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    PinchZoomModifier,
14    EAutoRange,
15} from "scichart";
16import { appTheme } from "../../../theme";
17import {
18    SimNode,
19    SimEdge,
20    EdgeHoverState,
21    NodeTooltipModifier,
22    NodeDragModifier,
23    NodeHoverPaletteProvider,
24    DragStateRef,
25} from "./nodeModifiers";
26import { AIRPORTS, ROUTES } from "./airportData";
27
28// ─── Build simulation state ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
29
30function buildSimulation(): { nodes: SimNode[]; edges: SimEdge[] } {
31    const iataToIdx = new Map<string, number>();
32    const centerLon = -96;
33    const centerLat = 38;
34    const scaleX = 4.5;
35    const scaleY = 5.5;
36
37    const nodes: SimNode[] = AIRPORTS.map((a, i) => {
38        iataToIdx.set(a.iata, i);
39        const geoX = (a.lon - centerLon) * scaleX;
40        const geoY = (a.lat - centerLat) * scaleY;
41        return { iata: a.iata, label: `${a.iata} – ${a.city}, ${a.state}`, x: geoX, y: geoY, vx: 0, vy: 0, geoX, geoY };
42    });
43
44    const edges: SimEdge[] = ROUTES.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    }).filter((e): e is SimEdge => e !== null);
50
51    return { nodes, edges };
52}
53
54// ─── Force simulation tick ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
55
56const REPULSION_STRENGTH = -120;
57const REPULSION_MIN_DIST = 1;
58const SPRING_K = 0.3;
59const SPRING_REST_LENGTH = 20;
60const GEO_ANCHOR_STRENGTH = 0.12;
61const VELOCITY_DECAY = 0.6;
62
63function tick(nodes: SimNode[], edges: SimEdge[], alpha: number): void {
64    for (let i = 0; i < nodes.length; i++) {
65        for (let j = i + 1; j < nodes.length; j++) {
66            const dx = nodes[j].x - nodes[i].x;
67            const dy = nodes[j].y - nodes[i].y;
68            const dist = Math.max(Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy), REPULSION_MIN_DIST);
69            const force = (REPULSION_STRENGTH * alpha) / (dist * dist);
70            const fx = force * (dx / dist);
71            const fy = force * (dy / dist);
72            nodes[i].vx += fx;
73            nodes[i].vy += fy;
74            nodes[j].vx -= fx;
75            nodes[j].vy -= fy;
76        }
77    }
78
79    for (const edge of edges) {
80        const src = nodes[edge.sourceIdx];
81        const tgt = nodes[edge.targetIdx];
82        const dx = tgt.x + tgt.vx - (src.x + src.vx);
83        const dy = tgt.y + tgt.vy - (src.y + src.vy);
84        const dist = Math.max(Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy), 1);
85        const force = SPRING_K * (dist - SPRING_REST_LENGTH) * alpha;
86        const fx = force * (dx / dist);
87        const fy = force * (dy / dist);
88        src.vx += fx * 0.5;
89        src.vy += fy * 0.5;
90        tgt.vx -= fx * 0.5;
91        tgt.vy -= fy * 0.5;
92    }
93
94    for (const node of nodes) {
95        node.vx += (node.geoX - node.x) * GEO_ANCHOR_STRENGTH * alpha;
96        node.vy += (node.geoY - node.y) * GEO_ANCHOR_STRENGTH * alpha;
97    }
98
99    for (const node of nodes) {
100        node.vx *= VELOCITY_DECAY;
101        node.vy *= VELOCITY_DECAY;
102        node.x += node.vx;
103        node.y += node.vy;
104    }
105}
106
107// ─── Chart initialization ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
108
109export const drawExample = async (rootElement: string | HTMLDivElement) => {
110    const { sciChartSurface, wasmContext } = await SciChartSurface.create(rootElement, {
111        theme: appTheme.SciChartJsTheme,
112    });
113
114    const xAxis = new NumericAxis(wasmContext, {
115        isVisible: false,
116        autoRange: EAutoRange.Never,
117        visibleRangeLimit: new NumberRange(-600, 600),
118    });
119    const yAxis = new NumericAxis(wasmContext, {
120        isVisible: false,
121        autoRange: EAutoRange.Never,
122        visibleRangeLimit: new NumberRange(-600, 600),
123    });
124    xAxis.visibleRange = new NumberRange(-300, 300);
125    yAxis.visibleRange = new NumberRange(-300, 300);
126    sciChartSurface.xAxes.add(xAxis);
127    sciChartSurface.yAxes.add(yAxis);
128
129    const { nodes, edges } = buildSimulation();
130
131    const edgeHover = new EdgeHoverState();
132
133    const edgeDataSeries = new XyxyDataSeries(wasmContext);
134    sciChartSurface.renderableSeries.add(
135        new FastLineSegmentRenderableSeries(wasmContext, {
136            dataSeries: edgeDataSeries,
