  In this paper, we propose the t-FDP model, a force-directed placement method
based on a novel bounded short-range force (t-force) defined by Student's
t-distribution. Our formulation is flexible, exerts limited repulsive forces
for nearby nodes and can be adapted separately in its short- and long-range
effects. Using such forces in force-directed graph layouts yields better
neighborhood preservation than current methods, while maintaining low stress
errors. Our efficient implementation using a Fast Fourier Transform is one
order of magnitude faster than state-of-the-art methods and two orders faster
on the GPU, enabling us to perform parameter tuning by globally and locally
adjusting the t-force in real-time for complex graphs. We demonstrate the
quality of our approach by numerical evaluation against state-of-the-art
approaches and extensions for interactive exploration.
