GraphViz - How to have a subgraph be left-to-right when main graph is top-to-bottom?

Question

I have a graph file like this:

digraph {
    "Step1" -> "Step2" -> "Step3";

    subgraph step2detail {
        "Step2" -> "note1";
        "Step2" -> "note2";
        "Step2" -> "note3";
        "Step2" -> "note4";
        rankdir=TB
   }
}

I want the subgraph step2detail to hang off to the right of 'Step2'.

Right now it looks like this:

enter image description here

I want Step1, Step2 and Step3 to all be vertically under each other and in 1 column.

score 19 · Answer 1 · edited May 31 '19 at 06:34

19

The trick to get the graph you described is to use two subgraphs and link from one to the other. The invisible edges in "details" are what keep the notes aligned.

digraph {
    rankdir="LR";

    subgraph steps {
        rank="same";
        "Step1" -> "Step2" -> "Step3";
    }

    subgraph details {
        rank="same";
        edge[style="invisible",dir="none"];
        "note1" -> "note2" -> "note3" -> "note4";
    }

    "Step2" -> "note1";
    "Step2" -> "note2";
    "Step2" -> "note3";
    "Step2" -> "note4";
}

The result is:

edited May 31 '19 at 06:34

user3313834

7,327
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answered Aug 31 '10 at 13:40

irgeek

191
1
3

2

I don't know what the original questioner had in mind, but this gives what I imagine wanting based on the description of the question -- and I *think* will help me get what I want for my own graph. :) – lindes Jun 13 '12 at 12:45
1

Very nice trick, but bit of a shame about the spurious invisible edges. That's zero problem if you're only using the graph to produce an image, which is probably almost always the case, but it would be nice if there was a way to influence the layout this way without changing the structure of the graph. – Ben Jan 13 '22 at 23:21

score 8 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 15 '11 at 20:09

Here's as simple as it gets - just use the group attribute to have graphviz prefer straight edges:

digraph {
    node[group=a, fontname="Arial", fontsize=14];
    "Step1" -> "Step2" -> "Step3";

    node[group=""];
    "Step2" -> "note1";
    "Step2" -> "note2";
    "Step2" -> "note3";
    "Step2" -> "note4";
}

graphviz output

score 7 · Answer 3 · edited May 18 '19 at 19:05

By grouping the Step nodes into a clustered subgraph, the output is as follows:

digraph {
    subgraph cluster_0 {
        color=invis;
        "Step1" -> "Step2" -> "Step3";
    }

    subgraph cluster_1 {
        color=invis;
        "Step2" -> "note4";
        "Step2" -> "note3";
        "Step2" -> "note2";
        "Step2" -> "note1";
   }
}

color=invis removes the border that would otherwise be drawn around the cluster

score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 26 '19 at 17:35

3

rankdir doesn't work directly in the subgraph, but if you add another set of curly braces - whatever that's called - rankdir works:

digraph {
    "Step1" -> "Step2" -> "Step3";

    subgraph step2detail {
        {
            "Step2" -> "note1";
            "Step2" -> "note2";
            "Step2" -> "note3";
            "Step2" -> "note4";
            rankdir=TB
            rank=same
        }
   }
}

answered Apr 26 '19 at 17:35

Jason Kleban

20,024
18
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125

Maybe late but I used this question and the samples at the bottom of this page https://graphs.grevian.org/example to solve a similar issue in a graph I was working on. As a result I think your solution can be done with out subraph and without rankdir. Sorry about formatting. digraph { Step1 -> Step2 -> Step3 Step2 -> note4, note3, note2, note1 {rank=same Step2, note1, note2, note3, note4} } – jj2f1 Oct 07 '20 at 22:33
I don't follow what this is saying. The `note*` nodes **aren't** laid out top-to-bottom, so this does not in fact seem to be an example of `rankdir` working in a subgraph. In fact I get exactly the same results if I remove `rankdir=TB`; and I get exactly the same results if I also remove the extra set of braces. Isn't this just showing an example of `rank = same`? It seems to be the only bit of syntax that is actually doing anything here, despite being the only one the answer doesn't talk about. If I'm wrong (very new to graphviz, so quite possible), this could do with more explanation. – Ben Jan 13 '22 at 23:13

score -4 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 16 '10 at 17:54

-4

Use the command: rankdir=LR;

digraph {
rankdir=LR;

    "Step1" -> "Step2" -> "Step3";

    subgraph step2detail {
        "Step2" -> "note1";
        "Step2" -> "note2";
        "Step2" -> "note3";
        "Step2" -> "note4";
        rankdir=TB
   }

}

answered Jan 16 '10 at 17:54

Cafeo

3

ok but it looks weird; step1 -> step2 -> step3 are not in the same vertical position – Jason S Jan 19 '10 at 15:08
7

Changing the rankdir of a subgraph doesn't appear to change anything =\ – David Wolever Feb 25 '11 at 20:57

GraphViz - How to have a subgraph be left-to-right when main graph is top-to-bottom?

5 Answers5

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