Graph-Editor Features

After creating a new empty graph file (File/New) or after loading a graph file from disk, on the left two Tool-Buttons are shown.

The first one activates the "Node/Edge Creation-Mode", where new edges and nodes can be created. To create a new node, click onto the background of the graph editor window. To create an edge, click onto the source node, and then click onto the target node. To create edge-bends (a polyline), click onto the graph editor window background, after clicking onto the source node. To finish the polyline click onto the target node. A polyline will be shown.

The created graph elements can be modified in various ways. E. g. the color of the node background, the frame-color, the size and shape of the nodes and other graphical attributes can be modified by selecting the second mode ("Edit-Mode"), accessible with the second toolbar-button at the left.

After activating the "Label-Edit and Node-Movement-Mode" with the second toolbar-button, a number of graph editor commands are accessible.

First, it is possible to move nodes by clicking onto a node and dragging the node around. Second, it is possible to move node-bends around by clicking onto the bends of a polyline shaped edge and dragging the bend-position. If the edge linemode is set to Smooth line, the edge bends are not directly following the line curve, but are side by side to the line and shown as small dots. These dots can be moved around to change the curve shape. These operations are eased by the feedback of the mouse-cursor: it changes accordingly to show if a node movement or edge-bend movement is possible at the current mouse position.

The shape of a node or edge, the color, size and various other attributes of a node or edge can be modified by accessing the corresponding attribute-tabs at the right of the application window.

The attribute editors work on a single or on a number of selected graph elements. To select a single graph element, click onto a node or edge. To select a number of graph elements, hold down the Ctrl-Key and click onto the graph elements you want to select. It is also possible to click onto the graph editor window background and by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse a selection rectangle is shown. By releasing the mouse button the elements inside the selection rectangle are selected. Hold down the Ctrl-Key while using the selection rectangle, enables you to add the new selection to the current selection, instead of replacing it.

Modifying the selection is also possible with various commands in the Edit-Menu: It is possible to invert the selection, to select all graph-elements, or to select different node groups (e. g. compounds, enzymes). These selection commands work by evaluating the node labels and matching the node label with a number of included text-database resources (e.g. KEGG-LIGAND, Enzyme Nomenclature Database).

At the bottom (Status-Bar) right of the application window the number of (selected) nodes and edges are shown. By clicking onto the corresponding label a popup-menu is shown, which contains two commands. This first command may be used to select all nodes or edges, the second command makes it possible to unselect any nodes or edges.

To delete a number of selected graph elements, press the delete key or use the menu command Edit/Delete.

The edit menu also contains standard commands to Cut/Copy/Paste the current selection (or the whole graph, if no selection is made). It is also possible to do data exchange with other running instances of the application or other applications. The data exchange with application besides VANTED is made possible by using the graph GML text format. It is this way possible to copy the whole graph or parts of it to the clipboard and then by using a text editor, e. g. to search and replace certain node labels.