May 2018 NLI - Data Essentials: Tools and Techniques for Organizing, Analyzing and Visualizing Data

Part I...
Introduction to Visualizing Social and
Geographical Networks with Gephi

Part II...
Introduction to Adobe Illustrator: Refining Gephi Network
and Geospatial Visualizations

Michael J. Stamper Jonathan Briganti

Data Visualization Designer & Digital Data Visualization Studio Manager
Consultant for the Arts
 SOFTWARE
Part I... Part II...
Introduction to Visualizing Social and Introduction to Adobe Illustrator: Refining
Geographical Networks with Gephi Gephi Network and Geospatial Visualizations

https://gephi.org/ https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html

Free! Subscription-based
Gephi Examples
1. They are abstract!

2. Foundational form is
based on layout algorithms
and settings within Gephi.

3. Refinements* are made

using a vector-based
graphics program, such as
Inkscape (free), or Adobe
Illustrator
(subscription-based).

* Design elements such as color,

layout, typography, adding
labels/arrows/etc. used for
presentation/publication/animation
Elements of Design for finalizing your visualizations

1. Titles

2. Labels

3. Legend

4. Typography (alignment,
bolding, italicizing, etc.)

5. Other design elements

as needed

Image from:
http://www.martingrandjean.ch/digital-humanities-on-twitter/
Datasets we will be using
Terminology & Anatomy

ID = Node

Label = Name of node

Attribute = A way to categorize/connect entities (i.e. cities)

City = Appearance > Partition > City (color coding places)

Latitude & Longitude = Where the nodes will be located

Source = Where the edge originates from

Target = Where the edge will go

Type = Can specify direction (arrowhead)

Weight = Can indicate a connection through size/width

NOTE
Formatting Files for Import

● Comma
● Semicolon
● Tab
● Space
Let’s get started!

Open Gephi!

...or download and install if

you haven’t done so yet.
Adding plugins

Tools > Plugins

Search for:

● GeoLayout
● NoverlapLayout*

Click the checkbox beside the

plugins that you want to install.

> Click Install

> Restart Gephi
> The required plugins are now
Ready to use!
Palettes and Windows

Palette(s)
Control panels, settings...where
you can somewhat control how
things are rendered

Window(s)
Where you can see and
manipulate your rendered
visualizations
Load Data - Dataset 1 - Geographical Network

● File > Import Spreadsheet

After loading your first file,

Another option for adding files
Will appear...we’ll see that
in a few minutes.

***LOAD NODES FILE FIRST***

Load Data - Dataset 1 - Geographical Network
Load Data - Dataset 1 - Geographical Network
Load Data - Dataset 1 - Geographical Network

Check your data import

● Data Table and Nodes tabs

...everything good?

Let’s do the edge file!

Load Data - Dataset 1 - Geographical Network

● File > Import Spreadsheet

Or

● Window > Data Table

> Import Spreadsheet

F ILE***
D GE
E A TF OR E
*** R EP
Load Data - Dataset 1 - Geographical Network
Load Data - Dataset 1 - Geographical Network
Dataset 1 - Geographical Network

Check your data

import again!
Load Data - Dataset 1 - Geographical Network

If both data files are

loaded correctly…

Window > Graph tab

If your Graph tab is blank,

CLOSE it, and re-open.

F IL E !!!!***
A V E Y OUR !!!!***
T O S c t i o n
’T F O R GET U N D O fun
***DON e r e is n ’t an
***th

Let’s look at these for a moment

Dataset 1 - Geographical Network

FINALLY...
Under the Layout tab, find
Geo Layout in the dropdown
AND edit Scale = 20000

Click RUN!
 Dataset 1 - Geographical Network

FINALLY...
You should have something
like this.

NOW, under the Layout tab,

find Noverlap in the
dropdown.

You can edit Speed, Ratio,

and Margin if you like. These
can be important because
they set how fast your
visualization is rendered, and
as mentioned before, there
isn’t an UNDO option.
 Load Data - Dataset 1 - Geographical Network

NOW, let’s look at the still

the Preview Settings and
Preview tabs.

This is where you can add

color, weight (size coding)
to nodes, edges, and
labels.

