Package 'lvmPlot'

lvmPlot: publication-quality diagrams for latent variable models

Description

Converts latent variable model output into publication-ready path diagrams and model schematics. lavaan fit objects and parameter tables are supported as a primary workflow, with adapters for blavaan, lavaan.mi, semPlot, mirt, eRm, OpenMx, psych, poLCA, mclust, flexmix, lcmm, tidyLPA, and MplusAutomation workflows when those packages are available. The package supports structural equation and confirmatory factor analysis diagrams, multilevel structural equation models, growth models, higher-order factor models, latent class and profile schematics, item response theory models, OpenMx RAM models, and Mplus-style parameter output through a shared lvm_graph grammar with model-aware defaults, geometry diagnostics, customizable publication styles, RStudio preview, SVG/PDF/PNG export, and TikZ output.

See Also

plot_lvm, as_lvm_graph, lvm_graph, lvm_tikz, plot_sem, sem_tikz

---

Convert lavaan output to a graph object

Description

as_sem_graph() reads a lavaan fit object or a lavaan-style parameter table and returns the node, edge, and layout data used by sem_tikz().

Usage

as_sem_graph(object, standardized = TRUE, layout = NULL,
  residuals = FALSE, covariances = TRUE)

Arguments

object	A lavaan fit object, or a data frame with at least lhs, op, and rhs columns.
standardized	Logical. If object is a lavaan fit, request standardized estimates from lavaan.
layout	NULL, "auto", or a data frame/matrix with name, x, and y coordinates.
residuals	Logical. Include variance self-loops from ~~ rows where lhs == rhs.
covariances	Logical. Include covariance paths from ~~ rows where lhs != rhs.

Value

A list with nodes, edges, and parameters, with class "sem_graph".

---

Check layout quality against publication gates

Description

check_lvm_layout() is the assertion-style companion to layout_quality(). It prepares a supported model object as an lvm_graph, computes geometry and optional label diagnostics, and checks the result against explicit publication-readiness gates. This is useful in R Markdown, CI, and manuscript-generation scripts where a diagram should fail early if nodes, paths, or labels collide.

Usage

check_lvm_layout(object, min_score = 92,
  minimum_status = c("ready", "review", "repair"),
  max_node_overlaps = 0, max_edge_node_overlaps = 0,
  max_edge_crossings = NULL, max_label_overlaps = 0,
  max_label_node_overlaps = 0, max_label_edge_overlaps = 0,
  label = c("auto", "none", "std", "est", "both"), digits = 2,
  stars = "auto", respect_curves = TRUE,
  action = c("error", "warning", "message", "none"),
  layout = NULL,
  layout_family = c("auto", "sem", "bifactor", "irt", "mixture", "growth",
    "multilevel", "circle"),
  orientation = c("top-down", "bottom-up", "left-right", "right-left"),
  diagram = c("auto", "all", "measurement", "structural", "loadings",
    "paths", "covariances", "compact"),
  show = NULL, min_abs = NULL, significant = NULL, alpha = 0.05,
  routing = c("straight", "smart", "none"),
  node_style = NULL, edge_style = NULL, ...)

Arguments

object	A supported latent variable model object or "lvm_graph".
min_score	Minimum acceptable layout_quality() score.
minimum_status	Minimum acceptable status. "ready" requires a publication-ready layout; "review" permits layouts that need human inspection; "repair" accepts any scored layout.
max_node_overlaps, max_edge_node_overlaps, max_edge_crossings	Maximum allowed hard node/node, edge/node, and edge/edge intersections. Set a limit to NULL to rely on the score/status gate instead.
max_label_overlaps, max_label_node_overlaps, max_label_edge_overlaps	Maximum allowed label collisions when labels are diagnosed.
label, digits, stars, respect_curves	Passed to layout_quality().
action	What to do when the check fails: error, warning, message, or no signal.
layout	Optional custom layout.
layout_family, orientation, diagram, show, min_abs, significant, alpha	Passed to the graph-preparation pipeline.
routing	Edge routing mode used before scoring.
node_style, edge_style	Optional local style overrides used before scoring.
...	Passed to model adapters.

Value

A lvmPlot_layout_quality object with additional passed, requirements, violations, graph, and label fields.

