Tikz Network Manual

JÜRGEN HACKL
TIKZ-NETWORK
arXiv:1709.06005v2 [cs.OH] 31 Jul 2018
MANUAL
Lay
er α
Lay
er β
VERSION 1.0
tikz-network
version 1.0
https://github.com/hackl/tikz- network
Released, August 2018
Copyright © 2018 Jürgen Hackl
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU
General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; with-
out even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. If not, see
https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
Contents
1 Introduction 5
1.1 How to read this manual? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.1.1 A few explanations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.1.2 Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.1.3 Additional help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.3 Additional necessary packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2 Simple Networks 9
2.1 Vertex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2 Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.3 Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3 Complex Networks 23
3.1 Vertices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.2 Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4 Multilayer Networks 31
4.1 Simple Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4.2 Complex Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
4.3 Layers and Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.4 Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5 Default Settings 37
5.1 General Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
5.2 Vertex Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
5.3 Edge Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
5.4 Text Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
5.5 Plane Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
6 Troubleshooting and Support 41

6.1 tikz-network Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
6.2 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
6.3 Errors, Warnings, and Informational Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
6.4 Package Dependencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
A ToDo 43
A.1 Code to fix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
A.2 Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
A.3 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
4 CONTENTS
A.4 Add-ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
B Add-ons 45
B.1 Python networks to TikZ with network2tikz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
B.1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
B.1.2 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
B.1.3 Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
B.1.4 Simple example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
B.1.5 The plot function in detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
1 Introduction
In recent years, complex network theory becomes more and more

popular within the scientific community. Besides a solid mathemat-
ical base on which these theories are built on, a visual representa-
tion of the networks allow communicating complex relationships to
a broad audience.
Nowadays, a variety of great visualization tools are available,
which helps to structure, filter, manipulate and of course to visu-
alize the networks. However, they come with some limitations,
including the need for specific software tools, difficulties to embed
the outputs properly in a LATEX file (e.g. font type, font size, addi-
tional equations and math symbols needed, . . . ) and challenges in
the post-processing of the graphs, without rerunning the software
tools again.
In order to overcome this issues, the package tikz-network was
created. Some of the features are:
• LATEX is a standard for scientific publications and widely used
• beside LATEX no other software is needed
• no programming skills are needed
• simple to use but allows 100% control over the output
• easy for post-processing (e.g. adding drawings, texts, equa-

tions,. . . )
• same fonts, font sizes, mathematical symbols, . . . as in the docu-

ment
• no quality loss of the output due to the pdf format
• networks are easy to adapt or modify for lectures or small exam-

ples
• able to visualize larger networks
• three-dimensional visualization of (multilayer) networks
• compatible with other visualization tools

6 introduction
1.1 How to read this manual?
The aim of this manual is to describe the use of the tikz-network

library for visualizing networks. To ensure an easy use of the ele-
ments and to keep the clarity, this manual is structured as follows:
• In Chapter 2 the elements to create simple networks (by hand)

in a plane are explained. Thereby, the use of the commands
\Vertex and \Edge are shown.
• How to create complex networks from external files1 are ex- 1

e.g. igraph or networkx
plained in Chapter 3. The main commands, therefore are \Vertices
and \Edges which are using the same options as in the simple
case.
• In Chapter 4, the visualization of multilayer networks is ex-

plained. Additional visualization tools such as \Plane and Layer
are introduced.
• The default settings used and how they can be modified is ex-
plained in Chapter 5.
• Information about troubleshooting and support is given in Chap-

ter 6
• Since this is the alpha version (0.1) of the package, features

which will be probably added and commands which have to
be fixed are listed in Appendix B.
1.1.1 A few explanations

The images in this manual are created with the tikz-network li-
brary or TikZ . The code used for this is specified for each image.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\filldraw (-.2,.2) circle (2pt) (.2,.2) circle (2pt);
\draw (0,0) circle (5mm) (-.3,-.1) .. controls (0,-.3) ..
(.3,-.1);
\end{tikzpicture}
Special additions which are needed for a better understanding

are shown in orange but are not in the sample code available.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\draw (0,0) .. controls (1,1) and (2,1) .. (2,0);
\end{tikzpicture}
1.1.2 Inputs
The commands in the tikz-network library (e.g. \Vertex, \Edge)
always start with capital letters and DO NOT need a semicolon «;»
at the end. Boolean arguments start also with capital letters (e.g.
hNoLabeli). Arguments which need an user input, use are written in
small letters (e.g. hcolori).
tikz-network manual 7
Basically, one can distinguish between the mandatory argument

{ } and the optional argument [ ]. The first values must be entered
compulsory. By contrast, nothing has to be entered for the optional
input. Additional features (e.g. hsizei)) can be activated when enter-
ing optional parameters.
When entering size values the base unit is always predefined in
[cm]2 , except for line widths which are dedined in [ pt]. Percent- 2
The default unit can be changed with
\SetDefaultUnit; see Section 5.1
age values % are always specified as decimal values; for example,
100% = 1.0 and 10% corresponds to 0.1.
1.1.3 Additional help
Is the manual not enough, occur some ambiguities or some TikZ

commands are unclear, please have a look in the “TikZ and PGF
Manual” from Till Tantau3 . 3
http://mirror.switch.ch/ftp/
mirror/tex/graphics/pgf/base/doc/
Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to
pgfmanual.pdf
contact me.
1.2 Installation
Actually, we can hardly speak of an installation since only the nec-

essary package tikz-network must be loaded in the preamble of
your document.
The current release of the package is available via CTAN4 . A 4
https://ctan.org/tex-archive/
graphics/pgf/contrib/tikz-network
release candidate for the next version of tikz-network is available
on github5 5
https://github.com/hackl/
Is the package installed or the style file is stored in the folder

of the main file, so the library can be imported, as the following
example shows:
% ------------
% header
\documentclass{scrreprt}
item % ------------
% packages
\usepackage{tikz-network}
1.3 Additional necessary packages
To use all commands and options of TikZ , possibly some packages

need to be reloaded. These missing files (or their names) appear in
the error log when you convert the file. However, for the package
described in this manual, it is sufficient to use the library and the
TikZ standard commands.
2 Simple Networks
2.1 Vertex
On essential command is \Vertex, which allow placing vertices in

the document and modify their appearance.
\Vertex[hlocal optionsi]{Name}
In order to be able to place a vertex, a non-empty Name argument is

required. This argument defines the vertex’s reference name, which
must be unique. Mathematical symbols are not allowed as name
as well as no blank spaces. The Name should not be confused with
the hlabeli, that is used for display; for example one may want to
display A1 while the name will be A1.
For a \Vertex the following options are available:
Option Default Type Definition Table 2.1: Local options for the
\Vertex command.
x 0 measure x-coordinate
y 0 measure y-coordinate
size {} measure diameter of the circle
color {} color fill color of vertex
opacity {} number opacity of the fill color
shape {} string shape of the vertex
label {} string label
fontsize {} string font size of the label
fontcolor {} color font color of the label
fontscale {} number scale of the label
position center valuea label position
distance 0 measure label distance from the center
style {} string additional TikZ styles
layer {} number assigned layer of the vertex
NoLabel false Boolean delete the label
IdAsLabel false Boolean uses the Name as label
Math false Boolean displays the label in math mode
RGB false Boolean allow RGB colors
Pseudo false Boolean create a pseudo vertex
a
either measure or string
The order how the options are entered does not matter. Changes
to the default Vertex layout can be made with \SetVertexStyle1 1
see Section 5.2
\Vertex[hxi=measure,hyi=measure]{Name}
The location of the vertices are determined by Cartesian coordi-

nates in hxi and hyi. The coordinates are optional. If no coordinates
are determined the vertex will be placed at the origin (0, 0). The
10 simple networks
entered measures are in default units (cm). Changing the unites (lo-
cally) can be done by adding the unit to the measure2 . Changes to 2
e.g. x=1 in
the default setting can be made with \SetDefaultUnit3 . 3
see Section 5.1
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A}
B
\Vertex[x=1,y=1]{B}
\Vertex[x=2]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
A C
\Vertex[hsizei=measure]{Name}
The diameter of the vertex can be changed with the option hsizei.
Per default a vertex has 0.6 cm in diameter. Also, here the default
units are cm and have not to be added to the measure.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[size=.3]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,size=.7]{B}
\Vertex[x=2.3,size=1]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hcolori=color]{Name}
To change the fill color of each vertex individually, the option

hcolori has to be used. Without the option hRGBi set, the default
TikZ and LATEX colors can be applied.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[color = blue]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,color=red]{B}
\Vertex[x=2,color=green!70!blue]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hopacityi=number]{Name}
With the option hopacityi the opacity of the vertex fill color can
be modified. The range of the number lies between 0 and 1. Where 0
represents a fully transparent fill and 1 a solid fill.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[opacity = 1]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,opacity =.7]{B}
\Vertex[x=2,opacity =.2]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hshapei=string]{Name}
With the option hshapei the shape of the vertex can be modified.
Thereby the shapes implemented in TikZ can be used, including:
circle, rectangle, diamond, trapezium, semicircle, isosceles triangle, . . . .
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[shape = rectangle]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,shape = diamond]{B}
\Vertex[x=2,shape = isosceles triangle]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hlabeli=string]{Name}
In tikz-network there are several ways to define the labels of

