Hyperbolic Tree Browser
Description
The essence of this scheme is to lay out the hierarchy in a uniform way on a
hyperbolic plane and map this plane onto a circular display region. This
supports a smooth blending between focus and context, as well as
continuous redirection of the focus. [LAMP95]
- components diminish in size towards the edges of the display
- exponential growth in the number of components means we can display an
infinite number of components
- focus is in the center of the display, but the tree can be moved so a
different node is placed at the focal point
- can display 1000 nodes, of which the nearest 50 can have text labels
(2D browser can display only 100 nodes with 3-character labels)
The circumference of a circle on the hyperbolic plane grows exponentially with
its radius, which means that exponentially more space is available with
increasing distance. Thus hierarchiesÑwhich tend to expand exponentially with
depthÑcan be laid out in hyperbolic space in a uniform way, so that the
distance (as measured in the hyperbolic geometry) between parents, children,
and siblings is approximately the same everywhere in the hierarchy.
[LAMP95]
Advantages
Can display a similar number of nodes as can the cone tree, but doesnÕt require 3D
animation support. Relatively modest computation needs because itÕs 2D. This makes
it useful on a wider variety of platforms.
displays more of a nodeÕs context in all directions (ancestors, siblings, and
descendants) than the fractal layouts.
Disadvantages
This page maintained by Mark Brautigam
(PDA version)
Last updated 1 March 1997