Examples

params <- data.frame(
  lhs = c("f", "f", "f"),
  op = "=~",
  rhs = c("x1", "x2", "x3"),
  std.all = c(.7, .8, .75)
)
quality <- check_lvm_layout(params, label = "std", action = "none")
quality$passed

---

Export a publication bundle

Description

export_lvm_bundle() writes a complete manuscript-ready diagram bundle: vector/raster graphics, standalone TikZ, graph tables, diagnostics, quality report, and reproducibility metadata. It is intended to make the diagram a reproducible research artifact rather than a one-off image.

Usage

export_lvm_bundle(object, dir, name = "lvmPlot-diagram",
  formats = c("pdf", "png", "svg", "tex"), width = "auto",
  height = "auto", res = 300, layout = NULL,
  layout_family = c("auto", "sem", "bifactor", "irt", "mixture", "growth",
    "multilevel", "circle"),
  orientation = c("top-down", "bottom-up", "left-right", "right-left"),
  diagram = c("auto", "all", "measurement", "structural", "loadings",
    "paths", "covariances", "compact"),
  show = NULL, min_abs = NULL, significant = NULL, alpha = 0.05,
  label = c("auto", "std", "est", "both", "none"), digits = 2,
  stars = "auto", node_labels = NULL, theme = lvm_theme_names(),
  style = NULL, node_style = NULL, edge_style = NULL,
  routing = c("straight", "smart", "none"),
  aspect = c("balanced", "preserve", "fill"), margin = 0.08,
  optimize = FALSE, optimize_layout_family = "auto",
  optimize_orientation = c("top-down", "left-right", "bottom-up",
    "right-left"),
  optimize_diagram = "auto", optimize_routing = "straight",
  tables = TRUE, diagnostics = TRUE, check = FALSE, check_min_score = 92,
  check_status = c("ready", "review", "repair"),
  check_max_edge_crossings = NULL,
  check_action = c("error", "warning", "message", "none"),
  metadata = TRUE, report = TRUE,
  compile_tex = FALSE,
  engine = c("pdflatex", "xelatex", "lualatex", "tectonic"), ...)

Arguments

object	A supported latent variable model object or "lvm_graph".
dir	Output directory.
name	File stem used for exported artifacts.
formats	Character vector of graphic formats. Supported values are "pdf", "png", "svg", "tex", and "tikz".
width, height	Device size in inches, or "auto" to use lvm_canvas_size().
res	PNG resolution in pixels per inch.
layout	Optional custom layout.
layout_family	Layout family.
orientation	Diagram orientation.
diagram	Diagram subset.
show	Optional edge types to show.
min_abs	Optional absolute loading/path threshold.
significant	Logical. Keep only significant estimated edges.
alpha	Significance threshold.
label	Edge label style.
digits	Number of digits for edge labels.
stars	Significance-star policy.
node_labels	Optional node relabeling vector or function.
theme	Diagram theme.
style	Style overrides from lvm_style().
node_style, edge_style	Optional per-node and per-edge style tables.
routing	Edge routing mode.
aspect	Plot coordinate scaling.
margin	Outer plot margin.
optimize	Logical. If TRUE, evaluate candidate layouts with select_lvm_layout() before export.
optimize_layout_family, optimize_orientation, optimize_diagram, optimize_routing	Candidate settings used when optimize = TRUE.
tables	Logical. Write node and edge CSV tables.
diagnostics	Logical. Write diagnostic and quality CSV files.
check	Logical. If TRUE, fail, warn, or message when the layout does not satisfy publication-readiness gates.
check_min_score	Minimum acceptable quality score when check = TRUE.
check_status	Minimum acceptable status when check = TRUE.
check_max_edge_crossings	Optional maximum edge crossings when check = TRUE. Defaults to NULL, so score/status gates decide whether crossings are acceptable.
check_action	Signal used when check = TRUE and the layout fails.
metadata	Logical. Write reproducibility metadata and session info.
report	Logical. Write a human-readable Markdown report.
compile_tex	Logical. Compile the TikZ file when "tex"/ "tikz" is exported and a TeX engine is available.
engine	TeX engine used when compile_tex = TRUE.
...	Passed to model adapters.

