Label Adjust

The Label Adjust functionality is a special type of algorithm. It is available through the Spatialization menu but instead of working with nodes position it works with labels. The aim is to automatically avoid label overlapping.

Gephi is built to produce readable maps, which can be published or printed. By default, if a network has more than 1000 nodes it becomes hard to read and even more if labels are displayed. With the Label Adjust algorithm, the boring work when you manually move each node of the network vanished.

When running, the algorithm slightly moves nodes where labels are overlapping. For instance with long labels like URLs this functionality is really time-saving, and it is easy to use. Display labels as you want (font, size, color, …) and start the algorithm. It automatically stops when its detect no more label overlapping, but you can also stop it by hand.

Here is a small demo video of the feature running. Needless to say the algorithm is designed for larger networks.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2242916&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

This functionality is important when exporting map results in Gephi. The standard process of publishing network maps in Gephi would be something like that:
1. Spatialize the network, using for instance Force Atlas algorithm.
2.Use filters to set nodes color and size depending of the network data.
3.Display labels and set text settings.
4.Use Label Adjust to makes all labels readable.
5.Export.