Re: Graph-drawing tool -- what do you use?

>>[Graph-drawing programs?]


norman@flaubert.bellcore.com (Norman Ramsey) writes:
>[We use a dot graph-drawing tool from AT&T that does automatic layout.]


You might also look at `xgrab' available via anonymous ftp from
`ftp.cs.washington.edu' (128.95.1.4) as `pub/xgrab.tar.Z'. I've
appended the announcement file that comes with it.


;-D on ( Drawing conclusions, please! ) Pardo


We are happy to announce the availability of 'xgrab' (X graph browser)
a graph layout and browser package running under X11.R4.


Xgrab reads a textual specification of a graph, lays out the graph
using heuristics to minimize the number of edge crossings, and displays
the graph as labeled nodes and edges in an X window. The user can then
edit the graph. Once happy with the graph layout, xgrab can write a
postscript file or a text file describing the resulting graph.


Xgrab has been used to layout finite state machines, program dependence
graphs, pert charts, trees, and much more. It works well for graphs
with fewer than 30 nodes, but will work "adequately" for graphs with
many more nodes.


Xgrab is distributed using standard conventions for anonymous binary
ftp of the compressed tar file 'pub/xgrab.tar.Z' from the machine
'cs.washington.edu'.


If you take a copy of xgrab, please send mail to 'xgrab@cs.washington.edu'
acknowledging that you have taken the software.


THERE IS NO SUPPORT.


In order to make xgrab run, you will also need version 2.6 of Mark
Linton's Interviews software. If you do not already have this software
you will need to use anonymous binary ftp of the compressed tar file
'2.6.tar.Z' from the machine 'interviews.stanford.edu', and follow the
directions contained therein.


In addition, you will also need the latest release of the GNU C++
compiler "g++". If you do not already have this, you should grab the
compressed tar file '2.6-and-g++.tar.Z' from 'interviews.stanford.edu'.
It is unlikely that xgrab will work with AT&T CC.


The xgrab software comes with a general purpose garbage collecting
storage allocator written by Hans Boehm at Rice [Boehm et al 1988].


Xgrab has been compiled and successfully executed on vax/ultrix,
running X11.R4. It was developed under sun/3, and should continue to
run fine on that platform. Other platforms have not been tested, but
the belief is that the software can port to other platforms that have
g++, interviews and X11.R4. If g++ and interviews are not already
installed at your site, then it will take a UNIX whiz about 1 day to
read the documentation supplied with that software, figure out how to
configure and then build the required software.


The garbage collector will not run under decstation/ultrix because it
has not yet been ported to that platform. In that event, xgrab can be
compiled so that it does not recycle any storage.


The layout algorithms used in xgrab were derived from algorithms by
Sugiyama et al in 1981 [Sugiyama et al 1981].


The basis for the xgrab implementation was originally done by Rowe,
Davis, Messinger, Meyer, Spirakis and Tuan [Rowe et al 1987] at the
University of California, Berkeley, in a graph browser called 'sungrab'
running under SunView.


This code was then modified by Greg Barnes while employed as a summer
intern at Tera Computer, Seattle, WA.


Gregory S. Barnes, greg@cs.washington.edu
Robert R. Henry, rrh@cs.washington.edu
Computer Science and Engineering Department, FR-35
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195 USA
206 685 1934


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Regents of the University of California is making this software
available on a non commercial
basis in order to facilitate its release. The Regents of the University
of California hold the copyright on portions of the code, and state:


GRAB Graph Layout and Browser System


Copyright (c) 1986, 1988 Regents of the University of California


Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
documentation for educational, research, and non-profit purposes and
without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice
appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this
permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the name
of the University of California not be used in advertising or publicity
pertaining to distribution of the software without specific, written
prior permission. Permission to incorporate this software into
commercial products can be obtained from the Campus Software Office,
University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720. The University of
California makes no representations about the suitability of this
software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or
implied warranty.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tera Computer is making this software available on a non commercial
basis in order to facilitate its release. Tera holds the copyright on
portions of the code, and states:


Copyright (c) 1989, Tera Computer Company


Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and its
documentation for educational, research and non-profit purposes and
without fee is hereby granted, subject only to the condition that Tera
Computer Company makes no representation about the suitability of this
software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or
implicit warranty.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Citations:


[Boehm et al 1988] Boehm, H., and M. Weiser, "Garbage Collection in an
Uncooperative Environment", Software Practice & Experience, September
1988, pp. 807-820.


[Rowe et al 1987] L. A. Rowe, M. Davis, E. Messinger, C. Meyer, C.
Spirakis and A. Tuan. "A Browser for Directed Graphs" , Software
Practice & Experience, Volume 17, #1, January 1987. 61-76.


[Sugiyama et al 1981] K. Sugiyama, S. Tagawa and M. Toda. "Methods for
Visual Understanding of Hierarchical System Structures", IEEE
Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Volume 11, February
1981. 109-125.
--

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