HiGraD is a new tool for the construction of optimal layouts of graphs. It is based on graph grammars. As such it is a contribution to the declarative approach to graph drawing. In HiGraD the process of drawing a graph is done in two stages. First and dominant is the hierarchical structure defined by an underlying graph grammar. Then respecting the hierarchical structure some cost measure on graph layouts is minimized, e.g. the number of bends of the edges and the area of the layout. In many instances, this two-stage process leads to nice and well-structured graph drawings. This situation parallels writing well-structured programs. HiGraD is fully interactive and easy to learn. It supports some top-down and bottom-up design processes. HiGraD is attached to the Graph^Ed system, which is an interactive editor for graphs and a tool-kit for manipulations on graphs and graph drawings.
cetindag@fmi.uni-passau.de
Ulrike Peiker, Martin Griebl