The `Graphviz` Ribbon Tab

Now that you understand the basics of the data worksheet, let's explore the features available in the Graphviz ribbon tab.

The Graphviz ribbon tab activates automatically whenever any of the following worksheets is selected: data graph, styles, settings or about…. It looks like this:

Windows

macOS

It contains the following groups, which are each explained in content which follows. You may jump directly to the content using the links in this table:

Group	Controls	Description
Visualize		Action and option buttons that cause the Excel data to be graphed by Graphviz and then displayed within the Excel workbook.

Publish		Action buttons that cause the Excel data to be graphed by Graphviz and then written to a file.

Graph Layout		Provides a set of toggle buttons that control which Graphviz layout engine is applied to your diagram.

Splines		Provides a set of toggle buttons that control how edges are routed in your diagram.

Type		Provides a set of toggle buttons that determine whether your diagram is treated as a directed or undirected graph.

Drawn First		Provides a set of toggle buttons thatdetermine the sequence in which Graphviz draws nodes and edges during rendering.

Layout Options		The Algorithm group within the Graphviz tab changes dynamically based upon the layout algorithm chosen. The graph options shown are specific to that particular layout algorithm.

'data' Worksheet		A set of menu items that control what columns and graphs are displayed on the `data` worksheet.

Debug		An option to display additional information such as the row number and Item identifiers in the labels of nodes, edges, and clusters.

Help		Provides a link to the `Help` content for the `data` worksheet (i.e. this web page).

Visualize

Label	Control Type	Description
Refresh	Button	The action button that causes the Excel data to be graphed by Graphviz and then displayed within the Excel workbook.
Automatic	Toggle Button	When selected, keystrokes are monitored and as cell changes are detected the graph is automatically refreshed (also requires that `Worksheet` is set to `data`).
Apply Styles	Toggle Button	Specifies if the style attributes associated with the Style Name assigned to a node, edge, or cluster should be applied when the graph is generated. Choices: Pressed - use the style format Unpressed - do not use the style format (i.e., use default Graphviz rendering method)
Apply Attributes	Toggle Button	Specifies if the style attributes in the `Attributes` column on the `data` worksheet should be included or omitted when the graph is generated. Choices: Pressed - include the style attributes Unpressed - do not include the style attributes
Zoom In	Button	Magnifies the scale the of image displayed in Excel by 5%.
Zoom Out	Button	Decreases the scale the image displayed in Excel by 5% so as the graph gets larger, you can see more of it within the workbook without having to scroll.
Current Zoom	Text	Shows the current magnification level. The magnification can range from 5% to 150% in 5% increments
View	Dropdown list	The name of the column in the `styles` worksheet which controls which set of Yes/No values to use when creating the diagrams. This dropdown list is explained in more detail in the section Creating Views.
Image Type	Dropdown list	Image format to use when displaying the graph on the `data` or `graph` worksheet of the Relationship Visualizer. Choices: `bmp` - Microsoft Windows Bitmap format `gif` - Graphics Interchange Format `jpg` - Joint Photographic Experts Group format `png` - Portable Network Graphics format `svg` - Scalable Vector Graphics Note: SVG images only display in Office 365; they do not display in older versions of Excel.
Worksheet	Dropdown list	The worksheet in the current workbook where the graph should be displayed Choices: `data` - The graph is displayed in the `data` worksheet to the right of the data columns. `graph` - The graph is displayed in the `graph` worksheet, and the `graph` worksheet is activated. This setting is useful for large graphs as it allows you to use Excel's magnification Zoom-In/Zoom-out feature. It is also useful when you want to flip back and forth between the data and the graph to correct errors in the data.

Publish

A tutorial on how to use these ribbon options is contained in the section Publishing Graphs.

