JavaScript Force Directed Graph

Creates a JavaScript Force Directed Graph using SciChart.js, visualizing US airport flight routes with a physics-based force simulation.

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drawExample.ts

index.html

vanilla.ts

theme.ts

airportData.ts

nodeModifiers.ts

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1import {
2    SciChartSurface,
3    NumericAxis,
4    XyDataSeries,
5    XyxyDataSeries,
6    XyScatterRenderableSeries,
7    FastLineSegmentRenderableSeries,
8    EllipsePointMarker,
9    NumberRange,
10    ZoomPanModifier,
11    ZoomExtentsModifier,
12    MouseWheelZoomModifier,
13    EAutoRange,
14} from "scichart";
15import { appTheme } from "../../../theme";
16import {
17    SimNode,
18    SimEdge,
19    EdgeHoverState,
20    NodeTooltipModifier,
21    NodeDragModifier,
22    NodeHoverPaletteProvider,
23    DragStateRef,
24} from "./nodeModifiers";
25import { AIRPORTS, ROUTES } from "./airportData";
26
27// ─── Build simulation state ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
28
29function buildSimulation(): { nodes: SimNode[]; edges: SimEdge[] } {
30    const iataToIdx = new Map<string, number>();
31    const centerLon = -96;
32    const centerLat = 38;
33    const scaleX = 4.5;
34    const scaleY = 5.5;
35
36    const nodes: SimNode[] = AIRPORTS.map((a, i) => {
37        iataToIdx.set(a.iata, i);
38        const geoX = (a.lon - centerLon) * scaleX;
39        const geoY = (a.lat - centerLat) * scaleY;
40        return { iata: a.iata, label: `${a.iata}${a.city}, ${a.state}`, x: geoX, y: geoY, vx: 0, vy: 0, geoX, geoY };
41    });
42
43    const edges: SimEdge[] = ROUTES
44        .map(r => {
45            const si = iataToIdx.get(r.origin);
46            const ti = iataToIdx.get(r.destination);
47            if (si === undefined || ti === undefined) return null;
48            return { sourceIdx: si, targetIdx: ti };
49        })
50        .filter((e): e is SimEdge => e !== null);
51
52    return { nodes, edges };
53}
54
55// ─── Force simulation tick ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
56
57const REPULSION_STRENGTH = -120;
58const REPULSION_MIN_DIST = 1;
59const SPRING_K = 0.3;
60const SPRING_REST_LENGTH = 20;
61const GEO_ANCHOR_STRENGTH = 0.12;
62const VELOCITY_DECAY = 0.6;
63
64function tick(nodes: SimNode[], edges: SimEdge[], alpha: number): void {
65    for (let i = 0; i < nodes.length; i++) {
66        for (let j = i + 1; j < nodes.length; j++) {
67            const dx = nodes[j].x - nodes[i].x;
68            const dy = nodes[j].y - nodes[i].y;
69            const dist = Math.max(Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy), REPULSION_MIN_DIST);
70            const force = (REPULSION_STRENGTH * alpha) / (dist * dist);
71            const fx = force * (dx / dist);
72            const fy = force * (dy / dist);
73            nodes[i].vx += fx;
74            nodes[i].vy += fy;
75            nodes[j].vx -= fx;
76            nodes[j].vy -= fy;
77        }
78    }
79
80    for (const edge of edges) {
81        const src = nodes[edge.sourceIdx];
82        const tgt = nodes[edge.targetIdx];
83        const dx = (tgt.x + tgt.vx) - (src.x + src.vx);
84        const dy = (tgt.y + tgt.vy) - (src.y + src.vy);
85        const dist = Math.max(Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy), 1);
86        const force = SPRING_K * (dist - SPRING_REST_LENGTH) * alpha;
87        const fx = force * (dx / dist);
88        const fy = force * (dy / dist);
89        src.vx += fx * 0.5;
90        src.vy += fy * 0.5;
91        tgt.vx -= fx * 0.5;
92        tgt.vy -= fy * 0.5;
93    }
94
95    for (const node of nodes) {
96        node.vx += (node.geoX - node.x) * GEO_ANCHOR_STRENGTH * alpha;
97        node.vy += (node.geoY - node.y) * GEO_ANCHOR_STRENGTH * alpha;
98    }
99
100    for (const node of nodes) {
101        node.vx *= VELOCITY_DECAY;
102        node.vy *= VELOCITY_DECAY;
103        node.x += node.vx;
104        node.y += node.vy;
105    }
106}
107
108// ─── Chart initialization ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
109
110export const drawExample = async (rootElement: string | HTMLDivElement) => {
111    const { sciChartSurface, wasmContext } = await SciChartSurface.create(rootElement, {
112        theme: appTheme.SciChartJsTheme,
113    });
114
115    const xAxis = new NumericAxis(wasmContext, { isVisible: false, autoRange: EAutoRange.Never });
116    const yAxis = new NumericAxis(wasmContext, { isVisible: false, autoRange: EAutoRange.Never });
117    xAxis.visibleRange = new NumberRange(-300, 300);
118    yAxis.visibleRange = new NumberRange(-300, 300);
119    sciChartSurface.xAxes.add(xAxis);
120    sciChartSurface.yAxes.add(yAxis);
121
122    const { nodes, edges } = buildSimulation();
123
124    const edgeHover = new EdgeHoverState();
125
126    const edgeDataSeries = new XyxyDataSeries(wasmContext);
127    sciChartSurface.renderableSeries.add(new FastLineSegmentRenderableSeries(wasmContext, {
