ConnectionViewer

ConnectionViewer uses a very simple ASCII file format for Coordinates, Matrices and Vectors, which is implementable in every programming language in a couple of minutes.

Running ConnectionViewer

java -jar build/libs/ConnectionViewer.jar
java -jar build/libs/ConnectionViewer.jar resources/examples/bodensee.mat

Or via Gradle, without building a jar first:

./gradlew run --args="resources/examples/bodensee.mat"

Started without a file, the app opens an empty window; use open new to load a matrix. The full list of command line options is in the header comment of ConnectionViewer.java, for example, to export a PDF of the Bodensee example:

java -jar build/libs/ConnectionViewer.jar resources/examples/bodensee.mat -width 950 -height 700 -exportPDF out.pdf -quit

ConnectionViewer as VRL-Plugin

ConnectionViewer provides a VRL-Studio plugin that can be used to visualize ConnectionViewer as reflection-based component in a .vrlp-project. Additionally, the full UI is availiable from the tool menu.

Building ConnectionViewer

See BUILDING.md for details. In short:

Requirements

• JDK >= 21
• Internet connection (Gradle and the dependencies are downloaded automatically; settings.gradle.kts will even fetch a matching JDK if the one on your PATH is a different version)
• IDE: Gradle Plugin (not necessary for command line usage)

Command Line

Navigate to the ConnectionViewer core Gradle project (i.e., path/to/ConnectionViewer) and enter the following command

Bash (Linux/macOS/Cygwin/other Unix shell)

./gradlew macApp          # build/jpackage/ConnectionViewer.app (macOS only)
./gradlew macDmg          # build/distributions/ConnectionViewer-<version>.dmg (macOS only)
./gradlew fatJar          # standalone app, without VRL
./gradlew run             # compile and launch the GUI
./gradlew vrlPlugin       # VRL plugin jar

Windows (CMD)

gradlew fatJar

IDE

Open the ConnectionViewer core Gradle project in your favourite IDE and build it by calling the fatJar task (assemble also works and depends on it).

Install VRL-Studio plugin via Gradle

To install ConnectionViewer as VRL-Studio plugin via gradle, call the installVRLPlugin task and (re)start VRL-Studio.

It installs into ~/.vrl/<VRL major version>/default/plugin-updates. Use a different location with:

./gradlew installVRLPlugin -PvrlDir=/path/to/vrl/config

macOS application bundle

./gradlew macApp     # build/jpackage/ConnectionViewer.app       (~45 MB)
./gradlew macDmg     # build/distributions/ConnectionViewer-3.4.dmg (~30 MB)

Both embed a Java runtime, so they also run on a Mac without a JDK installed; that runtime is what accounts for nearly all of the size. Use macDmg for distribution — the disk image is compressed, roughly a third smaller than the .app directory.

They register the .mat, .pmat, .vec, .pvec and .tarmat file types, so those can be opened from Finder. The bundle is unsigned; on another machine Gatekeeper blocks it until you right-click and choose Open.

Some documentation:

• Connections: Turning this on/off will display / not display the connections between nodes in the window. sometimes displaying a lot of connections can be slow.

• Connections as arrows: will display the connections as arrows. slower, but sometimes more clear than the normal way (since these are "directed")

• Diffusion: Will color the connections depending on the ruge/stueben strength of connection. i.e. you can see anisotropic diffusion in one direction.

• Convection: Will show an arrow pointing into the direction of "algebraic convection". That is: if you have a connection -1.9 to left, +2 to mid, and -0.1 to right, convection is to headed to the left.

• Parallel Nodes: enabling this will color each file from a pmat file differently.

• re-move: when using pmat files, you can move the nodes of one processor by holding shift, clicking the mouse and move it around. re-move will move all nodes in the original position.

• Clip: Will open up a window so you can clip some axes (X, Y, Z clipping). Useful especially in 3d.

• Export: Export the current view to PDF or tex (as tikzpicture). See galery.

• open new: Open a matrix file. If a file is already loaded it is opened in a new window, otherwise it is loaded into the current one.

• reopen: Reopen the current file. Automatic reload: automatic reload if file changes.

• Arrow Size, Font Size: Change arrow/font size.

• all nodes / N1 / N2: display all nodes or neighborhood 1 / 2 / 3 etc. of the currently selected node(s). useful in 3d.

• all comp: show different components.

• recenter: recenter the loaded file.

• Search node: enter a node you want to see. This node is selected then. Use 2.234 to select node 234 from parallel file 2. Use to selection to zoom to the selected node.