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 comments total)

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

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

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