Floating Labels: Applying Dynamic Potential Fields for Label Layout

This paper introduces a new method to determine appealing placements of textual annotations for complex-shaped geometric models. It employs dynamic potential fields, which consider attractive and repulsive forces between pictorial elements and their textual labels. Several label candidates are computed and evaluated according to weighted penalty functions. The individual weights can be adjusted according to global design decisions or user preferences. Moreover, the user can re-arrange individual labels whereas the system re-adjusts the remaining labels. The method is demonstrated by the Floating Label system.

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