Basic Network Navigation

Cytoscape uses a Zoomable User Interface for navigating and viewing networks. ZUIs use two mechanisms for navigation: zooming and panning. Zooming increases or decreases the magnification of a view based on how much or how little a user wants to see. Panning allows users to move the focus of a screen to different parts of a view.

Zoom

Cytoscape provides two mechanisms for zooming: either using mouse gestures or buttons on the toolbar. Use the zooming buttons located on the toolbar to zoom in and out of the interaction network shown in the current network display. Zoom icons are detailed below:

[ATTACH]

From Left to Right:

You can also zoom in/out by holding down the right mouse button and moving the mouse to the right (zoom in) or left (zoom out).

Pan

There are several ways to pan the network:

Other Mouse Behaviors

Select

Click the left mouse button on a node or edge to select that object. You can hold down the Shift key to select more than one node/edge or you can hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse to select groups of nodes/edges.

Context

Click the right mouse button on a node/edge to launch a context-sensitive menu with additional information about the node/edge.

Node Context Menu

This menu can change based on the current context. For nodes, it typically shows:

Edges usually have the following menu:

Apps can contribute their own items into node and edge context menus. These additions usually appear in the Apps menu.

Nested Network Node Context Submenu

!!! menu items changed names

Automatic Layout Algorithms

The Layout menu has an array of features for organizing the network visually according to one of several algorithms, aligning and rotating groups of nodes, and adjusting the size of the network. Cytoscape layouts have three different sources, which are reflected in the Layout menu.

yFiles Layouts

yFiles layouts are a set of commercial layouts which are provided courtesy of yWorks. Due to license restrictions, the detailed parameters for these layouts are not available (there are no yFiles entries in the Settings... dialog). The main layout algorithms provided by yFiles are:

yFiles Circular Layout

This algorithm produces layouts that emphasize group and tree structures within a network. It partitions the network by analyzing its connectivity structure, and arranges the partitions as separate circles. The circles themselves are arranged in a radial tree layout fashion. This algorithm is available by selecting Layout → yFiles Layouts → Circular.

yFiles Hierarchical Layout

The hierarchical layout algorithm is good for representing main direction or "flow" within a network. Nodes are placed in hierarchically arranged layers and the ordering of the nodes within each layer is chosen in such a way that minimizes the number of edge crossings. This algorithm is available by selecting Layout → yFiles Layouts → Hierarchical.

yFiles Organic Layout

The organic layout algorithm is a kind of spring-embedded algorithm that combines elements of the other algorithms to show the clustered structure of a graph. This algorithm is available by selecting Layout → yFiles Layouts → Organic.

Cytoscape Layouts

Cytoscape Layouts are those layouts that have been written or integrated by Cytoscape developers. These layouts are fully integrated with Cytoscape. All Cytoscape Layouts have the option to operate on only the selected nodes, and all provide a Settings... panel to change the parameters of the algorithm. Most of the Cytoscape layouts also partition the graph before performing the layout. In addition, many of these layouts include the option to take either node or edge attributes into account. Some of these layouts are:

Grid Layout

The grid layout is a simple layout the arranges all of the nodes in a square grid. This is the default layout and is always available as part of the Cytoscape core. It is available by selecting Layout → Grid Layout. A sample screen shot is shown above.

Spring-Embedded Layout

The spring-embedded layout is based on a “force-directed” paradigm as implemented by Kamada and Kawai (1988). Network nodes are treated like physical objects that repel each other, such as electrons. The connections between nodes are treated like metal springs attached to the pair of nodes. These springs repel or attract their end points according to a force function. The layout algorithm sets the positions of the nodes in a way that minimizes the sum of forces in the network. This algorithm can be applied to the entire network or a portion of it by selecting the appropriate options from Layout → Edge-weighted Spring Embedded.

