visible on mouse hover.

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Advanced Settings Option Menu

The Advanced settings icon is always greyed-out, except when the Force-directed Layout is selected.

The advanced settings option menu allows advanced layout customizations for the force-directed chart.

Most of the options available in the Advanced settings menu can be customized in parametric mode. Once the node options have been customized as desired, users need to click APPLY to confirm the changes or CANCEL to discard them.

Users can find all the available options and the corresponding GOLD references in the table below.

To know more about GOLD, go to the corresponding page.

Subsection	Option	Description	GOLDref
Advanced settings	Force type	Here you can define a relationship between nodes and links which changes how they are displayed in the chart. The options available are: Distance, which defines how long the link line should be, and consequently how far apart the nodes are from each other. You can drag an attribute on the Advanced settings icon corresponding to the distance — the farther the nodes are from each other, the greater the value of the dragged attribute. The attribute must be integer or continuous and belong to the dataset of the link. Medoid, which defines when medoids are present. You can drag an attribute on the Advanced settings icon that provides information on which node is a medoid and which is not. The attribute can be nominal, integer, or continuous and must belong to the node’s dataset. Firework, which defines that nodes belonging to the same group must be displayed as close as possible to each other. You can drag an attribute on the Advanced settings icon that provides information about the group affiliation, so nodes in the same group should have the same value. The attribute can be nominal, integer, or continuous and must belong to the node’s dataset.
	Medoid value	This option is only available if Medoid has been previously selected as Force type. It displays all the distinct values of the attribute dragged onto the Advanced settings icon. From this drop-down menu, you need to select which value correspond to the medoid. Only a single value can be selected and all the other values will be considered as satellites of the medoid.