Computational and Human Evaluations of Orthogonal Graph Drawings

Graphs are often drawn into straight-line node-link diagrams for better understanding of the underlying data. However, curves have also been used in graph visualization for various purposes. Orthogonal drawing is one type of graph drawings in which each edge is made up with an alternating sequence of vertical and horizontal line segments. In the past, many algorithms have been developed for orthogonal drawing so that the resulting drawings meet some pre-defined aesthetic criteria and constraints. Experiments have also been conducted to evaluate performance of algorithms and effectiveness of orthogonal drawings. In this paper, we briefly summarize the research that has been done in relation to orthogonal drawing and provide directions for future research.