128        dataSeries: edgeDataSeries,
129        stroke: "#47bde650",
130        strokeThickness: 2,
131    }));
132
133    const edgeHighlightDataSeries = new XyxyDataSeries(wasmContext);
134    sciChartSurface.renderableSeries.add(new FastLineSegmentRenderableSeries(wasmContext, {
135        dataSeries: edgeHighlightDataSeries,
136        stroke: "#47bde6",
137        strokeThickness: 3,
138    }));
139
140    const nodeDataSeries = new XyDataSeries(wasmContext);
141    sciChartSurface.renderableSeries.add(new XyScatterRenderableSeries(wasmContext, {
142        dataSeries: nodeDataSeries,
143        pointMarker: new EllipsePointMarker(wasmContext, {
144            width: 10,
145            height: 10,
146            fill: "#274b92",
147            stroke: "#47bde6",
148            strokeThickness: 1.5,
149        }),
150        paletteProvider: new NodeHoverPaletteProvider(edgeHover),
151    }));
152
153    const dragState: DragStateRef = { current: null };
154
155    let alpha = 1.0;
156    let running = true;
157    let loopAlive = false;
158    let autoZoomed = false;
159    let animFrameId: number = 0;
160
161    function frame() {
162        if (!running || sciChartSurface.isDeleted) { loopAlive = false; return; }
163
164        const simActive = alpha >= 0.001 || !!dragState.current;
165
166        if (simActive) {
167            tick(nodes, edges, alpha);
168            alpha *= 0.9772;
169
170            if (!autoZoomed && alpha < 0.5) {
171                autoZoomed = true;
172                sciChartSurface.zoomExtents(200);
173            }
174
175            if (dragState.current) {
176                const n = nodes[dragState.current.nodeIdx];
177                n.x = dragState.current.dataX;
178                n.y = dragState.current.dataY;
179                n.vx = 0;
180                n.vy = 0;
181                alpha = Math.max(alpha, 0.1);
182            }
183        }
184
185        const ex: number[] = [], ey: number[] = [], ex1: number[] = [], ey1: number[] = [];
186        const hx: number[] = [], hy: number[] = [], hx1: number[] = [], hy1: number[] = [];
187        const h = edgeHover.hoveredNodeIdx;
188        for (const edge of edges) {
189            const src = nodes[edge.sourceIdx], tgt = nodes[edge.targetIdx];
190            if (h !== -1 && (edge.sourceIdx === h || edge.targetIdx === h)) {
191                hx.push(src.x); hy.push(src.y); hx1.push(tgt.x); hy1.push(tgt.y);
192            } else {
193                ex.push(src.x); ey.push(src.y); ex1.push(tgt.x); ey1.push(tgt.y);
194            }
195        }
196        edgeDataSeries.clear();
197        edgeDataSeries.appendRange(ex, ey, ex1, ey1);
198        edgeHighlightDataSeries.clear();
199        edgeHighlightDataSeries.appendRange(hx, hy, hx1, hy1);
200
201        nodeDataSeries.clear();
202        nodeDataSeries.appendRange(nodes.map(n => n.x), nodes.map(n => n.y));
203
204        if (simActive) {
205            animFrameId = requestAnimationFrame(frame);
206        } else {
207            loopAlive = false;
208        }
209    }
210
211    function startLoop() {
212        if (!loopAlive) {
213            loopAlive = true;
214            animFrameId = requestAnimationFrame(frame);
215        }
216    }
217
218    sciChartSurface.chartModifiers.add(
219        new NodeTooltipModifier(nodes, edges, edgeHover, () => startLoop()),
220        new NodeDragModifier(nodes, dragState, () => { alpha = Math.max(alpha, 0.3); startLoop(); }),
221        new ZoomPanModifier(),
222        new ZoomExtentsModifier(),
223        new MouseWheelZoomModifier()
224    );
225
226    startLoop();
227
228    return {
229        sciChartSurface,
230        wasmContext,
231        stopAnimation: () => {
232            running = false;
233            if (animFrameId) cancelAnimationFrame(animFrameId);
234        },
235    };
236};
237

Force Directed Graph (JavaScript)

Overview

This example demonstrates a Force Directed Graph built with SciChart.js, visualizing ~60 US airports connected by ~2300 flight routes. The graph uses a custom physics simulation to position nodes, with geographic anchoring that keeps airports near their real-world lat/lon positions.

Technical Implementation

The chart is initialized using SciChartSurface.create(). Edges are rendered using FastLineSegmentRenderableSeries with an XyxyDataSeries (two endpoints per segment). Airport nodes are rendered as XyScatterRenderableSeries with EllipsePointMarker. The physics loop uses requestAnimationFrame and applies repulsion, spring, and geographic anchor forces each tick.

Interactivity

Two custom ChartModifierBase2D subclasses provide interactivity: NodeTooltipModifier highlights connected routes and labels neighbours on hover, and NodeDragModifier allows dragging nodes to explore the graph structure. Standard ZoomPanModifier and MouseWheelZoomModifier are also included.

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