Value

A list with exported files, quality summary, graph, and device size, with class "lvmPlot_bundle".

Examples

params <- data.frame(
  lhs = c("f", "f", "f"),
  op = "=~",
  rhs = c("x1", "x2", "x3"),
  std.all = c(.7, .8, .75)
)
out <- tempfile("lvmPlot-bundle-")
export_lvm_bundle(
  params,
  out,
  name = "cfa",
  formats = c("pdf", "tex"),
  check = TRUE,
  optimize = TRUE,
  optimize_orientation = c("top-down", "left-right")
)

---

Diagnose a diagram layout

Description

layout_diagnostics() scores the current node coordinates before drawing. It is useful for checking whether a complex SEM/LVM layout still has node overlaps, straight-edge crossings, edge/node collisions, or estimated parameter label collisions before export.

Usage

layout_diagnostics(
  object,
  respect_curves = TRUE,
  label = c("none", "auto", "std", "est", "both"),
  digits = 2,
  stars = "auto"
)

Arguments

object	An "lvm_graph", "sem_graph", or list with nodes and edges.
respect_curves	Logical. If TRUE, edges already marked with a curvature are not counted as straight edge/node overlaps.
label	Edge label mode used for optional label diagnostics. The default "none" preserves fast geometry-only diagnostics. Use "std", "est", "both", or "auto" to estimate label boxes and report label collisions.
digits	Number of digits for estimated label text.
stars	Significance-star policy used when label is not "none".

Value

A list with node overlap counts, edge crossing counts, edge/node overlap counts, optional edge-label collision counts, edge length summaries, and detail data frames, with class "lvmPlot_layout_diagnostics".

Examples

nodes <- data.frame(
  name = c("a", "b", "middle"),
  type = "observed",
  x = c(0, 2, 1),
  y = c(0, 0, 0)
)
edges <- data.frame(from = "a", to = "b", type = "path")
graph <- lvm_graph(nodes, edges)
layout_diagnostics(graph, respect_curves = FALSE)
layout_diagnostics(graph, respect_curves = FALSE, label = "est")

---

Create a diagram layout from a matrix

Description

layout_matrix() converts a familiar SEM plotting matrix into explicit node coordinates. Rows are interpreted from top to bottom and columns from left to right.

Usage

layout_matrix(x, x_spacing = 1.8, y_spacing = 1.7)

Arguments

x	A matrix or data frame whose non-empty cells contain node names. Empty cells may be NA, "", or ".".
x_spacing, y_spacing	Spacing between columns and rows in diagram coordinates.

Value

A data frame with name, x, and y columns.

Examples

layout <- layout_matrix(matrix(
  c(NA, "f", NA,
    "x1", ".", "x2"),
  nrow = 2,
  byrow = TRUE
))
layout

---

Score layout quality

Description

layout_quality() turns layout_diagnostics() into a compact quality score and issue table. It is designed for publication workflows where a diagram should be checked before being exported or submitted.

Usage

layout_quality(object, label = c("none", "auto", "std", "est", "both"),
  digits = 2, stars = "auto", respect_curves = TRUE)

Arguments

object	A "lvm_graph", "sem_graph", or list with nodes and edges.
label	Edge label mode used for optional label diagnostics.
digits	Number of digits for estimated label text.
stars	Significance-star policy used when label is not "none".
respect_curves	Logical. If TRUE, edges marked with curvature are not counted as straight edge/node overlaps.

Value

A list with score, grade, status, issues, and diagnostics, with class "lvmPlot_layout_quality".

Examples

params <- data.frame(
  lhs = c("f", "f", "f"),
  op = "=~",
  rhs = c("x1", "x2", "x3"),
  std.all = c(.7, .8, .75)
)
quality <- layout_quality(as_lvm_graph(params), label = "std")
quality

---

Suggest a canvas size for an LVM diagram

Description

lvm_canvas_size() inspects the prepared graph coordinates and returns a recommended device size. It helps dense MIRT/LCA diagrams get wider canvases and multilevel diagrams get taller canvases without manually guessing export dimensions.

