Automated displacement for large numbers of discrete map objects: Algorithmica

Effective displacement is achieved by sharing small movements among a group of objects in order to minimize loss of positional accuracy and maintain the gestalt and topology of the map objects. This research was driven by a desire to implement a simple but effective way of handling large numbers of map objects that may require displacement. The algorithm works by considering, for each object in turn, a number of alternate positions close to its current location. The location which minimizes overlap among the neighbouring objects is chosen. As the program iterates, the objects effectively migrate small distances within the map space in search of solutions. The idea is relatively simple but produces visually acceptable solutions to the displacement of large numbers of objects with very low processing overhead. This paper describes the algorithm in detail, illustrates its application, refinement and evaluation.