Introduction

Thank you for checking out this poster website about netplot!

neplot is an alternative graph visualization tool that emphasizes aesthetics, providing default parameters that deliver out-of-the-box lovely visualizations.

Some of the principal aspects of the package include the following:

  • Auto-scaling of vertices using sizes relative to the plotting device.
  • Embedded edge color mixer.
  • True curved edges drawing.
  • User-defined edge curvature.
  • Nicer vertex frame color.
  • Better use of space-filling the plotting device.

The package uses the grid plotting system (just like ggplot2).

sna Example

This is one of the current ways to plot network data.

# load libraries
library(igraph)
library(netplot)
library(sna)
library(intergraph)

set.seed(1)

# read in data
data("UKfaculty", package = "igraphdata")
l <- layout_with_fr(UKfaculty)

# create sna graph
sna::gplot(intergraph::asNetwork(UKfaculty), coord=l)

igraph Example

This shows the same dataset from above, but it uses igraph to plot it all. igraph is one of the common packages used in industry.

# load libraries
library(igraph)
library(netplot)

set.seed(1)

# read in data
data("UKfaculty", package = "igraphdata")
l <- layout_with_fr(UKfaculty)

# create igraph graph
plot(UKfaculty, layout = l)

netplot Example

Below is an example of how netplot plots the same data. As you can see, even the base model of it is quite different, and it allows for a clean, pretty graph overall.

# load libraries
library(igraph)
library(netplot)

set.seed(1)

# read in data
data("UKfaculty", package = "igraphdata")
l <- layout_with_fr(UKfaculty)

# create netplot graph
nplot(UKfaculty, layout = l)