Usage

lvm_canvas_size(object, ..., min_width = 6, max_width = 14,
  min_height = 4, max_height = 9.5)

Arguments

object	A supported latent variable model object or "lvm_graph".
...	Plot/layout arguments passed as they would be to plot_lvm(), such as diagram, orientation, layout_family, layout, node_labels, node_style, edge_style, residuals, or covariances.
min_width, max_width	Width bounds in inches.
min_height, max_height	Height bounds in inches.

Value

A named numeric vector with width and height, in inches.

Examples

params <- data.frame(
  lhs = c("visual", "visual", "visual", "textual", "textual", "textual"),
  op = "=~",
  rhs = paste0("x", 1:6),
  est = .7
)
lvm_canvas_size(params)

---

Latent variable model graph grammar

Description

lvm_graph() is the common diagram grammar used by SEM, LCA/LPA, multilevel SEM, IRT/MIRT, growth, mixture, and adapter-based model diagrams. Model-specific adapters convert fitted model objects to this graph structure before drawing.

Usage

lvm_graph(nodes, edges = data.frame(), model_type = "lvm",
  layout_family = NULL, title = NULL, meta = list())

as_lvm_graph(object, ...)

Arguments

nodes	Data frame of nodes. Needs a name or id column.
edges	Data frame of edges with from and to columns.
model_type	Short model family label.
layout_family	Layout family used when coordinates are absent.
title	Optional graph title.
meta	Optional metadata list.
object	A supported model object, parameter table, or graph object.
...	Passed to methods.

Value

An object of class "lvm_graph".

---

Create diagram style overrides

Description

Creates style overrides for plot_lvm(), plot_sem(), lvm_tikz(), and sem_tikz().

Usage

lvm_style(scale = NULL, node_scale = NULL, edge_scale = NULL,
  font_scale = NULL, node_font_size = NULL, edge_font_size = NULL,
  font_family = NULL, latent_size = NULL, observed_width = NULL,
  observed_height = NULL, node_line_width = NULL,
  edge_line_width = NULL, path_line_width = NULL,
  loading_line_width = NULL, covariance_line_width = NULL,
  residual_line_width = NULL, node_color = NULL,
  latent_color = NULL, observed_color = NULL, node_fill = NULL,
  latent_fill = NULL, observed_fill = NULL, edge_color = NULL,
  path_color = NULL, loading_color = NULL, covariance_color = NULL,
  residual_color = NULL, node_text_color = NULL, label_color = NULL,
  label_fill = NULL)

Arguments

scale	Overall multiplier for node dimensions, line widths, and text sizes.
node_scale	Multiplier for latent and observed node dimensions.
edge_scale	Multiplier for edge line widths.
font_scale	Multiplier for node and edge label font sizes.
node_font_size	Node label font size in points.
edge_font_size	Edge label font size in points.
font_family	Font family for grid output. For TikZ, use "sans", "serif", or a raw LaTeX font command.
latent_size	Latent node diameter in millimeters.
observed_width, observed_height	Observed node size in millimeters.
node_line_width	Stroke width for latent and observed nodes.
edge_line_width	Stroke width for all edges.
path_line_width, loading_line_width, covariance_line_width, residual_line_width	Stroke widths for specific edge types.
node_color, latent_color, observed_color	Stroke colors.
node_fill, latent_fill, observed_fill	Fill colors.
edge_color, path_color, loading_color, covariance_color, residual_color	Edge colors.
node_text_color	Node-label text color.
label_color, label_fill	Edge-label text and background colors.

Value

A named list with class "lvm_style".

Examples

style <- lvm_style(
  scale = 1.08,
  font_scale = 0.95,
  node_font_size = 12,
  edge_font_size = 9,
  latent_size = 16,
  observed_width = 20,
  node_fill = "#F8FAFC",
  edge_line_width = 1.1
)

---

List built-in diagram themes

Description

lvm_themes() returns the built-in theme presets accepted by plot_lvm(), plot_sem(), lvm_tikz(), and sem_tikz(). The default theme is "journal".

Usage

lvm_themes()

Value

A data frame with theme names and short descriptions.

Examples

lvm_themes()

---

TikZ output for latent variable model diagrams

Description

Creates editable TikZ output from the unified LVM graph grammar.

