Unit Disk Graphs: How Can I Represent the Connection Range?

[xandergiles]

In a unit disk graph, N nodes are distributed at random inside a square, with pairs of nodes connected if their mutual Euclidean separation is less than 1.

Representing these geometric graphs in Gephi, how can I add little circles of radius 1 around each node to indicate the transmission range (such as in the picture below, courtesy my colleague Dr Orestis Georgiou of Toshiba Labs)?

[pegerp]

Hi xandergiles.

Here's one way you can achieve transmission range circles. Keep in mind this is workaround:

1. Duplicate your original network (this will create Workspace 1)
2. Using lower right corner arrows change to the new workspace
3. Find Overview > Ranking > Size / weight panel (diamond shape)
4. Choose degree on the drop down menu
5. Set both min and max size to 100 or suitable value, apply
6. Change to Data Laboratory tab
7. Select all nodes and right click...
8. ...choose "Copy to Workspace 0"
9. Switch back to Workspace 0
10. Choose Preview panel and set Nodes > opacity: 50

This way you can render semi-opaque circles around nodes. Notice that also the nodes in the original network will seem similarly opaque.

If you have graphical skills you could 1. export the original image and 2. export the transmission circles and 3. combine these images with image processing program.

Here's and example I got by quickly testing this method. In the example circles are gray but could have been easily made to be same color as in original network: