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Frame Visualisation

An interpretation of a substantial norm can contain dozens of frames with many cross references. The Norm Editor offers two complementary views of the same data: a list for finding and editing, and a network for understanding structure.

List view

The list view groups frames by type and, where applicable, subtype. Each frame is shown as a coloured chip. A search box filters frames by label as you type, which is the quickest way to locate a specific fact in a large interpretation. Clicking a chip opens that frame in the editor panel.

The list view is the default and is best suited to the day-to-day work of creating and refining frames.

Network view

The network view renders the interpretation as an interactive force-directed graph. Nodes are frames; edges are the role relationships between them.

graph LR
    ACT(("Act")) -->|action| AC["action fact"]
    ACT -->|actor| AG["agent fact"]
    ACT -->|object| OB["object fact"]
    ACT -->|precondition| BC(( ))
    BC --> F1["fact"]
    BC --> F2["fact"]

    style ACT fill:#c0b3ff
    style AC fill:#80fff3
    style AG fill:#ffdd80
    style OB fill:#f4b3ff
    style BC fill:#dddddd
    style F1 fill:#b3d9ff
    style F2 fill:#b3d9ff

Visual encoding follows the same colour scheme as the rest of the editor:

  • Node colour reflects the frame type or subtype; facts with several subtypes use a distinct "multiple" colour.
  • Node size distinguishes relations (acts and claim-duties are larger) from facts, with the small join-points of boolean constructs shown smallest of all.
  • Boolean constructs appear as anonymous nodes that connect their operands, making the AND / OR structure of a precondition visible at a glance.

Filtering

A filter lets you show or hide frames by type and subtype, so you can isolate (for example) only the acts and their actors. An additional toggle reveals dependency relations between acts — the before ordering implied when one act creates a fact that another act's precondition depends on — which is useful for seeing how a procedure flows from one act to the next.

Switching views

A radio control in the Frames panel header switches between List and Network at any time; both operate on the same underlying interpretation, so edits in one are immediately reflected in the other.