Question about layout plugins

[James Michael DuPont <mdupont777 yahoo com>]

Dear DIA Developers,

I would like to help create a Layout Plugin API, or
use what is already existing. The API would allow for
the adding in an configuring of various layout
engines.  

Can you please tell me where to start looking into
this, I have identified some click and move and update
handlers, but am interested in getting some input on
where you think the best interface would be placed.

You can imagine various layout managers that you can
turn off and on, and specifiy attributes on the node
and link layer to handle. Springs, Gravity, Magnets,
weights and even simulated annealling are different
ways to do interesting layouts.

You might remember me talking about VCG, 
I have dissected the VCG code enough to allow for some

interesting  experiements, we should be able to
extract and specify the sizes of nodes, at least using
some radius mechanism to specify a circle around each
object that covers it.

Anyway, I figure at minimal we need to be able to
exchange lines and nodes, and have them updated. The
lines might get segmented, and objects might get put
onto different pages.

Also on this note, what are the possibilities of
embedding hrefs in each object and exporting to jpg
image maps? I am sure that someone has looked into or
has done this already? 

Has anyone looked at www.touchgraph.com? The new
google browser is really cool.

Hope to hear from you,
Best regards,

Mike

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James Michael DuPont

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