SFLow Details

The symmetric layout produces a high degree of symmetry and is particularly useful for undirected graphs, where the directions of the edge are not important.

As SFlow applies to AddFlow diagrams, it can be viewed as an extension of AddFlow, an ActiveX component dedicated to the creation and the use of flowchart diagrams or graphs. Note that it is necessary to use AddFlow version 3.00 or higher to be able to use SFlow.

At run-time, the SFlow component window is invisible. At design-time, the SFlow component is displayed as an icon on a form. This icon can't be sized.

SFlow is very easy to use since it contains just one property (Distance) and one method (Layout).The following VB6 code is all you need to do to perform a symmetric layout on a graph:

SFlow1.Distance = 1000 Sets the distance between vertices.

SFlow1.Layout AddFlow1 Perform the symmetrical layout

This code supposes that you have a form containing an AddFlow component and a SFlow component. You create the graph in the AddFlow component, using the AddFlow API, giving each vertex a random position or a (0,0) position. Then you apply the SFlow layout to this graph. And each vertex will be placed at a reasonable position.

If the AddFlow LogicalOnly property is true, then only the logical vertices of the AddFlow component are involved in this layout. This will allow you to apply the layout only to important vertices. For instance, you will be able to exclude a node just used to display a label by setting its Logical property to false.

Note that it is necessary to use AddFlow version 3.00 or higher to be able to use SFlow.

SFlow Main
AddFlow