Usage

lvm_tikz(object, layout = NULL,
  layout_family = c("auto", "sem", "bifactor", "irt", "mixture", "growth",
  "multilevel", "circle"), orientation = c("top-down", "bottom-up",
  "left-right", "right-left"), diagram = c("auto", "all", "measurement",
  "structural", "loadings", "paths", "covariances", "compact"),
  show = NULL, min_abs = NULL, significant = NULL, alpha = 0.05,
  label = c("auto", "std", "est", "both", "none"), digits = 2,
  stars = "auto",
  node_labels = NULL, standalone = FALSE, theme = lvm_theme_names(),
  style = NULL, node_style = NULL, edge_style = NULL,
  routing = c("straight", "smart", "none"),
  escape = TRUE, file = NULL, ...)

write_lvm_tikz(object, file, standalone = TRUE, compile = FALSE,
  engine = c("pdflatex", "xelatex", "lualatex", "tectonic"), clean = TRUE,
  ...)

Arguments

object	A supported model object, "lvm_graph", or TikZ string.
layout	Optional custom layout, either a data frame with name, x, and y, or a matrix passed through layout_matrix().
layout_family	Layout preset, including SEM, bifactor, IRT, mixture, growth, multilevel, and circle layouts.
orientation	Diagram direction.
diagram	Diagram preset used to filter edge types. "auto" compacts dense probability/profile matrices; use "all" to draw every edge.
show	Optional explicit edge-type or diagram-type set to show.
min_abs	Optional minimum absolute estimate/standardized estimate.
significant	If TRUE, keep only significant edges when p-values are available.
alpha	Significance threshold.
label	Edge label style: automatic, standardized estimates, raw estimates, both, or no labels. "auto" keeps default diagrams clean by hiding automatically estimated parameters while preserving explicit custom edge labels on ordinary diagrams; use "std", "est", or "both" to show coefficients explicitly.
digits	Number of digits for numeric labels.
stars	Significance-star policy. "auto" keeps default diagrams clean, "fit" shows stars only when they fit the edge, "always" forces stars, and "none"/FALSE suppresses them. TRUE is treated as "fit".
node_labels	Optional named node labels.
standalone	Logical. Wrap in a standalone LaTeX document.
theme	Diagram theme. Use lvm_themes() to list built-in presets.
style	Optional style overrides created by lvm_style() or a named list.
node_style	Optional per-node style data frame or named list. Fields are emitted as local TikZ node options, including shape, fill, color, text_color, font_size, font_family, width, height, size, and line_width.
edge_style	Optional per-edge style data frame or named list. Fields are emitted as local TikZ draw and label options, including label, color, line_width, linetype, curvature, arrow, label_position, label_size, label_color, label_fill, and label_font_family.
routing	Edge routing mode. "straight" keeps model edges as straight segments. "smart" can add subtle curvature for users who explicitly want automatic edge avoidance.
escape	Logical. Escape node labels and plain-text custom edge labels for LaTeX. Labels already written as LaTeX math or commands are preserved.
file	Output file path.
compile	Logical. Compile with a local TeX engine.
engine	TeX engine.
clean	Logical. Remove common TeX auxiliary files.
...	Passed to as_lvm_graph() or lvm_tikz().

Value

lvm_tikz() returns a character scalar. write_lvm_tikz() invisibly returns the normalized output path.

---

Open a latent variable model diagram

Description

lvmPlot() is the high-level entry point for the package. In an interactive R session it asks whether to open the browser editor or draw a static plot, with the editor offered first because it is the recommended path for final manuscript figures. In non-interactive sessions it falls back to a static plot so scripts, examples, and package checks never wait for input. Use mode = "edit" to open the editor directly or mode = "plot" for a static diagram.

edit_lvm() is a short alias for opening the interactive editor directly.

