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title: "About"
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vignette: >
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# Circos Plots

Circular layouts provide a unique and powerful way to visualize large, complex datasets. Originally popular in genomics, they are exceptionally well-suited for any data where relationships between groups or trends within structured categories need to be observed simultaneously.

## Why Circular?

Circular plots enable the visualization of hundreds of data points while maintaining readability. By using a circular coordinate system:

- **Tracks** allow for layering multiple sets of information (e.g., different phenotypes or cohorts).
- **Sectors** allow for grouping variables into meaningful categories (e.g., metabolite classes or biological pathways).
- **Efficiency**: They maximize use of the display space compared to traditional linear plots.

# EpiViz

**EpiViz** is an R package designed to streamline the creation of Circos plots specifically for epidemiologists. It acts as a high-level wrapper around the powerful `circlize` and `ComplexHeatmap` packages.

### How it works

Circos plots in EpiViz are composed of several key elements:

![](figures/annotated_circos_plot2.png){width=100%}

- **Template**: The square area containing the plot.
- **Plotting Space**: The circular area divided into sectors.
- **Tracks**: Rings within the plotting space.
- **Sectors**: Divisions of the circle based on data categories.
- **Labels**: Variable names on the outermost edge.
- **Legend**: An explanatory key generated via `ComplexHeatmap`.