the vertices and edges. The common way is via the option hlabeli.
Here, any string argument can be used, including blank spaces. The
environment $ $ can be used to display mathematical expressions.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[label=foo]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,label=bar]{B} foo bar u1
\Vertex[x=2,label=$u_1$]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hlabeli=string,hfontsizei=string]{Name}
The font size of the hlabeli can be modified with the option
hfontsizei. Here common LATEX font size commands4 can be used 4
e.g. \tiny, \scriptsize,
\footnotesize, \small, . . . .
to change the size of the label.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[label=foo,fontsize=\normalsize]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,label=bar,fontsize=\tiny]{B} foo bar u1
\Vertex[x=2,label=$u_1$,fontsize=\large]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hlabeli=string,hfontcolori=color]{Name}
The color of the hlabeli can be changed with the option hfontcolori.
Currently, only the default TikZ and LATEX colors are supported5 . 5
TODO! Add RGB option!
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[label=foo,fontcolor=blue]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,label=bar,fontcolor=magenta]{B} foo bar u1
\Vertex[x=2,label=$u_1$,fontcolor=red]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hlabeli=string,hfontscalei=number]{Name}
Contrary to the option hfontsizei, the option hfontscalei does

not change the font size itself but scales the curent font size up
or down. The number defines the scale, where numbers between
0 and 1 down scale the font and numbers greater then 1 up scale
the label. For example 0.5 reduces the size of the font to 50% of its
originial size, while 1.2 scales the font to 120%.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[label=foo,fontscale=0.5]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,label=bar,fontscale=1]{B} foo bar u1
\Vertex[x=2,label=$u_1$,fontscale=2]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hlabeli=string,hpositioni=value,hdistancei=number]{Name}
Per default the hpositioni of the hlabeli is in the center of the ver-
tex. Classical TikZ commands6 can be used to change the hpositioni 6
e.g. above, below, left, right, above left,
above right,. . .
12 simple networks
of the hlabeli. Instead, using such command, the position can be

determined via an angle, by entering a number between −360 and
360. The origin (0◦ ) is the y axis. A positive number change the
hpositioni counter clockwise, while a negative number make changes
clockwise.
With the option, hdistancei the distance between the vertex and
the label can be changed.
\begin{tikzpicture} C
\Vertex[label=A,position=below]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,label=B,position=below,distance=2mm]{B} 30◦
\Vertex[x=2,label=C,position=30,distance=1mm]{C} A
B
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hstylei={string}]{Name}
Any other TikZ style option or command can be entered via

the option hstylei. Most of these commands can be found in the
“TikZ and PGF Manual”. Contain the commands additional op-
tions (e.g.hshadingi=ball), then the argument for the hstylei has to be
between { } brackets.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[style={color=green}]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,style=dashed]{B}
\Vertex[x=2,style={shading=ball}]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hIdAsLabeli]{Name}
\Vertex[hNoLabeli,hlabeli=string]{Name}
hIdAsLabeli is a Boolean option which assigns the Name of the

vertex as label. On the contrary, hNoLabeli suppress all labels.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[IdAsLabel]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,label=B,NoLabel]{B} A
\Vertex[x=2,IdAsLabel,NoLabel]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hMathi,hlabeli=string]{Name}
The option hMathi allows transforming labels into mathematical

expressions without using the $ $ environment. In combination
with hIdAsLabeli allows this option also mathematical expressions
by the definition of the vertex Name.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[IdAsLabel]{A1}
\Vertex[x=1,label=B_1,Math]{B} A1 B1 C1
\Vertex[x=2,Math,IdAsLabel]{C_1}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hRGBi,hcolori=RGB values]{Name}
In order to display RGB colors for the vertex fill color, the op-
tion hRGBi has to be entered. In combination with this option, the
hcolori hast to be a list with the RGB values, separated by «,» and
within { }.7 7
e.g. the RGB code for white:
{255, 255, 255}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[RGB,color={127,201,127}]{A}
\Vertex[x=1,RGB,color={190,174,212}]{B}
\Vertex[x=2,RGB,color={253,192,134}]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hPseudoi]{Name}
The option hPseudoi creates a pseudo vertex, where only the

vertex name and the vertex coordinate will be drawn. Edges etc,
can still be assigned to this vertex.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A}
\Vertex[x=2,Pseudo]{B}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertex[hlayeri=number]{Name}
With the option hlayeri the vertex can be assigned to a specific

layer. More about this option and the use of layers is explained in
Chapter 4.
14 simple networks
2.2 Edge
The second essential command is an \Edge, which allow connecting

two vertices.
\Edge[hlocal optionsi](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
Edges can be generated between one or two vertices. In the first

case, a self-loop will be generated. As mandatory arguments the
Names of the vertices which should be connected must be entered
between ( ) brackets. In case of a directed edge, the order is impor-
tant. An edge is created from Vertex i (origin) to Vertex j (destina-
tion).
For an \Edge the following options are available:
Option Default Type Definition Table 2.2: Local options for the \Edge
command.
lw {} measure line width of the edge
color {} color edge color
opacity {} number opacity of the edge
bend 0 number angle out/in of the vertex
label {} string label
fontsize {} string font size of the label
fontcolor {} color font color of the label
fontscale {} number scale of the label
position {} string label position
distance 0.5 number label distance from vertex i
path {} list path over several vertices
loopsize 1cm measure size parameter of the self-loop
loopposition 0 number orientation of the self-loop
loopshape 90 number loop angle out/in of the vertex
Direct false Boolean allow directed edges
Math false Boolean displays the label in math mode
NotInBG false Boolean edge is not in the background layer
The options hloopsizei, hlooppositioni, and hloopsizei are only for

self-loops available.
\Edge(Vertex i)(Vertex j)
An edge is created between Vertex i and Vertex j.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=2]{B}
\Edge(A)(B)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hlwi=measure](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
The line width of an edge can be modified with the option hlwi.
Here, the unit of the measure has to be specified. The default value
is 1.5 pt.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=2]{B} \Vertex[x=2,y=-1]{C}
\Edge[lw=3pt](A)(B)
\Edge[lw=5pt](A)(C)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hcolori=color](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
To change the line color of each edge individually, the option

TikZ and LATEX colors can be applied.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Edge[color=red](A)(B)
\Edge[color=green!70!blue](A)(C)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hopacityi=number](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
With the option hopacityi the opacity of the edge line can be
modified. The range of the number lies between 0 and 1. Where 0
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Edge[opacity=.7](A)(B)
\Edge[opacity=.2](A)(C)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hbendi=number](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
The shape of the edge can be modified with the hbendi option. If
nothing is specified a straight edge, between the vertices, is drawn.
The number defines the angle in which the edge is diverging from
its straight connection. A positive number bend the edge counter
clockwise, while a negative number make changes clockwise.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=2]{B} 45◦
\Edge[bend=45](A)(B)
\Edge[bend=-70](A)(B) 70◦
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hlabeli=string](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
An edge is labeled with the option hlabeli. For the label any
string argument can be used, including blank spaces. The environ-
ment $ $ can be used to display mathematical expressions.
\begin{tikzpicture}
X
\Edge[label=X](A)(B)
\end{tikzpicture}
16 simple networks
\Edge[hlabeli=string,hfontsizei=string](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
The font size of the hlabeli can be modified with the option
hfontsizei. Here common LATEX font size commands8 can be used 8
e.g. \tiny, \scriptsize,
\footnotesize, \small, . . . .
to change the size of the label.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=2]{B} \Vertex[x=2,y=-1]{C} X
\Edge[label=X,fontsize=\large](A)(B)
Y
\Edge[label=Y,fontsize=\tiny](A)(C)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hlabeli=string,hfontcolori=color](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
The color of the hlabeli can be changed with the option hfontcolori.
Currently, only the default TikZ and LATEX colors are supported 9 . 9
TODO! Add RGB option!
\begin{tikzpicture} X
Y
\Edge[label=X,fontcolor=blue](A)(B)
\Edge[label=Y,fontcolor=red](A)(C)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hlabeli=string,hfontscalei=color](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
Contrary to the option hfontsizei, the option hfontscalei does

not change the font size itself but scales the curent font size up
or down. The number defines the scale, where numbers between
0 and 1 down scale the font and numbers greater then 1 up scale
the label. For example 0.5 reduces the size of the font to 50% of its
originial size, while 1.2 scales the font to 120%.
\begin{tikzpicture} X

\Edge[label=X,fontscale=.5](A)(B) Y
\Edge[label=Y,fontscale=2](A)(C)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hlabeli=string,hpositioni=string](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
Per default the hlabeli is positioned in between both vertices in

the center of the line. Classical TikZ commands10 can be used to 10
change the hpositioni of the hlabeli. above right,. . .
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=2]{B} \Vertex[x=2,y=-1]{C} X
\Edge[label=X,position=above](A)(B)
\Edge[label=Y,position={below left=2mm}](A)(C)
Y
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hlabeli=string,hdistancei=number](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
The label position between the vertices can be modified with the
hdistancei option. Per default the hlabeli is centered between both
vertices. The position is expressed as the percentage of the length
between the vertices, e.g. of hdistancei=0.7, the label is placed at 70%
of the edge length away of Vertex i.
\begin{tikzpicture} 1.0
\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=2]{B} X
\Edge[label=X,distance=.7](A)(B) 0.7
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hstylei=string](Vertex i)(Vertex j)

\begin{tikzpicture}
\Edge[style={dashed}](A)(B)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hpathi=list](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
In order to draw a finite sequence of edges which connect a se-

quence of vertices and/or coordinates, the option hpathi can be
used11 . The argument for this option has to be a list element indi- 11
TODO! currently labels and bend
cated by { } brackets, containing the Names of the intermediated edges are not supported!
vertices. New coordinates, i.e. there is no vertex located, can be in-

sert with {hxi, hyi}. Arguments of the list, have to be seperated by
commas «,».
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Edge[path={A,{0,-1},C,B}](A)(B)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge(Vertex i)(Vertex i)
Self-loops are created by using the same vertex as origin and