Attribute Circle Layout

The attribute circle layout is a quick, useful layout, particularly for small networks, that will locate all of the nodes in the network around a circle. The node order is determined by a user-selected node attribute. The result is that all nodes with the same value for that attribute are located together around the circle. Using Layout → Attribute Circle Layout → attribute to put all nodes around a circle using attribute to position them. The sample screen shot above shows the a subset of the galFiltered network organized by node degree.

Group Attributes Layout

The group attributes layout is similar to the attribute circle layout described above except that instead of a single circle with all of the nodes, each set of nodes that share the same value for the attribute are laid out in a separate circle. The same network shown above (network generated by PSICQUIC Client) is shown above, using Layout → Group Attributes Layout → taxonomy.

Prefuse Layouts

Force Directed Layout

The force-directed layout is a layout based on the "force-directed" paradigm. This layout is based on the algorithm implemented as part of the excellent prefuse toolkit provided by Jeff Heer. The algorithm is very fast and with the right parameters can provide a very pleasing layout. The Force Directed Layout will also accept a numeric edge attribute to use as a weight for the length of the spring, although this will often require more use of the Settings... dialog to achieve the best layout. This algorithm is available by selecting Layout → Force-Directed Layout → (unweighted) or the edge attribute you want to use as a weight. A sample screen shot showing a portion of the galFiltered network provided in sample data is provided above.

Layout Parameters

Many layouts have adjustable parameters that are exposed through the Layouts → Settings... menu option. This will pop up the following dialog, which allows you to choose which layout algorithm settings to adjust. The settings presented vary by algorithm and only those algorithms that allow access to their parameters will appear in the drop-down menu at the top of the dialog. Once you've modified a parameter, clicking the "Execute Layout" button will apply the layout. This be repeated until a useful layout is achieved.

layout_settings_dialog.png

Edge Bundling

bundle1.png

From Cytoscape 3.0, Edge Bend is regular Visual Property and can be used as a part of Visual Style.

bundle2.png

Manual Layout

The simplest method to manually organize a network is to click on a node and drag it. If you select multiple nodes, all of the selected nodes will be moved together.

Rotate

Selecting the Layout → Rotate option will show the Rotate window in the Tool Panel. This function will either rotate the entire network or a selected portion of the network. The image below shows a network with selected nodes rotated.

Before

After

Scale

Selecting the Layout → Scale option will open the Scale window in the Tool Panel. This function will scale the position of the entire network or of the selected portion of the network. Note that only the position of the nodes will be scaled, not the node sizes. Node size can be adjusted using the VizMapper. The image below shows selected nodes scaled.

Before

After

Align/Distribute/Stack

Selecting the Layout → Align/Distribute option will open the Align/Distribute/Stack window in the Tool Panel. The Align buttons provide different options for either vertically or horizontally aligning selected nodes against a line. The differences are in what part of the node gets aligned, e.g. the center of the node, the top of the node, the left side of the node. The Distribute buttons evenly distribute selected nodes between the two most distant nodes along either the vertical or horizontal axis. The differences are again a function what part of the node is used as a reference point for the distribution. And the Stack buttons vertically or horizontally stack selected nodes with the full complement of alignment options. The table below provides a decription of what each button does.

Button

Before

After

Description of Align Options

V_ALIGN_TOP.gif

small.align_begin.png

small.align_vertical_top.png

Vertical Align Top - The tops of the selected nodes are aligned with the top-most node.

V_ALIGN_CENTER.gif

small.align_begin.png

small.align_vertical_center.png

Vertical Align Center - The centers of the selected nodes are aligned along a line defined by the midpoint between the top and bottom-most nodes.

V_ALIGN_BOTTOM.gif

small.align_begin.png

small.align_vertical_bottom.png

Vertical Align Bottom - The bottoms of the selected nodes are aligned with the bottom-most node.

H_ALIGN_LEFT.gif

small.align_begin.png

small.align_horizontal_left.png

Horizontal Align Left - The left hand sides of the selected nodes are aligned with the left-most node.

