  We study methods to manipulate weights in stress-graph embeddings to improve
convex straight-line planar drawings of 3-connected planar graphs. Stress-graph
embeddings are weighted versions of Tutte embeddings, where solving a linear
system places vertices at a minimum-energy configuration for a system of
springs. A major drawback of the unweighted Tutte embedding is that it often
results in drawings with exponential area. We present a number of approaches
for choosing better weights. One approach constructs weights (in linear time)
that uniformly spread all vertices in a chosen direction, such as parallel to
the $x$- or $y$-axis. A second approach morphs $x$- and $y$-spread drawings to
produce a more aesthetically pleasing and uncluttered drawing. We further
explore a "kaleidoscope" paradigm for this $xy$-morph approach, where we rotate
the coordinate axes so as to find the best spreads and morphs. A third approach
chooses the weight of each edge according to its depth in a spanning tree
rooted at the outer vertices, such as a Schnyder wood or BFS tree, in order to
pull vertices closer to the boundary.