Usage

lvmPlot(
  object,
  ...,
  mode = c("ask", "edit", "plot"),
  label = c("auto", "std", "est", "both", "none"),
  digits = 2,
  stars = "auto",
  theme = lvm_theme_names(),
  style = NULL,
  export_name = "lvmPlot-diagram",
  launch = interactive()
)

edit_lvm(
  object,
  ...,
  label = c("auto", "std", "est", "both", "none"),
  digits = 2,
  stars = "auto",
  theme = lvm_theme_names(),
  style = NULL,
  export_name = "lvmPlot-diagram",
  launch = interactive()
)

Arguments

object	A supported latent variable model object or an "lvm_graph".
...	Arguments passed to plot_lvm() or lvmPlot_editor(), such as diagram, layout_family, orientation, show, min_abs, or routing.
mode	Opening mode. "ask" prompts in interactive sessions and uses "plot" otherwise; "edit" opens the browser editor; "plot" draws the static diagram.
label	Edge label mode.
digits	Number of digits for edge labels.
stars	Significance-star policy.
theme	Plot theme. Use lvm_themes() to list built-in themes.
style	Optional style overrides created by lvm_style() or a named list.
export_name	Default file stem used by the editor downloads.
launch	Logical. If TRUE, run the editor when mode = "edit". If FALSE, return the Shiny app object without launching it; this is useful for tests and scripted validation.

Value

For mode = "plot", invisibly returns the plotted "lvm_graph". For mode = "edit", returns the Shiny app object invisibly when launched or visibly when launch = FALSE.

Examples

params <- data.frame(
  lhs = c("engage", "engage", "engage", "achieve"),
  op = c("=~", "=~", "=~", "~"),
  rhs = c("item1", "item2", "item3", "engage"),
  std.all = c(.78, .72, .69, .46),
  pvalue = c(.001, .001, .002, .004)
)

graph <- lvmPlot(params, mode = "plot", label = "std")
class(graph)

if (requireNamespace("shiny", quietly = TRUE) &&
    requireNamespace("jsonlite", quietly = TRUE)) {
  app <- lvmPlot(params, mode = "edit", label = "std", launch = FALSE)
  class(app)
}

if (interactive() && requireNamespace("shiny", quietly = TRUE) &&
    requireNamespace("jsonlite", quietly = TRUE)) {
  lvmPlot(params, mode = "edit", label = "std")
}

---

Interactively edit and export a lvmPlot diagram

Description

lvmPlot_editor() opens a small Shiny application for final manual adjustment of an automatically prepared LVM diagram. Nodes can be selected, dragged, nudged with the keyboard, snapped to a grid, locked, aligned, distributed, relabeled, repaired, undone/redone, and polished in the browser preview. Coefficient labels can also be dragged for final manual placement, or double-clicked to return them to automatic placement. Edge-label, theme, preset, color, size, line-width, and font changes update the preview before export; the edited coordinates, coefficient-label positions, node labels, and style can then be exported as SVG/PDF/PNG, reusable R code, or a JSON editor state that can be loaded later to continue editing.

Usage

lvmPlot_editor(
  object,
  ...,
  label = c("auto", "std", "est", "both", "none"),
  digits = 2,
  stars = "auto",
  theme = lvm_theme_names(),
  style = NULL,
  export_name = "lvmPlot-diagram",
  launch = interactive()
)

Arguments

object	A supported latent variable model object or an "lvm_graph".
...	Arguments passed to prepare_lvm_graph(), such as diagram, layout_family, orientation, show, min_abs, or alpha.
label	Edge label mode used for preview and default export.
digits	Number of digits for edge labels.
stars	Significance-star policy.
theme	Initial plot theme for exported files.
style	Optional style overrides created by lvm_style() or a named list. The editor preview uses a lightweight browser renderer; exported files use the full lvmPlot renderer and this style.
export_name	Default file stem for downloaded artifacts.
launch	Logical. If TRUE, run the Shiny app. If FALSE, return the app object without launching it; useful for tests.

Value

A Shiny app object invisibly when launched, or visibly when launch = FALSE.

See Also

plot_lvm, save_lvm_svg

Examples

if (interactive() && requireNamespace("shiny", quietly = TRUE) &&
    requireNamespace("jsonlite", quietly = TRUE)) {
  lvmPlot_editor(
    data.frame(
      lhs = c("f", "f", "y"),
      op = c("=~", "=~", "~"),
      rhs = c("x1", "x2", "f"),
      std.all = c(.7, .8, .4)
    )
  )
}

---

Preview a lvmPlot diagram from the RStudio editor selection

Description

These helpers are intended for RStudio Addins. Select an object name or an R expression that evaluates to a supported model, then run the addin to draw the diagram in the Plots pane or export TikZ code.