H_ALIGN_CENTER.gif

small.align_begin.png

small.align_horizontal_center.png

Horizontal Align Center - The centers of the selected nodes are aligned along a line defined by the midpoint between the left and right-most nodes.

H_ALIGN_RIGHT.gif

small.align_begin.png

small.align_horizontal_right.png

Horizontal Align Right - The right hand sides of the selected nodes are aligned with the right-most node.

Button

Before

After

Description of Distribute Options

V_DIST_TOP.gif

small.distribute_begin_vertical.png

small.distribute_vertical_top.png

Vertical Distribute Top - The tops of the selected nodes are distributed evenly between the top-most and bottom-most nodes, which should stay stationary.

V_DIST_CENTER.gif

small.distribute_begin_vertical.png

small.distribute_vertical_center.png

Vertical Distribute Center - The centers of the selected nodes are distributed evenly between the top-most and bottom-most nodes, which should stay stationary.

V_DIST_BOTTOM.gif

small.distribute_begin_vertical.png

small.distribute_vertical_bottom.png

Vertical Distribute Bottom - The bottoms of the selected nodes are distributed evenly between the top-most and bottom-most nodes, which should stay stationary.

H_DIST_LEFT.gif

small.distribute_begin_horizontal.png

small.distribute_horizontal_left.png

Horizontal Distribute Left - The left hand sides of the selected nodes are distributed evenly between the left-most and right-most nodes, which should stay stationary.

H_DIST_CENTER.gif

small.distribute_begin_horizontal.png

small.distribute_horizontal_center.png

Horizontal Distribute Center - The centers of the selected nodes are distributed evenly between the left-most and right-most nodes, which should stay stationary.

H_DIST_RIGHT.gif

small.distribute_begin_horizontal.png

small.distribute_horizontal_right.png

Horizontal Distribute Right - The right hand sides of the selected nodes are distributed evenly between the left-most and right-most nodes, which should stay stationary.

Button

Before

After

Description of Stack Options

V_STACK_LEFT.gif

small.stack_vertical_begin.png

small.stack_vertical_left.png

Vertical Stack Left - Vertically stacked below top-most node with the left-hand sides of the selected nodes aligned.

V_STACK_CENTER.gif

small.stack_vertical_begin.png

small.stack_vertical_center.png

Vertical Stack Center - Vertically stacked below top-most node with the centers of selected nodes aligned.

V_STACK_RIGHT.gif

small.stack_vertical_begin.png

small.stack_vertical_right.png

Vertical Stack Right - Vertically stacked below top-most node with the right-hand sides of the selected nodes aligned.

H_STACK_TOP.gif

small.stack_horizontal_begin.png

small.stack_horizontal_top.png

Horizontal Stack Top - Horizontally stacked to the right of the left-most node with the tops of the selected nodes aligned.

H_STACK_CENTER.gif

small.stack_horizontal_begin.png

small.stack_horizontal_center.png

Horizontal Stack Center - Horizontally stacked to the right of the left-most node with the centers of selected nodes aligned.

H_STACK_BOTTOM.gif

small.stack_horizontal_begin.png

small.stack_horizontal_bottom.png

Horizontal Stack Bottom - Horizontal Stack Center - Horizontally stacked to the right of the left-most node with the bottoms of the selected nodes aligned.

Node Movement and Placement

In addition to the ability to click on a node and drag it to a new position, Cytoscape now has the ability to move nodes using the arrow keys on the keyboard. By selecting one or more nodes using the mouse and clicking one of the arrow keys (←, →, ↑, ↓) the selected nodes will move one pixel in the chosen direction. If an arrow key is pressed while holding the Shift key down, the selected nodes will 15 pixels in the chosen direction.

Funding for Cytoscape is provided by a federal grant from the U.S. National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the Na tional Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number GM070743-01. Corporate funding is provided through a contract from Unilever PLC.

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