How to easily draw graphs in WPF?
Option 1: Microsoft Automatic Graph Layout
Free
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/msagl/
GitHub
https://github.com/Microsoft/automatic-graph-layout.git
Winforms >> WPF
It's WinForms, but it can be imported into WPF with a few lines of code.
Visualizing Nodes and Edges with Microsoft Automatic Graph Layout
http://www.codeguru.com/csharp/.net/net_wpf/article.php/c16963/Visualizing-Nodes-and-Edges-with-Microsoft-Automatic-Graph-Layout.htm
Examples
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/msagl/#Layouts
FAQ
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/msagl/faq.aspx
Option 2: QuickGraph - A 100% C# graph library with Graphviz Support
Free
http://quickgraph.codeplex.com/
This library is 100% C#. Don't be misled by the line "Graphviz Support", this means that it uses C# code to import the output from Graphviz. No C++ code in sight.
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/5603/QuickGraph-A-C-graph-library-with-Graphviz-Sup
Has a NuGet package.
Under development from 2003 to 2011 (8 years!!).
Option 3: GraphSharp
Free
http://graphsharp.codeplex.com/
- Depends on QuickGraph (which is 100% C#).
- Supports async/await (nice!).
Demo
https://sachabarbs.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/pretty-cool-graphs-in-wpf/
Notes
This one worked really well, was up and running in a couple of hours. It also supports DataTemplates, so each node can have any look and feel that you want.
Option 4: Graphviz4net
Free
http://graphviz4net.codeplex.com/
Option 5: GoDiagram
$$$
http://www.nwoods.com/products/godiagram/index.html
Option 6: A Graph Tree Drawing Control for WPF
Free
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/29518/A-Graph-Tree-Drawing-Control-for-WPF
No suitable. It's a tree layout.
Option 7: Using WPF to Visualize a Graph with Circular Dependencies
Free
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/43776/Using-WPF-to-Visualize-a-Graph-with-Circular-Depen
Option 8: GraphViz
Free
http://www.graphviz.org/Download..php
This is not C#, and uses non-managed code. There are C# wrappers for it, however.
Opensourced by AT&T, see "AT&T Researchers — Inventing the Science Behind the Service", and "research home > portfolio > software tools": http://www.research.att.com/software_tools?fbid=NEk8_gxLLEc
Source
http://www.graphviz.org/Download_source.php
They also open sourced Rserve!
Option 9: Shields.GraphViz
Free
Wrapper for GraphViz.
https://github.com/timothy-shields/graphviz
Option 10: NetworkView: A WPF custom control for visualizing and editing networks, graphs and flow-charts
Free
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/182683/NetworkView-A-WPF-custom-control-for-visualizing-a
This library allows the user to create connections between nodes, which is probably a bit of an overkill.
Example
https://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/blog/Noodling-Network-Nodes-Diagraming-with-the-NetworkView-custom-WPF-control
It's all MVVM.
Option 11: Gephi - The Open Graph Viz Platform
Free
See http://gephi.github.io/
Not a WPF graphing library, but provides great examples of how really nice graphs can look. The tutorial is excellent.
Option 12: Telerik
$$$
http://www.telerik.com/products/wpf/diagrams.aspx
Option 13: Infragistics
$$$
http://www.infragistics.com/samples/wpf/network-node/overview http://www.infragistics.com/samples/wpf/network-node/relationship-between-nodes http://www.infragistics.com/samples/wpf/network-node/custom-node-style
Option 14: WPF Diagram Designer
Free
Not so much graphing tool, but it does show you how to move, resize and rotate objects of any type on a canvas.
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/22952/WPF-Diagram-Designer-Part-1
Option 15: MVVM Diagram Designer
Free
And, somebody reimplemented this in MVVM: Not so much graphing tool, but it does show you how to move, resize and rotate objects of any type on a canvas.
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/484616/MVVM-Diagram-Designer
Option 16: yWorks - The Diagramming company
$$$
https://www.yworks.com/en/products_yfiles_practicalinfo_gallery.html https://www.yworks.com/en/products_yfileswpf_about.html
Option 17: MindFusion
$$$
http://www.mindfusion.eu/features-wpfdiagram.html http://www.mindfusion.eu/
Option 18: Dot2WPF
Free
A WPF control for viewing DOT graphs.
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/18870/Dot-WPF-a-WPF-control-for-viewing-Dot-graphs
Option 19: SyncFusion
$$$
https://www.syncfusion.com/products/wpf/diagram
Option 20: AddFlow
$$$
https://www.componentsource.com/product/addflow-wpf-standard
Option 21: Lassalle
$$$
http://www.lassalle.com/
Option 22: Dynamic Data Display
http://dynamicdatadisplay.codeplex.com/
Option 23: Nevron
$$$
https://www.nevron.com/
Only for WinForms, but can be imported into WPF. However, each individual item cannot be templated, which is a big advantage of WPF solutions.
Google Search Terms
- "workflow wpf graphing"
- "wpf graphing library"
- "wpf state machine library"
Graphviz + GraphViz C# Wrapper are exactly what I was looking for.
In a similar question on bipartite graphs which you can read here I got the recommendation on NetworkView
It has loops, vertex labeling, a custom vertex visualisation that you can easily edit to be circles. Think it has no edge labelling, though. Just give it a try.
At least it is a very good start if you decide to do it on your own.
You probably want to have a look on the Codeproject article "Visualize a graph with circular dependencies"
I think you can easily implement all of your requirements with GraphX library for WPF. It is based on Graph# and have detailed docs. http://panthernet.ru/en/projects-en/graphx-en
It supports edge labeleing and self-looped edges along with the edge and vertex templates. If you have any questions you can ask in the Discussions section on the site.