Importance

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Abstract

An image is presented that includes a node-link structure. The nodes are in rows, and each row extends across a centering line. The rows are in sequence along the centering line, with links between nodes in adjacent rows. When a user requests a centering operation for an indicated node, a sequence of images is presented, each including a row that appears to be a continuation of the row with the indicated node and that includes a continued indicated node that appears to be a continuation of the indicated node. The rows appear to be shifted, bringing the continued indicated nodes toward the centering line, until a final shift locks the continued indicated node into position at the centering line. The positions of the indicated node and a subset of the continued indicated nodes together can define an asymptotic path that begins at the position of the indicated node and approaches the centering line asymptotically until the final shift occurs. The displacements between positions can follow a logarithmic function, with each displacement being a proportion of the distance from the preceding position to the centering line. Each step can include an animation loop. If the node-link structure represents a hierarchical body of data with each node representing a data item, the indicated node's descendants and ancestors within the hierarchy can also be shifted to the centering line. Each node can be rectangular, and the nodes in each row can be separated by equal offsets to provide compact rows. Each node can be a selectable unit, so that the user can request a centering operation by selecting a node, such as with a mouse click.

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First Claim