Label	Control Type	Description
Publish	Button	The action button that causes the Excel data to be graphed by Graphviz and then written to a file.
Publish all views	Button	The action button that causes the Excel data to be graphed by Graphviz and then written to a file repeatedly for every view defined in the `Styles` worksheet.
Get Directory	Button	Brings up the Directory Selection dialog and stores/displays the directory where the files should be written to. Once a directory is selected the directory path replaces the "Get Directory" button label.
File Prefix	Edit box	Base portion of the file name. For example: `Graph`. You may also build a file name using the following character strings in the file prefix to insert run-time values into the file name. `%D` - Current date `%T` - Current time `%E` - Graphviz layout engine `%S` - Splines `%V` - View name `%W` - Worksheet name NOTE: You must check the appropriate options in the `Filename options` dropdown list for the substitutions to occur.
File Format	Dropdown List	File format of the output file. Choices: `bmp` - Microsoft Windows Bitmap format `gif` - Graphics Interchange Format `jpg` - Joint Photographic Experts Group format `pdf` - Portable Document Format `png` - Portable Network Graphics format `ps` - Postscript format `svg` - Scalable Vector Graphics format `tiff` - Tagged Image File Format
Filename options	Dropdown List	A list of options which can be checked which will cause run-time information to be appended or omitted from the file name.
Add date/time to the filename	Check box	Option to add a date and time to the file name. Choices: Checked - Add the date and time Unchecked - Omit the date and time
Add Layout/Splines to the filename	Check box	Option to add the layout engine and spline type to the file name. Choices: Checked - Add the options Unchecked - Omit the options

Graph Layout

The Graph Layout section provides a set of toggle buttons that control which Graphviz layout engine is applied to your diagram. These toggles function like radio buttons, ensuring that only one layout is active at a time. This approach gives you a quick, intuitive way to explore how different layout algorithms organize your graph

Splines

The Splines section provides a set of toggle buttons that control how edges are routed in your diagram. These toggles function like radio buttons, ensuring that only one spline style is active at a time. This design gives you a quick, intuitive way to explore different routing options—straight lines, curves, orthogonal paths, and more—and immediately see how each style affects the readability and structure of your graph

Button	Description
false	Edges are drawn as straight lines.
true	Edges are drawn using a combination of straight segments and free‑flowing curves.
curved	Edges are drawn as smooth, continuous curves between nodes.
ortho	Edges are routed using horizontal and vertical segments with 90‑degree bends.
polyline	Edges are drawn as straight segments with angular bends (not restricted to right angles).
none	Edges (and edge labels) are not drawn, but still influence node placement.

Graph Type

The Graph Type section provides a set of toggle buttons that determine whether your diagram is treated as a directed or undirected graph. These toggles function like radio buttons, ensuring that only one graph type is active at a time. This setup gives you a quick, intuitive way to switch between directional and non‑directional relationships and immediately see how edge arrows, routing, and layout behavior change in response.

Button	Description
undirected	Creates an Undirected Graph graph. Edges have no direction and are drawn without arrowheads.
directed	Creates a Directed Graph graph (digraph). Edges have a defined direction and are drawn with arrowheads.

Drawn First

The Drawn First controls (i.e. outputorder) determine the sequence in which Graphviz draws nodes and edges during rendering. These options are presented as toggle buttons that behave like radio buttons, ensuring that only one drawing order is active at a time. This gives you a quick, intuitive way to adjust whether edges appear above or below nodes—useful when fine‑tuning visibility, layering, or stylistic preferences in your diagram.

Output Order Values

Button	Description
breadth	Draws nodes before edges. Edges appear on top and below nodes.
nodes	Nodes are drawn first; edges are drawn afterward. Edges appear on top of nodes.
edges	Edges are drawn first; nodes are drawn afterward, causing nodes to appear on top of edges.

Layout Options

The Algorithm group within the Graphviz tab changes dynamically based upon the layout algorithm chosen. The graph options shown are specific to that particular layout algorithm.

layout=circo

There are no additional dynamic options for layout=circo.

layout=dot

The buttons [tb], [bt], [lr], [rl] determine the Rank Direction flow of the graph—whether nodes are arranged top‑to‑bottom, bottom‑to‑top, left‑to‑right, or right‑to‑left. These options are presented as toggle buttons that behave like radio buttons, ensuring that only one direction is active at a time.

Button	Description
tb	Top‑to‑Bottom. Ranks flow downward (the default for most layouts).

bt	Bottom‑to‑Top. Ranks flow upward.

lr	Left‑to‑Right. Ranks flow horizontally from left to right.

rl	Right‑to‑Left. Ranks flow horizontally from right to left.

The [in], [out] Ordering buttons determine how edges are arranged around each node during layout.

Button	Description
in	Preserves the order of incoming edges around each node.
out	Preserves the order of outgoing edges around each node.

The New Rank button determines how Graphviz handles ranking when clusters are present in the graph. This option is presented as a toggle that behaves like a radio‑style switch, ensuring the feature is either fully enabled or disabled. Turning it on allows Graphviz to compute a single global ranking across all clusters, while turning it off preserves the traditional recursive ranking inside each cluster. This gives you a quick, intuitive way to influence how tightly or loosely clustered subgraphs interact in the final layout.

