Layout-by-example: a fuzzy visual language for specifying stereotypes of diagram layout

This paper presents a new approach to automatic layout of diagrams: layout-by-example. In this approach, a layout is produced by applying the layout rules which are generated from layout examples called stereotypes. A fuzzy visual language is proposed for specifying stereotypes of diagram layout. The concept of fuzzy theory is incorporated into parsing visual sentences representing stereotypes and generating layout rules from the stereotypes. A layout produced by applying layout rules may be modified manually and such modifications on the layout can be used as counterexamples to the existing layout rules so that the tool can tune the layout rules. A prototype of an automatic layout tool based on layout-by-example is implemented in Common Lisp