GraphSpace-methods: Create a GraphSpace object

In RGraphSpace: A Lightweight Interface Between 'igraph' and 'ggplot2' Graphics

Create a GraphSpace object

Description

GraphSpace is the main constructor for GraphSpace objects, designed to store graph data and metadata for optimized rendering in RGraphSpace.

Usage

## S4 method for signature 'ANY'
GraphSpace(g, layout = NULL, verbose = TRUE, ...)

## S4 method for signature 'data.frame'
GraphSpace(g, verbose = TRUE, ...)

Arguments

g	A graph object inheriting from the igraph class (such as igraph and tbl_graph) or a data.frame used to initialize a GraphSpace object. If a graph is provided, it should include vertex coordinates in x and y attributes, and vertex labels in the name attribute. If a data.frame is provided, it must contain at least x and y columns representing the node coordinates; additional columns will be treated as vertex attributes. For graphs requiring edge definitions, use the igraph initialization.
layout	An optional numeric matrix with two columns for x and y vertex coordinates. If provided, it overrides coordinates in g.
verbose	A logical value. If TRUE, displays detailed messages.
...	Additional arguments passed to the GraphSpace constructor.

Details

GraphSpace objects are designed to bridge the gap between network analysis (via igraph) and high-quality visualization (via ggplot2). The constructor ensures that all necessary aesthetics for geom_graphspace are pre-processed and validated.

Coordinate System and Normalization: By default, the constructor expects coordinates in the x and y vertex attributes, along with unique IDs in the name vertex attribute. If these are not provided, the constructor will generate sequential IDs and assign a layout using the layout_nicely function. These coordinates define the relative positioning of nodes. For optimal rendering, it is recommended to pass the object through normalizeGraphSpace after construction. This converts vertex positions to Normalized Parent Coordinates (NPC), ensuring the graph remains centered and scaled relative to the plotting area.

Data Structure: The resulting object stores nodes and edges in separate internal slots, preserving metadata such as nodeSize and edgeLineColor. If an igraph object is provided without specific styling attributes, GraphSpace will assign the default values defined in the geom_graphspace aesthetics. Users can also specify custom variables in the input graph to be used as aesthetics within the ggplot2 grammar.

Arrowhead Mapping: The arrowType attribute (see Arrowhead types section) allows for a mapping between symbolic aliases (such as "-->") and internal integer codes. This is useful for assigning interaction types in directed or undirected graphs (e.g., activation vs. inhibition).

Value

A GraphSpace class object.

Vertex attributes

The following attributes in g are evaluated by the constructor:

nodeSize	Numeric [0, 100], representing % of the plotting space.
nodeShape	Integer code [0-25]; see points.
nodeColor	A valid color name or hexadecimal code.
nodeLineWidth	Border thickness; see gpar.
nodeLineColor	A valid color name or hexadecimal code.
nodeLabel	Character string (NA will omit labels).
nodeLabelSize	Font size in pts; see gpar.
nodeLabelColor	A valid color name or hexadecimal code.

Edge attributes

The following attributes in g are evaluated by the constructor:

edgeLineWidth	Edge thickness; see gpar.
edgeLineColor	A valid color name or hexadecimal code.
edgeLineType	Line style (e.g., "solid", "dashed"); see gpar.
arrowType	Arrowhead style (see Arrowhead types section).

Arrowhead types

Arrowheads are controlled via the arrowType attribute using integer or character codes (see examples in the RGraphSpace vignette).

In directed graphs, arrows follow the edge list orientation by default, representing forward directions (e.g., A -> B). While undirected graphs do not show arrows by default, specific styles can be manually assigned for detailed visualization, including forward, backward, or bidirectional arrowheads.

Directed graphs (A -> B):

Code	Alias	Description
0	"---"	No arrow
1	"-->"	Forward arrow
-1	"--|"	Forward bar

Undirected graphs (A – B):

Code	Alias	Description
0	"---"	No arrow
1	"-->"	Forward arrow
2	"<--"	Backward arrow
3	"<->"	Bidirectional arrow
4	"|->"	Forward arrow / backward bar
-1	"--|"	Forward bar
-2	"|--"	Backward bar
-3	"|-|"	Bidirectional bar
-4	"<-|"	Backward arrow / forward bar

Author(s)

Sysbiolab.

See Also

geom_graphspace, plotGraphSpace

Examples

library(RGraphSpace)
library(igraph)

# Create a star graph
gtoy1 <- make_full_graph(15)

# Custom attributes
V(gtoy1)$nodeSize <- 5
E(gtoy1)$edgeLineColor <- "red"
E(gtoy1)$arrowType <- "-->"

# Create a GraphSpace
gs <- GraphSpace(gtoy1)

RGraphSpace documentation built on June 13, 2026, 9:06 a.m.