METHOD AND DEVICE FOR VISUALIZING ON A TWO-DIMENSIONAL SCREEN A HIERARCHICAL INFORMATION STRUCTURE BASED ON NODES INTERCONNECTED BY EDGES, THROUGH FISHEYED REPRESENTATION OF NODES

摘要

For visualizing on a two-dimensional screen a hierarchical information structure that is based on nodes interconnectd by edges, first an actual root node is selected. The root node is visualized on the screen as a fisheyed representation of a root node block. Downstepping will at one or more next-lower hierarchical levels select a descendant node of the actual root node for display. At each downstepping the representation is divided along alternatingly at least a first and second coordinate direction into lower level visual slices, of which the selected descendant is placed in a central part of the fisheye. Finally, access is allowed to at least one node of the graph whose image is displayed within the actual fisheye.