The Compound button determines whether edges are allowed to connect into and out of clusters when using layout engines that support this feature. This option is presented as a simple toggle that behaves like a radio‑style switch, enabling or disabling compound edge routing. Turning it on allows edges to attach to cluster boundaries using lhead and ltail, giving you a quick, intuitive way to create more expressive diagrams where relationships span across grouped subgraphs.

Value	Description
false	Disables compound edges. Edges cannot connect into or out of clusters using `lhead` or `ltail`.
true	Enables compound edges, allowing edges to enter or leave clusters and attach to cluster boundaries.

The Cluster Rank control determines how Graphviz ranks clusters relative to one another during layout.

Value	Description
local	Each cluster is ranked independently. This preserves the traditional recursive ranking behavior and often produces compact cluster layouts.
global	All clusters participate in a single, unified ranking. This can create more consistent alignment across clusters but may increase spacing.

layout=fdp

The Overlap control is presented as a dropdown list that lets you choose how Graphviz handles node collisions during layout. Each option corresponds to a specific overlap‑removal strategy supported by Graphviz, ranging from allowing overlaps for speed to applying more advanced algorithms for cleaner spacing.

Value	Description
compress	Reduces whitespace by compressing the layout after overlap removal, producing a tighter diagram.
prism	Uses a stress‑based algorithm to separate overlapping nodes while preserving layout structure.
scale	Uniformly scales the entire layout until nodes no longer overlap.
scalexy	Scales the layout independently in the X and Y directions to eliminate overlaps.
Voronoi	Uses a Voronoi‑based algorithm to push nodes apart by expanding their regions until overlaps are resolved.

The Layout Dimensions control (dim= attribute) sets the number of dimensions Graphviz uses when computing node positions for certain layout engines (primarily neato, fdp, and sfdp). This option is presented as a dropdown list, allowing you to choose how many dimensions the layout solver operates in. Higher dimensions can help the solver escape local minima and produce cleaner layouts, even though the final output is always projected back into 2D.

The Rendering Dimensions control (dimen= attribute) specifies how many dimensions are used when interpreting node size attributes such as width, height, and size. This option is presented as a dropdown list, allowing you to choose whether nodes are sized in two dimensions or in higher‑dimensional space. Although the final drawing is always 2D, increasing the dimensionality can influence how Graphviz interprets size constraints during layout, giving you a simple, intuitive way to adjust how strictly node size attributes are applied.

layout=neato

Value	Description
compress	Reduces whitespace by compressing the layout after overlap removal, producing a tighter diagram.
prism	Uses a stress‑based algorithm to separate overlapping nodes while preserving layout structure.
scale	Uniformly scales the entire layout until nodes no longer overlap.
scalexy	Scales the layout independently in the X and Y directions to eliminate overlaps.
Voronoi	Uses a Voronoi‑based algorithm to push nodes apart by expanding their regions until overlaps are resolved.

The Mode control selects the algorithm that Neato uses to compute node positions during layout. This option is presented as a dropdown list, allowing you to choose among several solver strategies that influence how distances, forces, and constraints are optimized. Each mode offers a different balance of speed, stability, and layout style, giving you a quick, intuitive way to experiment with how the underlying algorithm shapes the structure of your diagram.

Value	Description
major	Uses stress majorization to iteratively refine node positions; stable and widely used.
KK	Uses the Kamada–Kawai spring model, optimizing ideal edge lengths through gradient descent.
hier	Produces a top‑down, hierarchy‑influenced layout similar to dot but using Neato's solver.
ipsep	Applies iterative penalty separation to enforce minimum distances between nodes.
spring	Uses a classical spring‑embedder approach for force‑directed placement.
maxent	Uses a maximum‑entropy–inspired solver to spread nodes evenly while respecting constraints.

The Model control selects how Neato interprets edge relationships when computing ideal node distances. This option is presented as a dropdown list, allowing you to choose among several distance‑calculation models that influence clustering, separation, and overall layout behavior. Each model offers a different way of translating graph structure into geometric constraints, giving you a quick, intuitive way to shape how Neato arranges your diagram.

layout=osage

There are no additional dynamic options for layout=osage.

layout=patchwork

There are no additional dynamic options for layout=patchwork.

layout=sfdp

Value	Description
compress	Reduces whitespace by compressing the layout after overlap removal, producing a tighter diagram.
prism	Uses a stress‑based algorithm to separate overlapping nodes while preserving layout structure.
scale	Uniformly scales the entire layout until nodes no longer overlap.
scalexy	Scales the layout independently in the X and Y directions to eliminate overlaps.
Voronoi	Uses a Voronoi‑based algorithm to push nodes apart by expanding their regions until overlaps are resolved.