destination. Beside the options explained above, there are three
self-loop specific options: hloopsizei, hlooppositioni, and hloopshapei.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A}
\Edge(A)(A)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hloopsizei=measure](Vertex i)(Vertex i)
With the option hloopsizei the length of the edge can be modi-
fied. The measure value has to be insert together with its units. Per
default the hloopsizei is 1 cm.
18 simple networks
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=1.3]{B}
\Edge[loopsize=.5cm](A)(A)
\Edge[loopsize=1.5cm](B)(B)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hlooppositioni=number](Vertex i)(Vertex i)
The position of the self-loop is defined via the rotation angle

around the vertex. The origin (0◦ ) is the y axis. A positive number
change the hlooppositioni counter clockwise, while a negative number
make changes clockwise.
\begin{tikzpicture} 45◦
\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=1.5]{B}
\Edge[loopposition=45](A)(A)
\Edge[loopposition=-70](B)(B) 70◦
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hloopshapei=number](Vertex i)(Vertex i)
The shape of the self-loop is defined by the enclosing angle. The

shape can be changed by decreasing or increasing the argument
value of the hloopshapei option.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A} 45◦
\Edge[loopshape=45](A)(A)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hDirecti](Vertex i)(Vertex j)
Directed edges are created by enabling the option hDirecti. The

arrow is drawn from Vertex i to Vertex j.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Edge[Direct](A)(B)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[Math, label=hstringi](Vertex i)(Vertex j)

expressions without using the $ $ environment.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=2]{B} X1
\Edge[Math,label=X_1](A)(B)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[RBG, color=hRGB valuei](Vertex i)(Vertex j)

In order to display RGB colors for the line color of the edge, the
option hRGBi has to be entered. In combination with this option,
the hcolori hast to be a list with the RGB values, separated by «,» and
within { }.12 12
{255, 255, 255}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Edge[RGB,color={127,201,127}](A)(B)
\Edge[RGB,color={253,192,134}](A)(C)
\end{tikzpicture}
\Edge[hNotInBGi]{filename}
Per default, the edge is drawn on the background layer of the

tikzpicture. I.e. objects which are created after the edges appear
also on top of them. To turn this off, the option hNotInBGi has
to be enabled. Changes to the default setting can be made with
\EdgesNotInBG or \EdgesInBG13 . 13
See Section 5.3
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=2]{B} \Vertex[x=1,y=-.5]{C}
\Vertex[y=-1]{D} \Vertex[x=2,y=-1]{E}
\Edge[bend=-30](A)(B)
\Edge[bend=30,NotInBG](D)(E)
\end{tikzpicture}
20 simple networks
2.3 Text
While TikZ offers multiple ways to label objects and create text
elements, a simplified command \Text is implemented, which
allow placing and modifying text to the networks.
\Text[hlocal optionsi]{string}
In order to be able to create a text, a non-empty string argument

is required. This argument is the actual text added to the figure.
Mathematical symbols are entered in the same way as in a normal
LATEX document, i.e. between $ $.
For a \Text the following options are available:
Option Default Type Definition Table 2.3: Local options for the \Text
command.
x 0 measure x-coordinate
y 0 measure y-coordinate
fontsize {} fontsize font size of the text
color {} color color of the text
opacity {} number opacity of the text
position center string position of the text to the origin
distance 0 cm measure distance from the origin
rotation 0 number rotation of the text
anchor {} string anchor of the text
width {} number width of the text box
layer {} number assigned layer of the text
The order how the options are entered does not matter. Changes
to the default Text layout can be made with \SetTextStyle14 14
see Section 5.4
\Text[hxi=measure,hyi=measure]{string}
The location of the text is determined by Cartesian coordinates

in hxi and hyi. The coordinates are optional. If no coordinates are
determined the text will be placed at the origin (0, 0). The entered
measures are in default units (cm). Changing the unites (locally) can
be done by adding the unit to the measure15 . Changes to the default 15
e.g. x=1 in
setting can be made with \SetDefaultUnit16 . 16
see Section 5.1
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Text{A} B
\Text[x=1,y=1]{B}
\Text[x=2]{C}
\end{tikzpicture} A C
\Text[hfontsizei=font size]{string}
The font size of the text can be changed with the option hfontsizei.
Per default the font size of the text is defined as \normalsize.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Text[fontsize=\small]{A}
\Text[x=1,fontsize=\LARGE]{B}
\Text[x=2,fontsize=\Huge]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
A B C
\Text[hcolori=color]{string}
To change the text color individually, the option hcolori has to be

used. Without the option hRGBi set, the default TikZ and LATEX col-
ors can be applied.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Text[color = blue]{A}
\Text[x=1,color=red]{B} A B C
\Text[x=2,color=green!70!blue]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Text[hopacityi=number]{string}
With the option hopacityi the opacity of the text can be modified.
The range of the number lies between 0 and 1. Where 0 represents a
fully transparent text and 1 a solid text.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Text[opacity = 1]{A}
\Text[x=1,opacity =.7]{B} A B C
\Text[x=2,opacity =.2]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Text[hpositioni=string,hdistancei=measure]{string}
Per default the hpositioni of the text is in the center of the origin.
Classical TikZ commands17 can be used to change the hpositioni of 17
the text. above right,. . .
With the option, hdistancei the distance between the text and the
origin can be changed.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Text[position=above]{above}
\Text[position=below]{below} above right
\Text[position=left,distance=5mm]{left} above origin (0, 0)
\Text[position=above right,distance=5mm]{above right} left
below
\end{tikzpicture}
\Text[hrotationi=number]{string}
With the hrotationi, the text can be rotated by entering a number

between −360 and 360. The origin (0◦ ) is the y axis. A positive
number change the hpositioni counter clockwise, while a negative
number make changes clockwise.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Text[rotation=30]{A}
\Text[x=1,rotation=45]{B}
C
A
B
\Text[x=2,rotation=75]{C} 75◦
\end{tikzpicture}
22 simple networks
\Text[hanchori=string]{string}
With the option hanchori the alignment of the text can be changed.
Per default the text will be aligned centered. Classical TikZ com-
mands18 can be used to change the alignment of the text. 18
e.g. north, east, south, west, north east,
north west,. . .
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Text[anchor=north east]{NE}
\Text[x=1,anchor = south]{S} S SW
\Text[x=2,anchor =south west]{SW} NE
\end{tikzpicture}
\Text[hwidthi=measure]{string}
With the option hwidthi enabled, the text will break after the
entered measure.
2.5cm
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Text[width=2.5cm]{This might be a very long text.} This might be a
\end{tikzpicture} very long text.
\Text[hstylei={string}]{string}

“TikZ and PGF Manual”. Contain the commands additional options
(e.g.hfilli=red), then the argument for the hstylei has to be between
{ } brackets.
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Text[style={draw,rectangle}]{A}
\Text[x=1,style={fill=red}]{B} A B C
\Text[x=2,style={fill=blue,circle,opacity=.3}]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Text[hRGBi,hcolori=RGB values]{string}
In order to display RGB colors for the text color, the option
hRGBi has to be entered. In combination with this option, the
within { }.19 19
{255, 255, 255}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Text[RGB,color={127,201,127}]{A}
\Text[x=1,RGB,color={190,174,212}]{B}
A B C
\Text[x=2,RGB,color={253,192,134}]{C}
\end{tikzpicture}
\layer[hlayeri=number]{string}
With the option hlayeri the text can be assigned to a specific

layer. More about this option and the use of layers is explained in
Chapter 4.
3 Complex Networks
While in Chapter 2 the building blocks of the networks are in-

troduced, here the main strength of the tikz-network package is
explained. This includes creating networks based on data, obtained
from other sources (e.g. Python, R, GIS). The idea is that the lay-
out will be done by this external sources and tikz-network is used
make some changes and to recreate the networks in LATEX.
3.1 Vertices
The \Vertices command is the extension of the \Vertex command.

Instead of a single vertex, a set of vertices will be drawn. This set
of vertices is defined in an external file but can be modified with
\Vertices.
\Vertices[hglobal optionsi]{filename}
The vertices have to be stored in a clear text file1 , preferentially 1

e.g. .txt, .tex, .csv, .dat, . . .
in a .csv format. The first row should contain the headings, which
are equal to the options defined in Table 2.1. Option are separated
by a comma «,». Each new row is corresponds to a new vertex.
File: vertices.csv
id, x, y ,size,color ,opacity,label,IdAsLabel,NoLabel
A, 0, 0, .4 ,green , .9 , a , false , false
B, 1, .7, .6 , , .5 , b , false , false
C, 2, 1, .8 ,orange, .3 , c , false , true
D, 2, 0, .5 ,red , .7 , d , true , false
E,.2,1.5, .5 ,gray , , e , false , false
Only the hidi value is mandatory for a vertex and corresponds

to the Name argument of a single \Vertex. Therefore, the same
rules and naming conventions apply as for the Name argument:
no mathematical expressions, no blank spaces, and the hidi must
be unique! All other options are optional. No specific order of the
options must be maintained. If no value is entered for an option,
the default value will be chosen2 . The filename should not contain 2
TODO! This is NOT valid for
blank spaces or special characters. The vertices are drawn by the Boolean options, here values for all
vertices have to be entered.
command \Vertex with the filename plus file format (e.g. .csv). If
the vertices file is not in the same directory as the main LATEX file,
also the path has to be specified.
24 complex networks
e
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertices{data/vertices.csv}
b
\end{tikzpicture}
a D
Predefined \Vertex options can be overruled by the hglobal op-

