multidiagram

Multidiagram is a term used in information visualization and diagramming to describe an approach that employs multiple interrelated diagrams to represent different aspects of a system or dataset. A multidiagram setup typically uses a common set of entities or concepts shared across diagrams, with cross-links or coordinated views that allow the user to explore relationships by navigating between diagrams or by synchronized highlighting. The goal is to provide a more complete or navigable representation than a single diagram could offer, by separating concerns such as structure, behavior, and data flow into dedicated views.

Common forms include synchronized diagram sets where selecting an element in one diagram highlights corresponding elements in others; layered diagrams that present different levels of detail; and parallel diagrams that show alternate perspectives side by side. Multidiagrams are widely used in software engineering (for example, coordinating class diagrams, data flow diagrams, and sequence diagrams), systems modeling, and data visualization for complex processes or networks.

Design considerations include maintaining consistent notation and element identifiers across diagrams, ensuring clear mappings between views, and managing cognitive load with intuitive navigation and legends. Tool support ranges from general diagram editors with linking features to specialized modeling environments that support real-time synchronization and filtering.

Critically, the term does not denote a single standardized technique but rather a family of practices centered on multi-view representation. Related concepts include multi-view visualization, linked diagrams, and coordinated views.