Site archive. SpicyNodes was active 2005-2018.

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The operation of SpicyNodes is based on innovative algorithms that generate radial layouts and traditional animation techniques that carry out scene transitions, while also incorporating direct searching for text strings.

• Choosing the zoom level allows users to control how much information they see. Users can narrow the scope and zoom in on the central node to read detailed information or broaden their view, zooming out to look at up to two generations of nodes.

• Choosing the focus adjusts the relative size of the center and surrounding nodes. When the center node is large, it can display formatted content with simple HTML, including a table, and images or media.

• The layout algorithms allow layouts to be rearranged when changing the focus from node to node. The overall layout can be radial or directed, but the underlying algorithms are the same for both.

• When changing the center node, the entire radial layout shifts aside to adjust the viewport accordingly. The adjacent elements consequently regroup to fit the altered layout.

• The interaction effects are based on physical models of motion. They give users an effective means of rotating and moving a scene in an intuitive way. In addition, animations use slow-in, slow-out to feel smooth and continuous.

• The node labeling system is not haphazard, but is based on geometrical rules so that labels have a systematic arrangement and do not overlap.

• Additional information is provided when users expand nodes with a mouse click.

• A navigation panel is always available as a part of the SpicyNodes interface; in it, users can input a text-based search query and obtain the results as a list of the most likely node matches, as well as navigate back, forward, or back home.

Detailed information about SpicyNodes’ highlighted features can be found in the Reference Cookbook. To access the appropriate section, please see “How SpicyNodes Works.”