tionsi of the \Vertices command; I.e. these options apply for all
vertices in the file. For the \Vertices the following options are
available:
Option Default Type Definition Table 3.1: Global options for the
\Vertices command.
size {} measure diameter of the circles
color {} color fillcolor of vertices
opacity {} number opacity of the fill color
layer {} number assigned layer of the vertices
NoLabel false Boolean delete the labels
IdAsLabel false Boolean uses the Names as labels
Math false Boolean displays the labels in math mode
Pseudo false Boolean create a pseudo vertices
The use of these options are similar to the options for a single
\Vertex defined in Section 2.1.
\Vertices[hsizei=measure]{filename}
The diameter of the vertices can be changed with the option

hsizei. Per default a vertex has 0.6 cm in diameter. Also, here the
default units are cm and have not to be added to the measure.
e
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertices[size=.6]{data/vertices.csv} b
\end{tikzpicture}
a D
\Vertices[hcolori=color]{filename}
To change the fill color for all vertices, the option hcolori has
to be used. Without the option hRGBi set, the default TikZ and
LATEX colors can be applied.
e
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertices[color=green!70!blue]{data/vertices.csv}
b
\end{tikzpicture}
a D
\Vertices[hopacityi=number]{filename}
With the option hopacityi the opacity of all vertices fills colors can
be modified. The range of the number lies between 0 and 1. Where 0
e
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertices[opacity=.3]{data/vertices.csv}
b
\end{tikzpicture}
a D
\Vertices[hstylei=string]{filename}

e
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertices[style={shading=ball,blue}]{data/vertices.csv} b
\end{tikzpicture}
a D
\Vertices[hIdAsLabeli]{filename}
\Vertices[hNoLabeli]{filename}
hIdAsLabeli is a Boolean option which assigns the hidi of the

single vertices as labels. On the contrary, hNoLabeli suppress all
labels.
E
C
\begin{tikzpicture}
B
\Vertices[IdAsLabel]{data/vertices.csv}
\end{tikzpicture}
A D
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertices[NoLabel]{data/vertices.csv}
\end{tikzpicture}
\Vertices[hRGBi]{filename}
In order to display RGB colors for the vertex fill colors, the op-
tion hRGBi has to be entered. Additionally, the RGB values have to
be specified in the file where the vertices are stored. Each value has
its own column with the caption hRi, hGi, and hBi.
File: vertices_RGB.csv
id, x, y ,size, color,opacity,label, R , G , B
A, 0, 0, .4 , green, .9 , a ,255, 0, 0
B, 1, .7, .6 , , .5 , b , 0,255, 0
C, 2, 1, .8 ,orange, .3 , c , 0, 0,255
D, 2, 0, .5 , red, .7 , d , 10,120,255
E,.2,1.5, .5 , gray, , e , 76, 55,255
The “normal” color definition can also be part of the vertex def-
inition. If the option hRGBi is not set, then the colors under hcolori
are applied.
26 complex networks
e
\begin{tikzpicture}
\Vertices[RGB]{data/vertices_RGB.csv} c
\end{tikzpicture} b
a d
\Vertices[hPseudoi]{filename}
The option hPseudoi creates a pseudo vertices, where only the

names and the coordinates of the vertices wil be drawn. Edges etc,
can still be assigned to these vertices.
\Vertices[hlayeri=number]{filename}
With the option hlayeri, only the vertices on the selected layer are
plotted. More about this option and the use of layers is explained in
Chapter 4.
3.2 Edges
The \Edges command is the extension of the \Edge command.

Instead of a single edge, a set of edges will be drawn. This set
of edges is defined in an external file but can be modified with
\Edges.
\Edges[hglobal optionsi]{filename}
Like the vertices, the edges have to be stored in a clear text file3 , 3
e.g. .txt, .tex, .csv, .dat, . . .
preferentially in a .csv format. The first row should contain the
headings, which are equal to the options defined in Table 2.2. Op-
tion are separated by a comma «,». Each new row is corresponds to
a new edge.
File: edges.csv
u,v,label,lw,color ,opacity,bend, R , G , B ,Direct
A,B, ab ,.5,red , 1 , 30, 0,120,255,false
B,C, bc ,.7,blue , 1 , -60, 76, 55,255,false
B,D, bd ,.5,blue , .5 , -60, 76, 55,255,false
A,E, ae , 1,green , 1 , 75,255, 0, 0,true
C,E, ce , 2,orange, 1 , 0,150,150,150,false
A,A, aa ,.3,black , .5 , 75,255, 0 ,0,false
The mandatory values are the hui and hvi argument, which
corresponds to the Vertex i and Vertex j arguments of a single \Edge.
Edges can only create if a vertex exists with the same Name. All
other options are optional. No specific order of the options must be
maintained. If no value is entered for an option, the default value
will be chosen4 . The filename should not contain blank spaces or 4
TODO! This is NOT valid for
special characters. The edges are drawn by the command \Edges Boolean options, here values for all
vertices have to be entered.
with the filename plus file format (e.g. .csv). If the edges file is not
in the same directory as the main LATEX file, also the path has to
be specified. In order to draw edges, first, the vertices have to be
generated. Only then, edges can be assigned.
e
\begin{tikzpicture} ce
\Vertices{data/vertices.csv} c
ae
\Edges{data/edges.csv} b
ab
\end{tikzpicture} bc
a aa bd d
Predefined \Edge options can be overruled by the hglobal optionsi

of the \Edges command; I.e. these options apply for all edges in the
file. For the \Edges the following options are available:
28 complex networks
Option Default Type Definition Table 3.2: Global options for the
\Edges command.
lw {} measure line width of the edge
color {} color edge color
opacity {} number opacity of the edge
vertices {} file vertices were the edges are assigned to
layer {} number edges in specific layers
Direct false Boolean allow directed edges
Math false Boolean displays the labels in math mode
NoLabel false Boolean delete the labels
NotInBG false Boolean edges are not in the background layer
The use of these options are similar to the options for a single
\Edge defined in Section 2.2.
\Edges[hlwi=measure]{filename}
The line width of the edges can be modified with the option
hlwi. Here, the unit of the measure can be specified, otherwise, it is
in pt.
e
c
\Vertices{data/vertices.csv} ae
b
\Edges[lw=2.5]{data/edges.csv} ab
bc
\end{tikzpicture}
a aa bd d
\Edges[hcolori=color]{filename}
To change the line color of all edges, the option hcolori has to be
used. Without the option hRGBi set, the default TikZ and LATEX col-
ors can be applied.
e
ae
\Edges[color=green!70!blue]{data/edges.csv} b
ab
a aa bd d
\Edges[hopacityi=number]{filename}
With the option hopacityi the opacity of all edge lines can be
e
ae
\Edges[opacity=0.3]{data/edges.csv} b
ab
a aa bd d
\Edges[hstylei=string]{filename}
Any other TikZ style option or command can be entered via the
option hstylei. Most of these commands can be found in the “TikZ
and PGF Manual”.
e
c
b
\Edges[style={dashed}]{data/edges.csv} ab
bc
\end{tikzpicture}
a aa bd d
\Edges[hDirecti]{filename}
Directed edges are created by enabling the option hDirecti. The

arrow is drawn from hui to hvi.
e
ae
\Edges[Direct]{data/edges.csv} b
ab
a aa bd d
\Edges[Math]{filename}

expressions without using the $ $ environment.
\Edges[hNoLabeli]{filename}
The option hNoLabeli suppress all edge labels.

e
\begin{tikzpicture}
c
\Vertices{data/vertices.csv}
b
\Edges[NoLabel]{data/edges.csv}
\end{tikzpicture}
a d
\Edges[hRGBi]{filename}
In order to display RGB colors for the edge line colors, the option
hRGBi has to be entered. Additionally, the RGB values have to be
specified in the file where the vertices are stored. Each value has its
own column with the caption hRi, hGi, and hBi. The “normal” color
definition can also be part of the vertex definition. If the option
hRGBi is not set, then the colors under hcolori are applied.
e
c
b
\Edges[RGB]{data/edges.csv} ab
bc
\end{tikzpicture}
a aa bd d
\Edges[hNotInBGi]{filename}
Per default, the edges are drawn on the background layer of the
tikzpicture. I.e. objects which are created after the edges appear also
on top of them. To turn this off, the option hNotInBGi has to be
enabled.
30 complex networks
\Edges[hverticesi=filename]{filename}
Edges can be assigned to a specific set of \Vertices with the

option hverticesi. Thereby the argument filename is the same as used
for the \Vertices command. This option might be necessary if
multiple \Vertices are created and edges are assigned at the end.
\Edges[hlayeri={layer α,layer β}]{filename}
With the option hlayeri only the edges between layer α and β
are plotted. The argument is a tuple of both layers indicated by
{ , }. More about this option and the use of layers is explained in
Chapter 4.
4 Multilayer Networks
One of the main purposes of the tikz-network package is the illus-

tration of multilayer network structures. Thereby, all the previous
commands can be used. A multilayer network is represented as a
three-dimensional object, where each layer is located at a different
z plane. In order to enable this functionality, the option hmultilayeri
has to be used at the beginning of the tikzpicture.
4.1 Simple Networks
\Vertex[hlayeri=number]{Name}
With the option hlayeri the vertex can be assigned to a specific

layer. Layers are defined by numbers (e.g. 1, 2, 3,. . . ). Working with
the hmultilayeri option, each \Vertex has to be assigned to a specific
layer. For the edge assignment no additional information is needed.
\begin{tikzpicture}[multilayer]
\Vertex[x=0.5,IdAsLabel,layer=1]{A}
\Vertex[x=1.5,IdAsLabel,layer=1]{B}
\Vertex[x=1.5,IdAsLabel,layer=2]{C} A C
B
\Edge[style=dashed](B)(C)
\Edge(C)(C)
\end{tikzpicture}
Enabling the option hmultilayeri, returns the network in a two-