Value	Description
major	Uses stress majorization to iteratively refine node positions; stable and widely used.
KK	Uses the Kamada–Kawai spring model, optimizing ideal edge lengths through gradient descent.
hier	Produces a top‑down, hierarchy‑influenced layout similar to dot but using Neato’s solver.
ipsep	Applies iterative penalty separation to enforce minimum distances between nodes.
spring	Uses a classical spring‑embedder approach for force‑directed placement.
maxent	Uses a maximum‑entropy–inspired solver to spread nodes evenly while respecting constraints.

The Smoothing control is presented as a dropdown list that lets you choose how Graphviz refines the raw node positions produced by the layout engine. Each option applies a different post‑processing technique to “smooth out” irregularities, reduce jitter, or improve geometric consistency. This gives you a simple, intuitive way to fine‑tune the visual polish of your diagram without altering the underlying layout structure.

Value	Description
none	No smoothing applied. Uses the raw layout positions exactly as computed.
avg_dist	Adjusts node positions based on average distances to neighbors, reducing local irregularities.
graph_dist	Smooths positions using graph‑theoretic distances, improving global consistency.
power_dist	Applies a power‑law weighting to distances, emphasizing stronger relationships.
rng	Uses a Relative Neighborhood Graph–based smoothing to reduce noise while preserving structure.
spring	Applies a light spring‑embedder pass to gently relax node positions.
triangle	Uses triangle‑based geometric smoothing to even out spacing in dense regions.

Layout = `twopi`

There are no additional dynamic options for layout=patchwork.

Options

Graph

Optional attributes which can be checked for inclusion in the Graphviz source. These attributes have graph-level scope.

Label	Control Type	Description
Drawing
Center Drawing	Checkbox	Checking this item will cause the graph to be centered in the page, assuming the graph is smaller than the page size.
Force xlabel placement	Checkbox	If checked, all `xlabel` attributes are placed, even if there is some overlap with nodes or other labels.
Rotate 90 counterclockwise	Checkbox	If checked, causes the final layout to be rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees.
Transparent Background	Checkbox	Toggles the background color between white and transparent. Transparent backgrounds are useful if you intend to layer the graphs in an image editor or paste them into a Microsoft Word document. Choices: Checked - Background is transparent Unchecked - Graph background is white. Note: It is possible to set the graph background color to any valid color by specifying the `bgcolor=` attribute as a graph option on the `settings` worksheet.
Include image path	Checkbox	If checked, adds the `imagepath` attribute to the graph. Choices: Checked - Path to the images is added. Unchecked - Path to images is omitted.

Node

Choices which control which nodes are included in the Graphviz source, and how the labels should be represented.

Label	Control Type	Description
Filter
Include stand-alone nodes	Checkbox	Include or exclude nodes without relationships (i.e., island nodes). When using views to exclude relationship edges there may be nodes left in the diagram that are not connected to anything. This setting specifies if these island nodes should be included or excluded from the diagram. Choices: Checked - retain the island nodes Unchecked - drop the island nodes from the diagram
Label Columns
Include `Label`	Checkbox	Include or exclude Labels column data? Allows you to turn labels on/off in the graph. Choices: Checked - Include Label column data Unchecked - Drop the Label column data from the graph
Include `External Label`	Checkbox	Include or exclude External Labels column data? Allows you to turn outside (xlabel) labels on/off in the graph. Choices: Checked - Include External Label column data Unchecked - Drop the External Label column data from the graph
Label Values
When the `Label` column is blank…	Menu	Include or exclude blank values in the Label column? When the `Label` column is blank on the data worksheet on a row which refers to a node it can mean two possible things. One interpretation is to remove the label from the node, as might be useful when using images to represent nodes. The other interpretation is to let the graph default to displaying the value in the `Item` column. Choices: `…use blank for the node label` - use a blank label as the node's label text `…use the node identifier as the label` - show the value in the `Item` column as the label text

Edge

Choices which control how edges should be specified in the Graphviz source, and how the edge labels should be represented.

