Graph-based models (computer graphics, interface)
Christopher Jones · 1985
The thesis presents a unified framework, consisting of several, interelated components for working with a particular class of models--those based on graphs. The first component, the meta-model, defines the particular class of generic models. The second component describes a general mechanism for drawing or rendering graph-based models. The third component describes how different graph-based models that require graphs with different structure can be captured using graph grammars. The fourth component describes a computer-based implementation for graph-based models, which can capture the interaction among a user, a computer, and the graph-based model. The power of the framework is demonstrated by showing how it can describe general manipulation of models, including generation, aggregation and disaggregation. Finally, the design of an implementation of the meta-model using a computer graphics system is also presented. The main contributions of the thesis are in applying graph grammar techniques to the manipulation of models--aggregation, disaggregation, generation, in integrating the interaction of graph-based models with a computer and a user, and in describing the manipulations, the integration, and the interaction in terms of a graph-based model.