Network ~900Nodes can't use improvedLayout

[baba2k]

Hello,

i want to display a network with ~900 nodes and ~ 2500 edges with visjs. Network: http://pastebin.com/DD7BWmuT

  var options = {
     groups: {
        failure: {
           color: {
              background: 'red'
           }
        },
        state: {
           color: {
              background: 'lime'
           }
        },
        startstate: {
           font: {
              size: 33,
			  color: 'white'
           },
           color: {
              background: 'blueviolet'
           }
        },
        finalstate: {
           font: {
              size: 33,
			  color: 'white'
           },
           color: {
              background: 'blue'
           }
        }
     },
     edges: {
        arrows: {
           to: {
              enabled: true
           }
        },
    smooth: {
       enabled: false,
           type: 'continuous'
        }
     },
physics: {
        stabilization: false,
     },
	 layout: {
	    randomSeed: 191006,
	    improvedLayout: true
	 }
  };

And got the following message:
This network could not be positioned by this version of the improved layout algorithm. Please disable improvedLayout for better performance.

It takes with improvedLayout true and false 7489 iterations to stabilize.
Whats wrong with this network or configuration? Used actual version 4.19.1.

//EDIT: I've tried it with some other big networks like posted above and got this message every time.

Thank you!

[wimrijnders]

I managed to reproduce this. I must say it looks glorious on screen:

However, the layout easing does take ages; it's still going on while I type this.

The issue, in a nutshell, is that the network is big and very interconnected.

The message:

This network could not be positioned by this version of the improved layout algorithm

...occurs because the layout algorithm attempts to divide the network into clusters, but fails. The idea of clustering is to improve performance by being able to handle the clusters independently.
However, the nodes here are so interconnected that no clustering is possible.

You can get rid of this message by setting improvedLayout: false in the options, but this, of course, doesn't solve the stabilizing-time issue.

The best ways out that I see is:

• Reduce the number of nodes
• Pre-assign coordinates to the nodes

Of note: for less than 100 nodes, a different layout algorithm kicks in, which should perform better.

I'm afraid I can't help further; perhaps someone more savvy than me has a better idea.

[wimrijnders]

If the goal is to just display the network, I can offer the following idea:

• Load the current network and let the layout easing run for a while
• Use network.getPositions() the retrieve the calculated coordinates
• Set these coordinates in the network data

This should display the network much faster on startup.

[wimrijnders]

You can also achieve some speed improvement with the physics options. For example:

var options {
...
   physics: {
    enabled: false
   }
};

Displays instantly, nodes are so packed in a circle, you can hardly discern them.

var options {
...
   physics: {
    stabilization: {
      iterations: 500
    }
   }
};

After an initial delay, displays a decent network but much faster. It's still moving though.

It might also be worthwhile to play around with the physicsConfiguration example.

[baba2k]

Thank you for your information about the algorithm and settings! Absolute positions is not an option.

I've got stabilized the network in 987 iterations 9 seconds with this options:

var options = {
    groups: {
        failure: {
            color: {
                background: 'red'
            }
        },
        state: {
            color: {
                background: 'lime'
            }
        },
        startstate: {
            font: {
                size: 33,
                color: 'white'
            },
            color: {
                background: 'blueviolet'
            }
        },
        finalstate: {
            font: {
                size: 33,
                color: 'white'
            },
            color: {
                background: 'blue'
            }
        }
    },
    edges: {
        arrows: {
            to: {
                enabled: true
            }
        },
        smooth: {
            enabled: false,
            type: 'continuous'
        }
    },
    physics: {
        adaptiveTimestep: true,
        barnesHut: {
            gravitationalConstant: -8000,
            springConstant: 0.04,
            springLength: 95
        },
        stabilization: {
            iterations: 987
        }
    },
    layout: {
        randomSeed: 191006,
        improvedLayout: true
    }
};

Is this a good solution? :-)

[wimrijnders]

I would say that this is an excellent solution!

It would not have occurred to me to use such a huge negative gravitationalConstant, but it works.
I managed to get a still pretty decent layout with iterations : 400, so maybe you can lower it some:

But, on the whole, this is better than anything I managed to tinker up.

[wimrijnders]

And you might as well set improvedLayout: false for a tiny extra bit of performance improvement. That algorithm is not going to kick in anyway.

[baba2k]

Thank you! I thought had no performance improvement, because the iterations with improvedLayout: false are the same. I need any tiny extra bit of performance improvement.

[baba2k]

Today i used Firefox to show the network. This browser needs 2468 iterations and 2 minutes to stabilize. Any idea? Thanks!

[wimrijnders]

This issue and #2900 together represent everything I know about improving the performance of very big networks. I really don't think I can add any more to this. So please scan #2900 to see if it gives you any more idea.

[wimrijnders]

Today i used Firefox to show the network. This browser needs 2468 iterations and 2 minutes to stabilize. Any idea? Thanks!

Revisited this issue: if I set stabilization.iterations: 2000, the stabilization takes seconds(1) and the network is stabilized.

(1) On my machine, which is admittedly a pretty hefty beast. YMMV.

[wimrijnders]

@baba2k Did this answer your question? Is there any further assistance you need?

[wimrijnders]

Closed due to inactivity. Feel free to reopen if this is still relevant.

[shangxinbo]

got something useful! thanks all!

[Thj007]

now I have 7k nodes, then I'm try to use your options to draw my network, but It also use a few minutes, may be 6-10 minutes.