dimensional plane, like the networks discussed before. Setting
the argument hmultilayeri=3d, the network is rendered in a three-
dimensional representation. Per default, the layer with the lowest
number is on the top. This and the spacing between the layers can
be changed with the command \SetLayerDistance.
\begin{tikzpicture}[multilayer=3d]
\Vertex[x=0.5,IdAsLabel,layer=1]{A} A
B
\Vertex[x=1.5,IdAsLabel,layer=1]{B} Layer
1
\Vertex[x=1.5,IdAsLabel,layer=2]{C}
\Edge[style=dashed](B)(C)
\Edge(C)(C) C
Layer
\end{tikzpicture} 2
32 multilayer networks
4.2 Complex Networks
Similar as in Chapter 3 introduced, layers can be assigned to the

vertices by adding a column hlayeri to the file where the vertices are
stored.
File: ml_vertices.csv
id, x, y ,size, color,opacity,label,layer
A, 0, 0, .4 , green, .9 , a , 1
B, 1, .7, .6 , , .5 , b , 1
C, 2, 1, .8 ,orange, .3 , c , 1
D, 2, 0, .5 , red, .7 , d , 2
E,.2,1.5, .5 , gray, , e , 1
F,.1, .5, .7 , blue, .3 , f , 2
G, 2, 1, .4 , cyan, .7 , g , 2
H, 1, 1, .4 ,yellow, .7 , h , 2
File: ml_edges.csv
u,v,label,lw,color ,opacity,bend,Direct
A,B, ab ,.5,red , 1 , 30,false
B,C, bc ,.7,blue , 1 , -60,false
A,E, ae , 1,green , 1 , 45,true
C,E, ce , 2,orange, 1 , 0,false
A,A, aa ,.3,black , .5 , 75,false
C,G, cg , 1,blue , .5 , 0,false
E,H, eh , 1,gray , .5 , 0,false
F,A, fa ,.7,red , .7 , 0,true
D,F, df ,.7,cyan , 1 , 30,true
F,H, fh ,.7,purple, 1 , 60,false
D,G, dg ,.7,blue , .7 , 60,false
With the commands \Vertices and \Edges, the network can

be created automatically. Again the \Vertices vertices should be
e
performed first and then the command \Edges. ae ce
ab b c
a
aa eh bc
\begin{tikzpicture}[multilayer=3d] Layer
\Vertices{data/ml_vertices.csv} 1 fa cg
\Edges{data/ml_edges.csv} fh
f h
\end{tikzpicture} g
dg
Layer df
2 d
\Vertices[hlayeri=number]{filename}
\Edges[hlayeri={layer α,layer β}]{filename}
With the \Vertices option hlayeri only the vertices on the se-
lected layer are plotted. While, with the \Edges option hlayeri, the
edges between layer α and β are plotted. The argument is a tuple of
both layers indicated by { , }.
e
\begin{tikzpicture}[multilayer=3d] ce
ae
\Vertices[layer=1]{data/ml_vertices.csv} ab b c
\Edges[layer={1,1}]{data/ml_edges.csv} a bc
aa
\end{tikzpicture} Layer
1
Plotting edges without defining first the vertices can be done

with the \Edges option hverticesi. This allows modifying specific
sets of Edges.
eh
\Edges[vertices=data/ml_vertices.csv,
layer={1,2},style=dashed]{data/ml_edges.csv} fa cg
\end{tikzpicture}
4.3 Layers and Layouts
Besides adding vertices and edges to specific layers, every other

TikZ object can be drawn on such a layer using the Layer environ-
ment. With the option hlayeri=layer α, the position of the canvas can
be assigned to the specific layer.
\begin{Layer}[hlayeri=layer α]
\end{Layer}
\begin{Layer}[layer=1] e
\draw[very thick] (-.5,-.5) rectangle (2.5,2); ae ce
\node at (-.5,-.5)[below right]{Layer 1}; ab b c
\end{Layer} a bc
aa
\Vertices[layer=1]{data/ml_vertices.csv} Layer
1
\Edges[layer={1,1}]{data/ml_edges.csv}
\end{tikzpicture}
\SetLayerDistance{measure}
With the command \SetLayerDistance the distance between

the layers and their orientation can be modified. Per default the
distance is set to −2\DefaultUnit (here cm). A negative number
implies that layers with a higher number will be stacked below
layers with a smaller number.
\SetCoordinates[hxAnglei=number,hyAnglei=number,hzAnglei=number,
hxLengthi=number,hyLengthi=number,hzLengthi=number]
The perspective of the three-dimensional plot can be modified

by changing the orientation of the coordinate system, which is
done with the command \SetCoordinates. Here the angle and
the length of each axis can be modified. Angles are defined as
a number in the range between −360 and 360. Per default, the
lengths of the axes are defined by the identity matrix, i.e. no dis-
tortion. If the length ratio is changed x, y, and/or z values are
distorted. The \SetCoordinates command has to be entered before
the hmultilayeri option is called!
e
ae
\SetCoordinates[xAngle=-30,yLength=1.2,xLength=.8] ce
ab
\begin{tikzpicture}[multilayer=3d] a b
c
\Vertices[layer=1]{data/ml_vertices.csv} Lay aa bc
\Edges[layer={1,1}]{data/ml_edges.csv} er 1
\end{tikzpicture}
4.4 Plane
To support the illustration of multilayer networks, the background

of the layer can be simply visualized with the command \Plane,
which allow to draw boundaries, grids and include images to the
layer.
\Plane[hoptionsi]
No obligatory arguments are needed. For a \Plane the following

options are available:
Option Default Type Definition Table 4.1: Options for the \Plane
command.
x 0 measure x-coordinate of the origin
y 0 measure y-coordinate of the origin
width 5 cm measure width of the plane
height 5 cm measure height of the plane
color vertexfill color fill color of the plane
opacity 0.3 number opacity of the fill color
grid {} measure spacing of the grid
image {} file path to the image file
layer 1 number layer where the plane is located
NoFill false Boolean disable fill color
NoBorder false Boolean disable border line
ImageAndFill false Boolean allow image and fill color
InBG false Boolean plane is in the background layer
a
either measure or string
\Plane[hxi=measure,hyi=measure,hwidthi=measure,hheighti=measure]
A \Plane is a rectangle with origin (hxi,hyi), a given hwidthi

and hheighti. The origin is defined in the left lower corner and per
default (0, 0). The plane is default 5 cm (width) by 5 cm (height).
This default options can be changed with \SetPlaneWidth and
\SetPlaneHeight1 1
See Section 5.5.
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5]
\end{tikzpicture} origin
ht
ig
he
width
\Plane[hcolori=color]
To change the fill color of each plane individually, the option

TikZ and LATEX colors can be applied. Per default the default vertex
color is used.
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5,color=green!70!blue]
\end{tikzpicture}
\Plane[hopacityi=number]
With the option hopacityi the opacity of the plane fill color can be
represents a fully transparent fill and 1 a solid fill. Per default the
opacity is set to 0.3.
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5,opacity=.7]
\end{tikzpicture}
\Plane[hgridi=measure]
With the option hgridi a grid will be drawn on top of the plane.
The argument of this option defines the spacing between the grid
lines. The entered measures are in default units (cm). Changing
the unites (locally) can be done by adding the unit to the measure2 . 2
e.g. x=5 mm
Changes to the default setting can be made with \SetDefaultUnit3 . 3
see Section 5.1
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5,grid=5mm]
\end{tikzpicture}
m
5m
5mm
\Plane[himagei=file]
An image can be assigned to a plane with the option himagei.

The argument is the file name and the folder where the image is
stored. The width and height of the figure is scaled to the size of
the plane. Without the option hImageAndFilli the image overwrite
the color options.
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5,image=data/plane.png]
\end{tikzpicture}
\Plane[hstylei=string]

“TikZ and PGF Manual”. Contain the commands additional options
(e.g.hinner colori=color), then the argument for the hstylei has to be
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5,style={dashed,inner
color=white,outer color=red!80}]
\end{tikzpicture}
\Plane[hlayeri=number]
With the option hlayeri=layer α, the position of the plane can be

assigned to a specific layer. Per default the plane is drawn on layer
1.
\SetLayerDistance{-1.5}
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5,color=green,layer=2] Layer
2
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5]
\end{tikzpicture}
Layer
\Plane[hRGBi,hcolori=RGB values] 2
In order to display RGB colors for the plane fill color, the op-
tion hRGBi has to be entered. In combination with this option, the
within { }.4 4
{255, 255, 255}
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5,RGB,color={0,0,0}]
\end{tikzpicture}
\Plane[hNoFilli]
\Plane[hNoBorderi]
hNoFilli is a Boolean option which disables the fill color of the

plane and hNoBorderi is a Boolean option which suppress the bor-
der line of the plane.
Layer
\SetLayerDistance{-1.5} 2
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5,layer=2,NoFill]
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5,NoBorder]
\end{tikzpicture}
Layer
2
\Plane[hImageAndFilli]
With the option hImageAndFilli both, image and fill color can be
drawn on a plane. The option hopacityi is applied to both objects.
\Plane[x=-.5,y=-.5,width=3,height=2.5,image=data/plane.png,
color=red,opacity=.4,ImageAndFill]
\end{tikzpicture}
\Plane[hInBGi]
A plane is drawn on the current layer of the tikzpicture. I.e. ob-

jects which are created after the plane appear on top of it and ob-
jects created before below of it. With the option hInBGi enabled, the
plane is drawn on the background layer of the tikzpicture.
5 Default Settings
In order to customize the look of the networks, each layout setting

