In this paper, we consider the problem of removing overlaps of
labels in a given layout by changing locations of some of the
overlapping labels, and present a new method for the problem based
on a packing approach, called multi-sphere scheme. Based on
this scheme, each label in a given layout is approximated by a set
of circles, and a cost function that penalizes the overlap between
two objects is introduced. By minimizing the penalty function using
a quasi-Newton method, we compute a layout of the set of circles as
an approximate solution to the original problem.
We consider two new variations of the label overlap problem,
inspired by real world applications, and provide a solution to each
problem. Our new approach is very flexible to support various
operations such as translation, translation with direction
constraints, and rotation. Further, our method can support
labels with arbitrary shapes in both 2D and 3D layout
settings. Our extensive experimental results show that our new
approach is very effective for removing label
overlaps.