Patent ID: 8363054

Claim:
In a computer system including a processor and a memory, a computer-implemented method for determining an appropriate neighborhood region for updating a node layout of an interactive diagramming system, the method comprising: an act of the computer system receiving an input indicating at least one change to one or more selected nodes displayed in the interactive diagramming system, wherein the changes to the selected nodes affect the positions of other nodes on the node layout; an act of the computer system traversing one or more adjacent node edges to determine a number of adjacent nodes that are within a predefined distance from the selected node for determining a minimal node neighborhood to which the node changes are to be applied; an act of the computer system accessing one or more diagram parameters identifying diagram and node characteristics, the one or more diagram parameters including an indication of one or more inter-node constraints between the adjacent nodes; an act of the computer system determining the minimal neighborhood region based on both the determined number of adjacent nodes and the accessed parameters, including selecting the minimal neighborhood region to include a first node in the adjacent nodes based on the first node having a higher priority inter-node constraint within the adjacent nodes and to exclude a second node in the adjacent nodes based on the second node having a lower priority inter-node constraint within the adjacent nodes; and an act of the computer system updating the position of the selected node and the updated positions of those nodes and corresponding edges that are determined to be within the neighborhood region.