used can be modified and adapted. There are three categories:
General settings, vertex style, and edge style.
5.1 General Settings
With the general settings mainly the sizes, distances and measures
of the networks can be modified.
\SetDefaultUnit{unit}
The command \SetDefaultUnit allows to change the units used

for drawing the network1 , including diameters of the vertices, x and 1
Except the line width, which are
y coordinates or the distance between the layers. The default unit is defined in pt.
cm.
\SetDistanceScale{number}
With the command \SetDistanceScale, the distance between

the vertices can be scaled. Per default 1 cm entered corresponds to
1 cm drawn, i.e. \SetDistanceScale{1}. Decreasing or increasing
the scale changes the drawing distances between the vertices.
\SetLayerDistance{measure}
With the command \SetLayerDistance the distance between

the layers and their orientation can be modified. Per default, the
distance is set to −2. A negative number implies that layers with a
higher number will be stacked below layers with a smaller number.
\SetCoordinates[hxAnglei=number,hyAnglei=number,hzAnglei=number,
hxLengthi=number,hyLengthi=number,hzLengthi=number]
The perspective of the three-dimensional plot can be modified

by changing the orientation of the coordinate system, which is
done with the command \SetCoordinates. Here the angle and
the length of each axis can be modified. Angles are defined as
a number in the range between −360 and 360. Per default, the
length of the axes are defined by the identity matrix, i.e. no dis-
tortion. If the length ratio is changed x, y, and/or z values are
distorted. The \SetCoordinates command has to be entered before
the hmultilayeri option is called!
38 default settings
5.2 Vertex Style
The appearance of the vertices can be modified with the command

\SetVertexStyle. This command will change the default settings of
the vertices in the network.
\SetVertexStyle[document options]
The following options are available:
Option Default Type Definition Table 5.1: Document style options for
the vertices.
Shape circle text shape of the vertex
InnerSep 2pt measure separation space which will be
added inside the shape
OuterSep 0pt measure separation space outside the
background path
MinSize 0.6\DefaultUnit measure diameter (size) of the vertex
FillColor vertexfill color color of the vertex
FillOpacity 1 number opacity of the vertex
LineWidth 1pt measure line width of the vertex boundary
LineColor black color line color of the vertex boundary
LineOpacity 1 number line opacity of the vertex bound-
ary
TextFont \scriptsize fontsize font size of the vertex label
TextColor black color color of the vertex label
TextOpacity 1 number opacity of the vertex label
TextRotation 0 number initial rotation of the vertex
5.3 Edge Style
The appearance of the edges can be modified with the command

\SetEdgeStyle. This command will change the default settings of
the edges in the network.
\SetEdgeStyle[document options]
the edges.
LineWidth 1.5pt measure width of the edge
Color black!75 color color of the edge
Opacity 1 number opacity of the edge
Arrow -latex text arrow shape of the directed edge
TextFont \scriptsize fontsize font size of the edge label
TextOpacity 1 number opacity of the edge label
TextFillColor white color fill color of the edge label
TextFillOpacity 1 number fill opacity of the edge label
InnerSep 0pt measure separation space which will be
added inside the shape
OuterSep 1pt measure separation space outside the back-
ground path
TextRotation 0 number initial rotation of the edge label
\EdgesNotInBG
\EdgesInBG
Per default edges are drawn on the background layer, with the
command \EdgesNotInBG this can be disabled, while the command
\EdgesInBG restores the default setting.
5.4 Text Style
The appearance of the text can be modified with the command

\SetTextStyle. This command will change the default settings of
the text.
\SetTextStyle[document options]
the planes.
TextFont \normalsize fontsize font size of the text
TextOpacity 1 number opacity of the text
TextColor black color color of the text
TextOpacity 1 number opacity of the text
InnerSep 2pt measure separation space which will be added
inside the shape
OuterSep 0pt measure separation space outside the back-
ground path
TextRotation 0 number initial rotation of the text
5.5 Plane Style
The appearance of the planes can be modified with the command

\SetPlaneStyle. This command will change the default settings of
the planes.
\SetPlaneStyle[document options]
the planes.
LineWidth 1.5pt measure width of the border line
LineColor black color color of the border line
LineOpacity 1 number opacity of the border line
FillColor vertexfill color fill color of the plane
FillOpacity 0.3 number fill opacity of the plane
GridLineWidth 0.5pt measure width of the grid lines
GridColor black color color of the grid lines
GridOpacity 0.5 number opacity of the grid lines
\SetPlaneWidth{measure}
\SetPlaneHeight{measure}
With the commands \SetPlaneWidth and \SetPlaneHeight the

default size of the planes can be modified.
6 Troubleshooting and Support
6.1 tikz-network Website

The website for the tikz-network packages is located at https:
//github.com/hackl/tikz-network. There, you’ll find the actual
version of the source code, a bug tracker, and the documentation.
6.2 Getting Help

If you’ve encountered a problem with one of the tikz-network
commands, have a question, or would like to report a bug, please
send an email to me or visit our website.
To help me troubleshoot the problem more quickly, please try to
compile your document using the debug class option and send the
generated .log file to the mailing list with a brief description of the
problem.
6.3 Errors, Warnings, and Informational Messages
The following is a list of all of the errors, warnings, and other mes-
sages generated by the tikz-network classes and a brief description
of their meanings.
Error: ! TeX capacity exceeded, sorry [main memory size=5000000].
The considered network is to large and pdflatex runs out of mem-

ory. This problem can be solved by using lualatex or xetex in-
stead.
6.4 Package Dependencies
The following is a list of packages that the tikz-network package

rely upon. Packages marked with an asterisk are optional.
• etex – arrows
• xifthen – positioning
– 3d
• xkeyval
– fit
• datatool – calc
• tikz – backgrounds
A ToDo
A.1 Code to fix

• change default entries for Boolean options in the vertices file.
A.2 Documentation
• add indices to the manual.
• extended tutorial/example to the document.
• clean-up and document the .sty file.
A.3 Features
• add a spherical coordinate system
A.4 Add-ons
• add QGIS to tikz-network compiler

B Add-ons
B.1 Python networks to TikZ with network2tikz
B.1.1 Introduction
network2tikz is a Python tool for converting network visualizations
into tikz-network figures, for native inclusion into your LaTeX
documents.
network2tikz works with Python 3 and supports (currently) the
following Python network modules:
• cnet
• python-igraph
• networkx
• pathpy
• default node/edge lists
The output of network2tikz is a tikz-network figure. Because

you are not only getting an image of your network, but also the La-
TeX source file, you can easily post-process the figures (e.g. adding
drawings, texts, equations,...).
Since a picture is worth a thousand words a small example:
#!/usr/bin/python -tt Bob

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
nodes = [’a’,’b’,’c’,’d’]
edges = [(’a’,’b’), (’a’,’c’), (’c’,’d’),(’d’,’b’)]
gender = [’f’, ’m’, ’f’, ’m’]
colors = {’m’: ’blue’, ’f’: ’red’}
style = {} Alice
style[’node_label’] = [’Alice’, ’Bob’, ’Claire’, ’Dennis’] Dennis
style[’node_color’] = [colors[g] for g in gender]
style[’node_opacity’] = .5
style[’edge_curved’] = .1
Claire
from network2tikz import plot
plot((nodes,edges),’network.tex’,**style)
(see above) gives

46 add-ons
\documentclass{standalone}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\clip (0,0) rectangle (6,6);
\Vertex[x=0.785,y=2.375,color=red,opacity=0.5,label=Alice]{a}
\Vertex[x=5.215,y=5.650,color=blue,opacity=0.5,label=Bob]{b}
\Vertex[x=3.819,y=0.350,color=red,opacity=0.5,label=Claire]{c}
\Vertex[x=4.654,y=2.051,color=blue,opacity=0.5,label=Dennis]{d}
\Edge[,bend=-8.531](a)(c)
\Edge[,bend=-8.531](c)(d)
\Edge[,bend=-8.531](d)(b)
\Edge[,bend=-8.531](a)(b)
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}
Tweaking the plot is straightforward and can be done as part of

your LaTeX workflow.
B.1.2 Installation
network2tikz is available from the Python Package Index, so sim-
ply type
pip install -U network2tikz
to install/update. If your are intersted in the development ver-

sion of the module check out the github repository.
B.1.3 Usage
1. Generate, manipulation, and study of the structure, dynamics,
and functions of your complex networks as usual, with your
preferred python module.
2. Instead of the default plot functions (e.g. igraph.plot() or

networkx.draw()) invoke network2tikz by
plot(G,’mytikz.tex’)
to store your network visualisation as the TikZ file mytikz.tex.

Load the module with:
Advanced usage:
Of course, you always can improve your plot by manipulating
the generated LaTeX file, but why not do it directly in Python?
To do so, all visualization options available in tikz-network are
also implemented in network2tikz. The appearance of the plot
can be modified by keyword arguments.1 1
For a detailed explanation, please see
Section B.1.5.
my_style = {}
plot(G,’mytikz.tex’,**my_style)
The arguments follow the options described above in the man-

ual.
Additionally, if you are more interested in the final output and
not only the .tex file, used
plot(G,’mypdf.pdf’)
to save your plot as a pdf, or
plot(G)
to create a temporal plot and directly show the result, i.e. similar
to the matplotlib function show(). Finally, you can also create a
node and edge list, which can be read and easily modified (in a
post-processing step) as showd above.
plot(G,’mycsv.csv’)
3. Compile the figure or add the contents of mytikz.tex into your

LaTeX source code. With the option hstandalonei=false only the
TikZ figure will be saved, which can then be easily included in
your LATEX document via \input{/path/to/mytikz.tex}.
B.1.4 Simple example
For illustration purpose, a similar network as in the python-

igraph tutorial is used. If you are using another Python network
module, and like to follow this example, please have a look at
the provided examples.
Create network object and add some edges.
#!/usr/bin/python -tt
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
import igraph
net = igraph.Graph([(0,1), (0,2), (2,3), (3,4), (4,2), (2,5),

(5,0), (6,3),
(5,6), (6,6)],directed=True)
Adding node and edge properties.