137            stroke: "#47bde650",
138            strokeThickness: 2,
139        })
140    );
141
142    const edgeHighlightDataSeries = new XyxyDataSeries(wasmContext);
143    sciChartSurface.renderableSeries.add(
144        new FastLineSegmentRenderableSeries(wasmContext, {
145            dataSeries: edgeHighlightDataSeries,
146            stroke: "#47bde6",
147            strokeThickness: 3,
148        })
149    );
150
151    const nodeDataSeries = new XyDataSeries(wasmContext);
152    sciChartSurface.renderableSeries.add(
153        new XyScatterRenderableSeries(wasmContext, {
154            dataSeries: nodeDataSeries,
155            pointMarker: new EllipsePointMarker(wasmContext, {
156                width: 14,
157                height: 14,
158                fill: "#274b92",
159                stroke: "#47bde6",
160                strokeThickness: 1.5,
161            }),
162            paletteProvider: new NodeHoverPaletteProvider(edgeHover),
163        })
164    );
165
166    const dragState: DragStateRef = { current: null };
167
168    let alpha = 1.0;
169    let running = true;
170    let loopAlive = false;
171    let autoZoomed = false;
172    let animFrameId: number = 0;
173
174    function frame() {
175        if (!running || sciChartSurface.isDeleted) {
176            loopAlive = false;
177            return;
178        }
179
180        const simActive = alpha >= 0.001 || !!dragState.current;
181
182        if (simActive) {
183            tick(nodes, edges, alpha);
184            alpha *= 0.9772;
185
186            if (!autoZoomed && alpha < 0.5) {
187                autoZoomed = true;
188                sciChartSurface.zoomExtents(200);
189            }
190
191            if (dragState.current) {
192                const n = nodes[dragState.current.nodeIdx];
193                n.x = dragState.current.dataX;
194                n.y = dragState.current.dataY;
195                n.vx = 0;
196                n.vy = 0;
197                alpha = Math.max(alpha, 0.1);
198            }
199        }
200
201        const ex: number[] = [],
202            ey: number[] = [],
203            ex1: number[] = [],
204            ey1: number[] = [];
205        const hx: number[] = [],
206            hy: number[] = [],
207            hx1: number[] = [],
208            hy1: number[] = [];
209        const h = edgeHover.hoveredNodeIdx;
210        for (const edge of edges) {
211            const src = nodes[edge.sourceIdx],
212                tgt = nodes[edge.targetIdx];
213            if (h !== -1 && (edge.sourceIdx === h || edge.targetIdx === h)) {
214                hx.push(src.x);
215                hy.push(src.y);
216                hx1.push(tgt.x);
217                hy1.push(tgt.y);
218            } else {
219                ex.push(src.x);
220                ey.push(src.y);
221                ex1.push(tgt.x);
222                ey1.push(tgt.y);
223            }
224        }
225        edgeDataSeries.clear();
226        edgeDataSeries.appendRange(ex, ey, ex1, ey1);
227        edgeHighlightDataSeries.clear();
228        edgeHighlightDataSeries.appendRange(hx, hy, hx1, hy1);
229
230        nodeDataSeries.clear();
231        nodeDataSeries.appendRange(
232            nodes.map((n) => n.x),
233            nodes.map((n) => n.y)
234        );
235
236        if (simActive) {
237            animFrameId = requestAnimationFrame(frame);
238        } else {
239            loopAlive = false;
240        }
241    }
242
243    function startLoop() {
244        if (!loopAlive) {
245            loopAlive = true;
246            animFrameId = requestAnimationFrame(frame);
247        }
248    }
249
250    sciChartSurface.chartModifiers.add(
251        new NodeTooltipModifier(nodes, edges, edgeHover, () => startLoop()),
252        new NodeDragModifier(nodes, dragState, () => {
253            alpha = Math.max(alpha, 0.3);
254            startLoop();
255        }),
256        new ZoomPanModifier(),
257        new ZoomExtentsModifier(),
258        new MouseWheelZoomModifier(),
259        new PinchZoomModifier()
260    );
261
262    startLoop();
263
264    return {
265        sciChartSurface,
266        wasmContext,
267        stopAnimation: () => {
268            running = false;
269            if (animFrameId) cancelAnimationFrame(animFrameId);
270        },
271    };
272};
273

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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