[Tex/LaTex] Drawing a collaboration graph or tree with TikZ

data structuresdot2texdot2texigraphstikz-pgf

I'm trying to draw a collaboration graph for C data structures. originally I got dot files from Doxygen which I tried to convert using dot2tex with varying degrees of success, though none produced decent output (ie. no alignment, none of the typical "proper" look of well made TikZ diagrams). This kind of graph is similar to a dependency graph, except it contains references for each data structure link to the linked struct (in other words, an edge/path is connected between the pointer/reference field to the struct it references).

I would like to know if tikz-qtree could work for this purpose, since I want to optimize space usage and dot/graphvix/dot2tex (and manually tweaking the output) is suboptimal

Example of collaboration diagram:

enter image description here

The original dot syntax:

digraph G
{
  edge [fontname="Helvetica",fontsize="10",labelfontname="Helvetica",labelfontsize="10"];
  node [fontname="Helvetica",fontsize="10",shape=record];
  Node1 [label="faultstate",height=0.2,width=0.4,color="black", fillcolor="grey75", style="filled" fontcolor="black"];
  Node2 -> Node1 [dir="back",color="darkorchid3",fontsize="10",style="dashed",label=" entry" ,fontname="Helvetica"];
  Node2 [label="vm_map_entry",height=0.2,width=0.4,color="black", fillcolor="white", style="filled",URL="$structvm__map__entry.html"];
  Node2 -> Node2 [dir="back",color="darkorchid3",fontsize="10",style="dashed",label=" prev\nnext\nright\nleft" ,fontname="Helvetica"];
  Node3 -> Node2 [dir="back",color="darkorchid3",fontsize="10",style="dashed",label=" object" ,fontname="Helvetica"];
  Node3 [label="vm_map_object",height=0.2,width=0.4,color="black", fillcolor="white", style="filled",URL="$unionvm__map__object.html"];
  Node4 -> Node3 [dir="back",color="darkorchid3",fontsize="10",style="dashed",label=" sub_map" ,fontname="Helvetica"];
  Node4 [label="vm_map",height=0.2,width=0.4,color="black", fillcolor="white", style="filled",URL="$structvm__map.html"];
  Node2 -> Node4 [dir="back",color="darkorchid3",fontsize="10",style="dashed",label=" root\nheader" ,fontname="Helvetica"];
  Node5 -> Node3 [dir="back",color="darkorchid3",fontsize="10",style="dashed",label=" vm_object" ,fontname="Helvetica"];
  Node5 [label="vm_object",height=0.2,width=0.4,color="black", fillcolor="white", style="filled",URL="$structvm__object.html"];
  Node5 -> Node5 [dir="back",color="darkorchid3",fontsize="10",style="dashed",label=" backing_object" ,fontname="Helvetica"];
  Node4 -> Node1 [dir="back",color="darkorchid3",fontsize="10",style="dashed",label=" map" ,fontname="Helvetica"];
  Node5 -> Node1 [dir="back",color="darkorchid3",fontsize="10",style="dashed",label=" first_object\nobject" ,fontname="Helvetica"];
}

The converted TeX syntax (after dot to xdot intermediate conversion via graphviz's dot) from dot2tex (TikZ mode):

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[x11names, rgb]{xcolor}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{snakes,arrows,shapes}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}
\pagestyle{empty}