48 add-ons
net.vs["name"] = ["Alice", "Bob", "Claire", "Dennis", "Esther", "

Frank", "George"]
net.vs["age"] = [25, 31, 18, 47, 22, 23, 50]
net.vs["gender"] = ["f", "m", "f", "m", "f", "m", "m"]
net.es["is_formal"] = [False, False, True, True, True, False, True
, False,
False, False]
Already now the network can be plotted.
plot(net)
Per default, the node positions are assigned uniform random. In

order to create a layout, the layout methods of the network pack-
ages can be used. Or the position of the nodes can be directly as-
signed, in form of a dictionary, where the key is the node id and the
value is a tuple of the node position in x and y.
layout = {0: (4.3191, -3.5352), 1: (0.5292, -0.5292),

2: (8.6559, -3.8008), 3: (12.4117, -7.5239),
4: (12.7, -1.7069), 5: (6.0022, -9.0323),
6: (9.7608, -12.7)}
plot(net,layout=layout)
This should open an external pdf viewer showing a visual rep-

resentation of the network, something like the one on the following
figure:
We can simply re-using the previous layout object here, but we
also specified that we need a bigger plot (8 × 8 cm) and a larger
margin around the graph to fit the self loop and potential labels (1
cm).2 2
Per default, all size values are based
on cm, and all line widths are defined
in pt units. With the general option
plot(net, layout=layout, canvas=(8,8), margin=1) hunitsi this can be changed, see Section
B.1.5.
In to keep the properties of the visual representation of your

network separate from the network itself. You can simply set up a
Python dictionary containing the keyword arguments you would
pass to plot and then use the double asterisk (**) operator to pass
your specific styling attributes to plot:
color_dict = {’m’: ’blue’, ’f’: ’red’}

visual_style = {}
# Node options
visual_style[’vertex_size’] = .5
visual_style[’vertex_color’] = [color_dict[g] for g in net.vs[’
gender’]]
visual_style[’vertex_opacity’] = .7
visual_style[’vertex_label’] = net.vs[’name’]
visual_style[’vertex_label_position’] = ’below’
# Edge options
visual_style[’edge_width’] = [1 + 2 * int(f) for f in net.es(’
is_formal’)]
visual_style[’edge_curved’] = 0.1
# General options and plot command.

visual_style[’layout’] = layout
visual_style[’canvas’] = (8,8)
visual_style[’margin’] = 1 Bob
Esther
# Plot command
plot(net,**visual_style)
Alice Claire
Beside showing the network, we can also generate the latex

source file, which can be used and modified later on. This is done Dennis
by adding the output file name with the ending ’.tex’.
Frank
plot(net,’network.tex’,**visual_style)
George
produces
\documentclass{standalone}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\clip (0,0) rectangle (8.0,8.0);
\Vertex[x=2.868,y=5.518,size=0.5,color=red,opacity=0.7,label=Alice,position=below]{a}
\Vertex[x=1.000,y=7.000,size=0.5,color=blue,opacity=0.7,label=Bob,position=below]{b}
\Vertex[x=5.006,y=5.387,size=0.5,color=red,opacity=0.7,label=Claire,position=below]{c}
\Vertex[x=6.858,y=3.552,size=0.5,color=blue,opacity=0.7,label=Dennis,position=below]{d}
\Vertex[x=7.000,y=6.419,size=0.5,color=red,opacity=0.7,label=Esther,position=below]{e}
\Vertex[x=3.698,y=2.808,size=0.5,color=blue,opacity=0.7,label=Frank,position=below]{f}
\Vertex[x=5.551,y=1.000,size=0.5,color=blue,opacity=0.7,label=George,position=below]{g}
\Edge[,lw=1.0,bend=-8.531,Direct](a)(b)
\Edge[,lw=1.0,bend=-8.531,Direct](a)(c)
\Edge[,lw=3.0,bend=-8.531,Direct](c)(d)
\Edge[,lw=3.0,bend=-8.531,Direct](d)(e)
\Edge[,lw=3.0,bend=-8.531,Direct](e)(c)
\Edge[,lw=1.0,bend=-8.531,Direct](c)(f)
\Edge[,lw=3.0,bend=-8.531,Direct](f)(a)
\Edge[,lw=1.0,bend=-8.531,Direct](f)(g)
\Edge[,lw=1.0,bend=-8.531,Direct](g)(g)
\Edge[,lw=1.0,bend=-8.531,Direct](g)(d)
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}
Instead of the tex file, a node and edge list can be generates,
which can also be used with the library.
plot(net,’network.csv’,**visual_style)
The node list network_nodes.csv.
id,x,y,size,color,opacity,label,position
a,2.868,5.518,0.5,red,0.7,Alice,below
b,1.000,7.000,0.5,blue,0.7,Bob,below
c,5.006,5.387,0.5,red,0.7,Claire,below
d,6.858,3.552,0.5,blue,0.7,Dennis,below
e,7.000,6.419,0.5,red,0.7,Esther,below
f,3.698,2.808,0.5,blue,0.7,Frank,below
g,5.551,1.000,0.5,blue,0.7,George,below
The edge list network_edges.csv.

50 add-ons
u,v,lw,bend,Direct
a,b,1.0,-8.531,true
a,c,1.0,-8.531,true
c,d,3.0,-8.531,true
d,e,3.0,-8.531,true
e,c,3.0,-8.531,true
c,f,1.0,-8.531,true
f,a,3.0,-8.531,true
f,g,1.0,-8.531,true
g,g,1.0,-8.531,true
g,d,1.0,-8.531,true
B.1.5 The plot function in detail

network2tikz.plot(network, hfilenamei=None, htypei= None,
h**kwdsi)
Parameters
network : network object

Network to be drawn. The network can be a cnet, networkx,
igraph, pathpy object, or a tuple of a node list and edge list.
filename : file, string or None, optional (default = None)

File or filename to save. The file ending specifies the output.
i.e. is the file ending with .tex a tex file will be created; if
the file ends with ’.pdf’ a pdf is created; if the file ends with
.csv, two csv files are generated filename_nodes.csv and
filename_edges.csv. If the filename is a tuple of strings, the
first entry will be used to name the node list and the second en-
try for the edge list; and if no ending and no type is defined a
temporary pdf file is compiled and shown.
type : str or None, optional (default = None)

Type of the output file. If no ending is defined trough the file-
name, the type of the output file can be specified by the type
option. Currently the following output types are supported:
’tex’, ’pdf’, ’csv’ and ’dat’.
kwds : keyword arguments, optional (default= no attributes)

Attributes used to modify the appearance of the plot. For details
see below.
Keyword arguments for node styles
node_size : size of the node. The default is 0.6 cm.
node_color : color of the nodes. The default is light blue. Colors

can be specified either by common color names, or by 3-tuples
of floats (ranging between 0 and 255 for the R, G and B compo-
nents).
node_opacity : opacity of the nodes. The default is 1. The range

of the number lies between 0 and 1. Where 0 represents a fully
transparent fill and 1 a solid fill.
node_label : labels drawn next to the nodes.
node_label_position : Per default the position of the label is in the

center of the node. Classical TikZ commands can be used to
change the position of the label. Instead, using such command,
the position can be determined via an angle, by entering a num-
ber between -360 and 360. The origin (0) is the y axis. A positive
number change the position counter clockwise, while a negative
number make changes clockwise.
node_label_distance : distance between the node and the label.
node_label_color : color of the label.
node_label_size : font size of the label.
node_shape : shape of the vertices. Possibilities are: ’circle’, ’rectan-

gle’, ’triangle’, and any other Tikz shape
node_style : Any other Tikz style option or command can be en-

tered via the option style. Most of these commands can be found
in the "TikZ and PGF Manual". Contain the commands addi-
tional options (e.g. shading = ball), then the argument for the
style has to be between { } brackets.
node_layer : the node can be assigned to a specific layer.
node_label_off : is Boolean option which suppress all labels.
node_label_as_id : is a Boolean option which assigns the node id as

label.
node_math_mode : is a Boolean option which transforms the labels

into mathematical expressions without using the $ $ environ-
ment.
node_pseudo : is a Boolean option which creates a pseudo node,

where only the node name and the node coordinate will be pro-
vided.
Keyword arguments for edge styles
edge_width : width of the edges. The default unit is point (pt).
edge_color : color of the edges. The default is gray. Colors can be

specified either by common color names, or by 3-tuples of floats
(ranging between 0 and 255 for the R, G and B components).
edge_opacity : opacity of the edges. The default is 1. The range of

the number lies between 0 and 1. Where 0 represents a fully
transparent fill and 1 a solid fill.
edge_curved : whether the edges should be curved. Positive num-

bers correspond to edges curved in a counter-clockwise direc-
tion, negative numbers correspond to edges curved in a clock-
wise direction. Zero represents straight edges.
52 add-ons
edge_label : labels drawn next to the edges.
edge_label_position : Per default the label is positioned in between

both nodes in the center of the line. Classical Tikz commands can
be used to change the position of the label.
edge_label_distance : The label position between the nodes can be

