Searching for paths between two items

You can find out whether two items on your chart are connected, however indirectly, by searching for a path between them. You can set criteria for which items are allowed on the path.

About this task

A path is a specific route between two items on a chart and it includes both entities and links. Most commonly, a path is between two entities, but it can be between two links or an entity and a link. To find a path, you must select exactly two items on a chart. The order in which you select the items defines the direction in which Analyst's Notebook searches for the path. This order can be significant if you choose to follow link directions for example, or look for events that happened in chronological order.

By default, Analyst's Notebook finds the path between two items that has the fewest number of links. When two shortest paths are found, they are both selected. You can specify that the path found must also take account of:
  • Link direction
  • Entities or links with attribute values that match a condition that you specify
  • Time flow (either forward or backward in time)
  • The time gap between successive items on the path

Procedure

  1. Select an origin item first, and then select a destination item on the chart.
  2. Click the Analyze tab, and then in the Find Networks group, click Find Path.
    The Find Path window opens.
  3. Click the General tab of the Find Path window and specify the general criteria for finding a path between the two selected items.
  4. Optional: To specify date and time criteria when you search for a path:
    1. Click the Date and Time tab of the Find Path window.
    2. Select the Follow Date and Time check box and specify the required criteria.
  5. Click OK to search for a path between the two selected items.
    Note:
    The OK button is displayed only when exactly two items are selected on the chart. If less than or more than two items are selected, the Find Path Setup window displays a Close button instead. To search for a path, click Close to save the settings, select two items, and follow the preceding steps to find paths between the items.