Label	Control Type	Description
Consolidate
Apply "strict" rules	Checkbox	Specifies the strict attribute for the top-level graph. Describing the graph as strict forbids the creation of multi-edges, i.e., there can be at most one edge with a given tail node and head node in the directed case. For undirected graphs, there can be at most one edge connected to the same two nodes. Subsequent edge statements using the same two nodes will identify the edge with the previously defined one and apply any attributes given in the edge statement. Choices: Checked - Includes the strict attribute Edges have been consolidated. Unchecked - Omits the strict attribute Edges have not been consolidated.
Concentrate edges	Checkbox	If checked, use edge concentrators. This merges multi-edges into a single edge and causes partially parallel edges to share part of their paths. This feature is only available if the layout algorithm is dot. Choices: Checked - Include the concentrate attribute Edges have been concentrated Unchecked - Omits the concentrate attribute Edges are not concentrated
Filter
Include edges which reference undefined nodes	Checkbox	Include/Exclude relationships Include stand-alone edges (i.e., orphan edges). When using views to exclude nodes there may be un-styled nodes included in the diagram due to edge references. This setting specifies if the edges should be included or excluded from the diagram. Choices: Checked - retain edges which have references to undefined nodes Unchecked - drop any edges which do not refer to defined nodes
Include Ports	Checkbox	Retain/Remove port values from the nodes in an edge relationship. Given: Choices: Checked - retain the ports when creating the edge syntax. `a:n -> b:s` Unchecked - removes the ports specified when creating the edge syntax. `a -> b`
Label Columns
Include `Label`	Checkbox	Include or exclude Labels column data? Allows you to turn edge labels on/off in the graph. Choices: Checked - Include Label column data Unchecked - Omit the Label column data from the graph
Include `External Label`		Include or exclude External Labels column data? Allows you to turn outside (xlabel) edge labels on/off in the graph. Choices: Checked - Include External Label column data Unchecked - Omit the External Label column data from the graph
Include `Head Label`	Checkbox	Include or exclude Head Labels column data? Allows you to turn edge head labels on/off in the graph. Choices: Checked - Include Head Label column data Unchecked - Omit the Head Label column data from the graph
Include `Tail Label`	Checkbox	Include or exclude Tail Labels column data? Allows you to turn edge tail labels on/off in the graph. Choices: Checked - Include Tail Label column data Unchecked - Omit the Table Label column data from the graph
Label Values
When the `Label` column is blank…	Menu	Include or exclude blank values in the Label column? When the `Label` column is blank on the data worksheet on a row which refers to an edge it can mean two possible things. One interpretation is to remove the label from the edge. The other interpretation is to let the graph default to displaying the value Graphviz assigns to the edge relationship. Choices: `…the label is blank` - use the blank label as the node's label text `…use the edge name as the label` - show the value in the `Item` column as the label text

Toggles

Label	Control Type	Description
Use styles	Checkbox	Specifies if the style attributes associated with the Style Name assigned to a node, edge, or cluster should be used when the graph is generated. Choices: Checked - use the style format Unchecked - do not use the style format (i.e., use default Graphviz rendering method)
Use attributes	Checkbox	Specifies if the `Attributes` style attributes on the `data` worksheet should be included or omitted when the graph is generated. Choices: Checked - include the style attributes Unchecked - do not include the style attributes
Columns	Dropdown List	A list of column names on the `data` worksheet which can be displayed or hidden. Choices: Checked - show the column Unchecked - hide the column

'data' Worksheet

Label	Control Type	Description
Show Columns	Menu	Displays a list of all the columns used by the data worksheet. Allows you to show or hide columns by clicking of the column names. Checked columns are shown, unchecked columns are hidden
Delete Graph	Button	Clicking on this button will delete the graph from the worksheet. This is useful when adding rows as new rows will stretch the image. You may also find you want to delete the image before saving the file to reduce the file size.
Delete all data	Button	Resets the `data` worksheet to blank cells, and deletes any graphs if present.

Debug

Label	Control Type	Description
Debugging labels	Checkbox	Turning this option to `on` causes additional information such as the row number and Item identifiers to be included in the labels of nodes, edges, and clusters. Choices: Unchecked - Do not add information to the labels Checked - Add information to the labels Unchecked Checked
Keep dot source	Checkbox	Specifies what should be done with the text file sent to Graphviz after the graphing step is complete when `Graph to File` is used to create the graph. Choices: Checked - retain the file. It will be in the same directory as the graph file with the same file name except for the file extension (which will be `.gv`). Unchecked - delete the file
Clear errors	Button	Resets the error message column

Help

Provides the Help content for the Graphviz ribbon tab.

Label	Control Type	Description
Help	Button	Provides a link to this web page.

Creating Graphs

Styling and Views

SQL Extensions

Using JSON Files