modified with the distance option. Per default the label is cen-
tered between both nodes. The position is expressed as the per-
centage of the length between the nodes, e.g. of distance = 0.7,
the label is placed at 70% of the edge length away of Vertex i.
edge_label_color : color of the label.
edge_label_size : font size of the label.
edge_style : Any other Tikz style option or command can be entered

via the option style. Most of these commands can be found in
the "TikZ and PGF Manual". Contain the commands additional
options (e.g. shading = ball), then the argument for the style has
to be between { } brackets.
edge_arrow_size : arrow size of the edges.
edge_arrow_width : width of the arrowhead on the edge.
edge_loop_size : modifies the length of the edge. The measure value

has to be insert together with its units. Per default the loop size
is 1 cm.
edge_loop_position : The position of the self-loop is defined via the

rotation angle around the node. The origin (0) is the y axis. A
positive number change the loop position counter clockwise,
while a negative number make changes clockwise.
edge_loop_shape : The shape of the self-loop is defined by the en-

closing angle. The shape can be changed by decreasing or in-
creasing the argument value of the loop shape option.
edge_directed : is a Boolean option which transform edges to di-

rected arrows. If the network is already defined as directed net-
work this option is not needed, except to turn off the direction
for one or more edges.
edge_math_mode : is a Boolean option which transforms the labels

into mathematical expressions without using the $ $ environ-
ment.
edge_not_in_bg : Per default, the edge is drawn on the background

layer of the tikz picture. I.e. objects which are created after the
edges appear also on top of them. To turn this off, the option
edge_not_in_bg has to be enabled.
Keyword arguments for layout styles

layout : dict or string, optional (default = None) A dictionary with

the node positions on a 2-dimensional plane. The key value of
the dict represents the node id while the value represents a tuple
of coordinates (e.g. n = (x,y)). The initial layout can be placed
anywhere on the 2-dimensional plane.
Instead of a dictionary, the algorithm used for the layout can be
defined via a string value. Currently, supported are:
Random layout , where the nodes are uniformly at random

placed in the unit square. This algorithm can be enabled with
the keywords: “Random”, “random”, “rand”, or None.
Fruchterman-Reingold force-directed algorithm . In this algorithm,
the nodes are represented by steel rings and the edges are
springs between them. The attractive force is analogous to
the spring force and the repulsive force is analogous to the
electrical force. The basic idea is to minimize the energy of
the system by moving the nodes and changing the forces
between them. This algorithm can be enabled with the key-
words: “Fruchterman-Reingold”, “fruchterman_reingold”,
“fr”, “spring_layout”, “spring layout”, “FR”.
Keys Other valid keys Table B.1: Algorithms keyword naming

convention.
Random Random, random, rand, None
Fruchterman-Reingold Fruchterman-Reingold, fruchterman_reingold, fr
spring_layout, spring layout, FR
force : float, optional (default = None) Optimal distance between

√
nodes. If None the distance is set to 1/ n where n is the num-
ber of nodes. Increase this value to move nodes farther apart.
positions : dict or None optional (default = None) Initial positions

for nodes as a dictionary with node as keys and values as a coor-
dinate list or tuple. If None, then use random initial positions.
fixed : list or None, optional (default = None) Nodes to keep fixed

at initial position.
iterations : int, optional (default = 50) Maximum number of itera-

tions taken
threshold : float, optional (default = 1e-4) Threshold for relative

error in node position changes. The iteration stops if the error is
below this threshold.
weight : string or None, optional (default = None) The edge at-

tribute that holds the numerical value used for the edge weight.
If None, then all edge weights are 1.
dimension : int, optional (default = 2) Dimension of layout. Cur-

rently, only plots in 2 dimension are supported.
54 add-ons
seed : int or None, optional (default = None) Set the random state
for deterministic node layouts. If int, seed is the seed used by
the random number generator, if None, the a random seed by
created by the numpy random number generator is used.
Keyword arguments for general options
units : string or tuple of strings, optional (default = (’cm’,’pt’))

Per default, all size values are based on cm, and all line widths
are defined in pt units. Whit this option the input units can be
changed. Currently supported are: Pixel ’px’, Points ’pt’, Mil-
limeters ’mm’, and Centimeters ’cm’. If a single value is entered
as unit all inputs have to be defined using this unit. If a tuple of
units is given, the sizes are defined with the first entry the line
widths with the second entry.
layout : dict A dictionary with the node positions on a 2-dimensional

plane. The key value of the dict represents the node id while the
value represents a tuple of coordinates (e.g. n = (x,y)). The initial
layout can be placed anywhere on the 2-dimensional plane.
margins : None, int, float or dict, optional (default = None) The

margins define the ’empty’ space from the canvas border. If no
margins are defined, the margin will be calculated based on the
maximum node size, to avoid clipping of the nodes. If a single
int or float is defined all margins using this distances. To define
different the margin sizes for all size a dictionary with in the
form of {’top’:2,’left’:1,’bottom’:2,’right’:.5} has to be
used.
canvas : None, tuple of int or floats, optional (default = (6,6)) Can-

vas or figure_size defines the size of the plot. The values entered
as a tuple of numbers where the first number is width of the
figure and the second number is the height of the figure. If the
option units is not used the size is specified in cm. Per default
the canvas is 6 × 6 cm.
keep_aspect_ratio : bool, optional (default = True) Defines whether

to keep the aspect ratio of the current layout. If False, the layout
will be rescaled to fit exactly into the available area in the canvas
(i.e. removed margins). If True, the original aspect ratio of the
layout will be kept and it will be centered within the canvas.
standalone : bool, optional (default = True) If this option is true, a

standalone latex file will be created. i.e. the figure can be com-
piled from this output file. If standalone is false, only the tikz
environment is stored in the tex file, and can be imported in an
existing tex file.
clean : bool, optional (default = True) Whether non-pdf files created

that are created during compilation should be removed.
clean_tex : bool, optional (default = True) Also remove the gener-

ated tex file.
compiler : str or None, optional (default = None) The name of the

LaTeX compiler to use. If it is None, cnet will choose a fitting one
on its own. Starting with latexmk and then pdflatex.
compiler_args : list or None, optional (default = None) Extra ar-

guments that should be passed to the LaTeX compiler. If this is
None it defaults to an empty list.
silent : bool, optional (default = True) Whether to hide compiler

output or not.
Keyword naming convention

In the style dictionary multiple keywords can be used to ad-
dress attributes. These keywords will be converted to an unique
key word, used in the remaining code. This allows to keep the key-
words used in igraph.
Table B.2: Keyword naming conven-

Keys Other valid keys tion.
node vertex, v, n
edge link, l, e
margins margin
canvas bbox, figure_size
units unit
fixed fixed_nodes, fixed_vertices, fixed_n, fixed_v
positions initial_positions, node_positions, vertex_positions, n_positions, v_positions

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JÜRGEN HACKL

Released, August 2018

Copyright © 2018 Jürgen Hackl

6 Troubleshooting and Support 41

In recent years, complex network theory becomes more and more

• LATEX is a standard for scientific publications and widely used

• beside LATEX no other software is needed

• no programming skills are needed

• simple to use but allows 100% control over the output

• easy for post-processing (e.g. adding drawings, texts, equa-

• same fonts, font sizes, mathematical symbols, . . . as in the docu-

• no quality loss of the output due to the pdf format

• networks are easy to adapt or modify for lectures or small exam-

• able to visualize larger networks

• three-dimensional visualization of (multilayer) networks

• compatible with other visualization tools

1.1 How to read this manual?

The aim of this manual is to describe the use of the tikz-network

• In Chapter 2 the elements to create simple networks (by hand)

• How to create complex networks from external files1 are ex- 1

• In Chapter 4, the visualization of multilayer networks is ex-

• Information about troubleshooting and support is given in Chap-

• Since this is the alpha version (0.1) of the package, features

1.1.1 A few explanations

Special additions which are needed for a better understanding

Basically, one can distinguish between the mandatory argument

1.1.3 Additional help

Is the manual not enough, occur some ambiguities or some TikZ

Actually, we can hardly speak of an installation since only the nec-

Is the package installed or the style file is stored in the folder

1.3 Additional necessary packages

To use all commands and options of TikZ , possibly some packages

On essential command is \Vertex, which allow placing vertices in

In order to be able to place a vertex, a non-empty Name argument is

The location of the vertices are determined by Cartesian coordi-

To change the fill color of each vertex individually, the option

In tikz-network there are several ways to define the labels of

Contrary to the option hfontsizei, the option hfontscalei does

of the hlabeli. Instead, using such command, the position can be

Any other TikZ style option or command can be entered via

hIdAsLabeli is a Boolean option which assigns the Name of the

The option hMathi allows transforming labels into mathematical

The option hPseudoi creates a pseudo vertex, where only the

With the option hlayeri the vertex can be assigned to a specific

The second essential command is an \Edge, which allow connecting

\Edge[hlocal optionsi](Vertex i)(Vertex j)

Edges can be generated between one or two vertices. In the first

The options hloopsizei, hlooppositioni, and hloopsizei are only for

An edge is created between Vertex i and Vertex j.

To change the line color of each edge individually, the option

Contrary to the option hfontsizei, the option hfontscalei does

\Vertex{A} \Vertex[x=2]{B} \Vertex[x=2,y=-1]{C}

Per default the hlabeli is positioned in between both vertices in

Any other TikZ style option or command can be entered via

In order to draw a finite sequence of edges which connect a se-

vertices. New coordinates, i.e. there is no vertex located, can be in-

Self-loops are created by using the same vertex as origin and

The position of the self-loop is defined via the rotation angle

The shape of the self-loop is defined by the enclosing angle. The

Directed edges are created by enabling the option hDirecti. The