Again,
If the PREVIEW tab is blank,
or covered up with the
GRAPH tab...CLOSE the
GRAPH tab, and re-open it
later if you want to do more
editting.

Let’s look at some of the

dropdowns in this
palette... These options are now
in the PREVIEW
SETTINGS palette
Click REFRESH after
making your changes.
Dataset 1 - Geographical Network

Appreance Options

> Open the Appearance tab

> Open the Graph tab

We’re going to be looking

at the following menu
items in the Appearance
tab:

● Nodes
● Edges
● Partition
● Ranking
Dataset 1 - Geographical Network

When you’re happy with

your visualization,
EXPORT your
visualization as a PDF,

F I LE ! !!!***
S A VE YOUR
GET T O
’ T FO R
***DON r t a s a PDF
> Expo e p hi)
e ( .g
u r G e p hi fil
yo
> Save
Network Visualizations
Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Network Graph

***EDGES FILE***
Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Social Network
Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Network Graph

Click “apply”
Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Network Graph
Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Network Graph

Click “Run”

> Click “Stop”

Center your work with the
magnifying glass
Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Network Graph
Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Network Graph

Adjust settings > Click “Run” > Click “Stop”

Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Network Graph

Apply:
● Colors
● Node Labels
● Edge Labels
● Edge Weight
Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Network Graph

PREVIEW WINDOW
&
PREVIEW SETTINGS

Apply more:
● Colors
● Node Labels
● Edge Labels
● Edge Weight
● etc.
Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Network Graph

PREVIEW WINDOW
&
PREVIEW SETTINGS

Apply more:
● Colors
● Node Labels
● Edge Labels
● Edge Weight
● etc.

***is it too compact? Go back to the Layout tab and use the Expansion function***
Set Layouts - Dataset 1 - Network Graph

*** Open the Preview Settings tab > Click ***

...

Troubleshooting, Questions, and Playtime!

END of
Part I...
Introduction to Visualizing Social and
Geographical Networks with Gephi
 Part II...
Introduction to Adobe Illustrator: Refining Gephi Network
and Geospatial Visualizations
Open Adobe Illustrator
Open Adobe Illustrator

TOOLS Palettes
How to create, How to create and
manipulate, move, and customize things in
customize things in your your workspace
workspace (canvas). (canvas).

Workspace/Canvas

Let’s make one now...

Make a new document/canvas (workspace)
Open Adobe Illustrator

LE !!!!***
OU R F I
O S AV EY
RGE T T
’T FO
***DON

TOOLS
How to create,
manipulate, move, and Palettes
customize things in your How to create and
workspace (canvas). Workspace/Canvas customize things in
your workspace
(canvas).
Open the map file
Open the map file

Map will open in a new TAB

Switch between canvases by clicking on TABS

Click on the map to select it

OR

Menu Bar > Select > All

OR

⌘A (mac)
 Menu Bar > Copy

OR

⌘C (mac)

Copy the map file

Switch to your blank
canvas TAB

> Paste the map file

anywhere

Menu Bar > Paste ***

FILE !!!!
E YOUR
ET TO SAV
OR ’T FORG
***DON

⌘P (mac)
 Open your geospatial
visualization PDF file (with
Illustrator)

> Copy/Paste onto this

same canvas

***
FILE !!!!
E YOUR
ET TO SAV
’T FORG
***DON
Use the “Selection Tool” ***
FILE !!!!
(dark arrow), to E YOUR
ET TO SAV
move/resize the map, ’T FORG
***DON
UNDER the visualization.

> HOLD DOWN SHIFT

> Click object’s corner
“handles” and HOLD
> Drag object until it’s the
correct size
TA DA!

Other tools to play with:

● Direct Selection Tool
Color palette ***
● FILE !!!!
E YOUR
ET TO SAV
● Type palette ’T FORG
***DON
● Graph palette
...

Troubleshooting, Questions, and Playtime!

Troubleshooting & Questions
&
Feedback
Before you go, the Data Essentials team would
appreciate feedback for this two-day session.

Please use the following link for a short survey:

https://tinyurl.com/NLI-su18-evals

THANK YOU!