Netzwerkmonitor Österreich / Network Monitor Austria

New Features in Version 2.0

Version 2.0 introduces some enhancements especially useful with large networks:

Smart Expansion ("auto"-mode)
Filters (affiliations per type)
Compound View (multiple shortest paths search with inclusion of top 1-step-neighbors)
Edge Labels (in network view)
Checks and Warnings for large networks
Sticky Labels for search targets – easily locate them while roaming the network
Quick switching of elevations in GIS-view – useful for testing of indicators

Smart Expansion

The new "auto"-mode guarantees to show all relevant data while keeping the total network small enough to handle. (Depending on the size of the requested view the network will either be expanded to a full 2-steps environment for small networks, or a set of the most important 1-step-neighbors and all bridgers of the 2-steps environment.)

Example of a network to large to be usefully handled in a full 2-steps environment expanded in "auto" mode.
The expanded view shows the selected node, all bridging nodes, and the 10 most important neighbors not connected to any of the bridgers.

Filters

Dynamic filtering per affiliation type (or combinations thereof) is another way of reducing the size of large network graphs.
Now you can concentrate on those type of affiliations and connections you're interested in. As the filtering is dynamic, you may switch filters on and off just as you like.

The same 2-steps environment as above shown in full expansion with filters for affiliations of type "event" resulting in the exclusions of all events in the view.

Compound Views

The new compound search provides an intuitive view on complex constellations: It searches for shortest paths between multiple targets and returns a view of the target nodes, their most important neighbors and the shortest connections between these search targets.
Even more, the new compound search easily integrates with the existing user interface.

A compound search with 3 targets showing the target nodes, their top-neighbors, and the shortest paths between these 3 targets.

Edge Labels in Network View

Now you can easily explore the type of connections that form the network, just by moving the mouse pointer over an edge. The connected nodes will light up and a label will show the distinct type of the connection.

Edge-highlighting for the edge connecting Dkfm. Dr. Hannes Androsch and the OIER showing him to be "Vorstandsmitglied" (chair member) of this organization.

Checks and Warnings for Large Networks

Network monitor now checks for large network views (more than 240 nodes) on any request and – as needed – shows an alert offering the user to switch to "auto"-mode.
Since the top members of large networks tend to have an extra large 2-steps environment, it's usually hard to explore these most interesting members of the network. Now you may try without hesitation, as you will be alerted and may switch to smart expansion on demand. With the new "auto"-mode (see above) you are guaranteed to have all relevant information spot on and are free to explore this view even more deeply.

network monitor v2.0: large network warning

An alert for a large network view offering the user to switch to "auto"-mode.

Quick Switching of GIS-Elevations

Now you can switch between different mappings of network indicators on the fly just by the means of selecting the "elevation" menu.
The view, color-ramp, perspective, and zoom-level remain the same while the values that are mapped as elevations change.
This feature is especially useful for testing network indicators and rapidly checking correlations between indicators.

network monitor v2.0: fast elevation-switching in GIS-mode

The same network mapped by influence, brokerage, and clique-membership (from left to right, click text-links for bigger images).

Other UI-Enhancements: Sticky Search Target Labels

With this new feature the user experience of network explorer becomes even more intuitive: As the node labels of search targets are set to stay visible all the time, you'll never loose them out of focus as you're roaming and exploring the network view. For examples see the previous images. (You may manually choose any label to be "sticky" as in previous versions.)

Localizations

Network Monitor is currently available in German and English localization (same as previous version).

All screenshots refer to AppVersion 2.0ß1 (en).