\enlargethispage{100cm}
\begin{tikzpicture}[>=latex',line join=bevel,]
\node (Node1) at (28bp,10bp) [draw=black,fill=grey75,record] {faultstate};
  \node (Node3) at (213bp,10bp) [draw=black,fill=white,record] {vm\_map\_object};
  \node (Node2) at (65bp,178bp) [draw=black,fill=white,record] {vm\_map\_entry};
  \node (Node5) at (140bp,88bp) [draw=black,fill=white,record] {vm\_object};
  \node (Node4) at (65bp,88bp) [draw=black,fill=white,record] {vm\_map};
  \draw [darkorchid3,<-,dashed] (Node3) ..controls (247.46bp,28.666bp) and (252.35bp,32.972bp)  .. (256bp,38bp) .. controls (258.83bp,41.907bp) and (274.89bp,84.957bp)  .. (266bp,98bp) .. controls (230bp,150.83bp) and (152.79bp,168.33bp)  .. (Node2);
  \definecolor{strokecol}{rgb}{0.0,0.0,0.0};
  \pgfsetstrokecolor{strokecol}
  \draw (284bp,88bp) node { object};
  \draw [darkorchid3,<-,dashed] (Node2) ..controls (120bp,183.99bp) and (123bp,181.48bp)  .. (123bp,178bp) .. controls (123bp,172.43bp) and (115.33bp,169.35bp)  .. (Node2);
  \draw (134bp,190bp) node { prev};
  \draw (134bp,179bp) node {next};
  \draw (134bp,168bp) node {right};
  \draw (134bp,157bp) node {left};
  \draw [darkorchid3,<-,dashed] (Node2) ..controls (32.825bp,146.58bp) and (12.591bp,123.18bp)  .. (4bp,98bp) .. controls (-5.6625bp,69.676bp) and (12.453bp,35.188bp)  .. (Node1);
  \draw (16.5bp,88bp) node { entry};
  \draw [darkorchid3,<-,dashed] (Node5) ..controls (185.12bp,92.844bp) and (188bp,90.849bp)  .. (188bp,88bp) .. controls (188bp,83.324bp) and (180.25bp,80.95bp)  .. (Node5);
  \draw (222.5bp,88bp) node { backing\_object};
  \draw [darkorchid3,<-,dashed] (Node4) ..controls (35.128bp,68.878bp) and (31.433bp,64.745bp)  .. (29bp,60bp) .. controls (22.399bp,47.129bp) and (24.124bp,29.744bp)  .. (Node1);
  \draw (40bp,49bp) node { map};
  \draw [darkorchid3,<-,dashed] (Node5) ..controls (179.37bp,70.063bp) and (185.87bp,65.478bp)  .. (191bp,60bp) .. controls (201.97bp,48.297bp) and (208.13bp,30.2bp)  .. (Node3);
  \draw (228.5bp,49bp) node { vm\_object};
  \draw [darkorchid3,<-,dashed] (Node5) ..controls (131.95bp,58.339bp) and (126.18bp,45.94bp)  .. (117bp,38bp) .. controls (100.03bp,23.315bp) and (75.247bp,16.617bp)  .. (Node1);
  \draw (158bp,50bp) node { first\_object};
  \draw (158bp,39bp) node {object};
  \draw [darkorchid3,<-,dashed] (Node4) ..controls (61.38bp,57.989bp) and (62.694bp,45.955bp)  .. (70bp,38bp) .. controls (83.331bp,23.486bp) and (133.52bp,16.635bp)  .. (Node3);
  \draw (91.5bp,49bp) node { sub\_map};
  \draw [darkorchid3,<-,dashed] (Node2) ..controls (65bp,139.31bp) and (65bp,111.67bp)  .. (Node4);
  \draw (80bp,128bp) node { root};
  \draw (80bp,117bp) node {header};
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Output obtained:

Note: this is without --tikzedgelabels. Using the option yields a broken diagram. dot2tex likes straight edges only, so bent curves/edges connecting nodes don't play along.

Output wanted:

No hideous \draw -(coordinate) constructs. I want TikZ-style edge labels and no fixed drawing points. I want the layout to be fluid and have optimal distribution of the diagram nodes in the canvas.
--tikzedgelabels won't cut it. just a FYI, i can see it coming in the comments.

Best Answer

Only an answer based on percusse's fine solution but with some modifications for the styles. I try to get a lighter code. I added a scope to use options for the labels. I removed pos=.5 because it's the value by default. I remove the style myline and I placed the options in the scope. I used the possibility to draw several edges from the same vertex with one path.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}[ %some style declarations  
                    mynode/.style = {draw,inner sep=2mm},
                    scale=1.5]

% Placing the nodes: you have to place them, no way to know beforehand
\node[fill=red,
      mynode] (n0) at (0,0)   {faultstate};
\node[mynode] (n1) at (1,2)   {vm\_map};
\node[mynode] (n2) at (1,5)   {vm\_map\_entry};
\node[mynode] (n3) at (3.5,2) {vm\_object};
\node[mynode] (n4) at (5,0)   {vm\_map\_object};

