Prettier network maps?

November 18, 2005 10:33 AM

For a project at work, I've been building a conceptual map of a communications network. The boss is happy with the results, but thinks the current output (minus identifying labels) is confusing and needs prettying up.

Any ideas on software to use -- this was done in NetDraw -- or designers to contact? We have a budget that I think probably reasonable, and I'm happy to recode the underlying data into pretty much any format needed.

posted by piro to Technology (6 answers total)

Response by poster: In case the map's not clear, different shapes and colors denote different roles. Final output would need ~20 character labels on each.
posted by piro at 10:35 AM on November 18, 2005

Is this diagram drawn manually or derived from some underlying data source?
posted by jjg at 10:38 AM on November 18, 2005

Response by poster: There's an underlying data source, right now in VNA format. I can recode it as needed.
posted by piro at 10:43 AM on November 18, 2005

Check out Graphviz. You can define arbitrary shapes for nodes and edges; much pretty-shiny can be accomplished.

If you need it to be interactive, I'd check out Prefuse.
posted by Loser at 11:16 AM on November 18, 2005

If making it pretty is the main priority, OmniGraffle is a good general-purpose diagramming tool.

It's Mac-only, though, and I don't know how easy it is to generate diagrams from data automatically. But, ooh pretty.
posted by chrismear at 12:56 PM on November 18, 2005

Best answer: piro, I do a good bit of social and organizational network analysis work, and produce my work in NetDraw as well (with my data manipulated n UCINet). What exactly is your boss looking for you to change--simply the labels, or more?

If it's easier, drop me a email. Address is in my profile. If it's something that I can do for you, I'd be more than happy to take care of it for free.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 6:37 AM on November 19, 2005