%Now the edges and labels 
\begin{scope}[> = stealth,  ->,blue,thick,
              every node/.style = {black,right,align=center}]
  \draw (n1) edge              node                 {root\\header}            (n2);
  \draw (n0) edge [bend left]  node                 {entry}                   (n2) 
             edge [bend left]  node                 {map}                     (n1)
             edge [bend right] node [pos=0.8,
                                     below right]   {first\_object \\object}  (n3);
  \draw (n4) edge [bend left]  node [pos=0.8]       {sub\_map}                (n1) 
             edge [bend right] node                 {vm\_object}              (n3);
  \draw (n3) edge [loop right] node                 {backing\_object}         (n3);
  \draw (n2) edge [loop right,
                   min distance =1 cm,
                   out=10,
                   in=-10]       node               {prev\\next\\right\\left} (n2) 
             edge [looseness=1.8,
                   out=30,
                   in=20]      node  [below left]   {object}                  (n4) ;  
\end{scope}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

enter image description here

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[Tex/LaTex] TikZ- Filling a circle with a Pattern- Unexpected behavior

The order of package loading is important here: load xcolor and pstricks (if you really need both TikZ and PStricks) before loading tikz, as in

\usepackage[usenames,dvipsnames]{xcolor} 
\usepackage[usenames,dvipsnames]{pstricks}
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A better approach here would be to pass usenames and dvipsnames as class options, so they will be picked by every responsive package, in particular, pstricks and xcolor; furthermore, since xcolor is internally loaded by tikz, you don't need to load it explicitly. You can then simply say:

\documentclass[journal,usenames,dvipsnames]{IEEEtran}
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By the way, never pass driver options to graphicx; instead of

\usepackage[pdftex]{graphicx}

use simply

\usepackage{graphicx}

[Tex/LaTex] Relative transparency in TikZ

I just had a similar question marked as a duplicate of this one. Here is the link. Unfortunately, the answer posted here was not marked as an answer and OP indicated it as not working. Credit for this approach goes to @symbol-1.

As noted by @percusse here and @cfr and @symbol-1 in the link, the result will be viewer dependent. Examples of viewer differences provided below the code.

Here is modified from the OP and @percusse's answer using transparency group=knockout in the scope environment options:

\documentclass[tikz]{standalone}
\usetikzlibrary{patterns}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}
    \path[pattern=crosshatch dots light steel blue](-2,-2) rectangle (2,2);
    \begin{scope}[transparency group=knockout]
        \draw (-2,0) to node(aaaaa){} (2,0);
        \path (aaaaa) node[fill,opacity=0,text opacity=1]{aaaaa};
    \end{scope}
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

You can change the background to anything you like and no other changes are necessary. If you change the text to be longer/short, the background opacity will resize accordingly - i.e. no changes other than the label name.

In some PDF viewers (e.g. SumatraPDF, TeXworks previewer, etc.):

In other PDF viewers (e.g. Adobe Acrobat):

The PDF is the same in both cases. I simply took a screenshot of it opened in two different PDF viewers. It seems the background is affected as well, but the focus here is the transparency.

Also, here is an example of an additional node with text going vertically to illustrate what happens with transparency group=knockout with multiple nodes:

\documentclass[tikz]{standalone}
\usetikzlibrary{patterns}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}
    \path[pattern=crosshatch dots light steel blue](-2,-2) rectangle (2,2);
    \begin{scope}[transparency group=knockout]
        \draw (-2,0) to node(aaaaa){} (2,0);
        \path (aaaaa) node[fill,opacity=0,text opacity=1]{aaaaa};
        \draw (0,-2) to node(bbbbb){} (0,2);
        \path (bbbbb) node[fill,opacity=0,text opacity=1]{\rotatebox[origin=c]{90}{bbbbb}};
        \draw (-2,-0.35) to node(ccccc){} (2,-0.35);
        \path (ccccc) node[fill=red,text opacity=1]{ccccc};
    \end{scope}
\end{tikzpicture}

In some PDF viewers (e.g. SumatraPDF, TeXworks previewer, etc.):

In other PDF viewers (e.g. Adobe Acrobat):

You will notice that whichever item is last with opacity=0 takes precedence over the previous item(s). If you flip the aaaaa and bbbbb lines and nodes (i.e bbbbb occurs first), for example, you'll see this (in the conforming PDF viewers):

opacity=0 also takes precedence over other items which do not have opacity. For example, if we move the ccccc node/lines first within the tikzpicture, here is the result:

Just remember! If your picture is very complicated and you open it in an old or (transparency) non-conforming PDF viewer, it will not be what you expect.

If you have many nodes with transparency and you do not like the overlapping issue, you will need to adjust the order of the nodes, xshift and yshift, and/or place the nodes in different positions completely.

Best Answer

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