Usage

lvmPlot_rstudio_preview(object = NULL, ...)

lvmPlot_rstudio_export_tikz(object = NULL, file = "lvmPlot-diagram.tex", ...)

Arguments

object	Optional object. When NULL, the current RStudio editor selection is evaluated in .GlobalEnv.
...	Passed to plot_lvm() or write_lvm_tikz().
file	Output .tex path for lvmPlot_rstudio_export_tikz().

Value

Invisibly returns the plotted graph or output file.

---

Draw and save latent variable model diagrams

Description

Draws latent variable model diagrams in the RStudio Plots pane and exports the same graph as SVG, PDF, or PNG.

Usage

plot_lvm(object, layout = NULL,
  layout_family = c("auto", "sem", "bifactor", "irt", "mixture", "growth",
  "multilevel", "circle"), orientation = c("top-down", "bottom-up",
  "left-right", "right-left"), diagram = c("auto", "all", "measurement",
  "structural", "loadings", "paths", "covariances", "compact"),
  show = NULL, min_abs = NULL, significant = NULL, alpha = 0.05,
  label = c("auto", "std", "est", "both", "none"), digits = 2,
  stars = "auto",
  node_labels = NULL, theme = lvm_theme_names(), style = NULL,
  node_style = NULL, edge_style = NULL,
  routing = c("straight", "smart", "none"),
  aspect = c("balanced", "preserve", "fill"), margin = 0.08, ...)

## S3 method for class 'lvm_graph'
plot(x, ...)

save_lvm_svg(object, file, width = "auto", height = "auto", ...)

save_lvm_pdf(object, file, width = "auto", height = "auto", ...)

save_lvm_png(object, file, width = "auto", height = "auto", res = 240, ...)

Arguments

object	A supported model object or "lvm_graph".
layout	Optional custom layout with name, x, and y, or a matrix passed through layout_matrix().
layout_family	Layout preset: automatic, SEM, bifactor, IRT, mixture, growth, multilevel, or circle.
orientation	Diagram direction.
diagram	Diagram preset used to filter edge types. "auto" compacts dense probability/profile matrices; use "all" to draw every edge.
show	Optional explicit edge-type or diagram-type set to show.
min_abs	Optional minimum absolute estimate/standardized estimate.
significant	If TRUE, keep only edges significant at alpha when p-values are available.
alpha	Significance threshold.
label	Edge label style: automatic, standardized estimates, raw estimates, both, or no labels. "auto" keeps default diagrams clean by hiding automatically estimated parameters while preserving explicit custom edge labels on ordinary diagrams; use "std", "est", or "both" to show coefficients explicitly.
digits	Number of digits for numeric edge labels.
stars	Significance-star policy. "auto" keeps default diagrams clean, "fit" shows stars only when they fit the edge, "always" forces stars, and "none"/FALSE suppresses them. TRUE is treated as "fit".
node_labels	Optional named node labels.
theme	Diagram theme. Use lvm_themes() to list built-in presets.
style	Optional style overrides created by lvm_style() or a named list.
node_style	Optional per-node style data frame or named list. Data-frame columns can include name, label, shape, fill, color, text_color, font_size, font_family, width, height, size, and line_width.
edge_style	Optional per-edge style data frame or named list. Data-frame columns can include from, to, optional type, label, color, line_width, linetype, curvature, arrow, label_size, label_color, label_fill, and label_font_family.
routing	Edge routing mode. "straight" keeps model edges as straight segments. "smart" can add subtle curvature for users who explicitly want automatic edge avoidance.
aspect	Plot coordinate scaling. "balanced" avoids extreme x/y distortion, "preserve" keeps coordinate units visually equal for the current device, and "fill" uses the historical full-panel stretch.
margin	Outer plot margin.
...	Passed to as_lvm_graph() or plot_lvm().
x	An "lvm_graph" object.
file	Output file path.
width, height	Device size in inches, or "auto" to use lvm_canvas_size().
res	PNG output resolution in pixels per inch.

Value

plot_lvm() invisibly returns the graph. Save helpers invisibly return the normalized output path.

Examples

params <- data.frame(
  lhs = c("f", "f", "y"),
  op = c("=~", "=~", "~"),
  rhs = c("x1", "x2", "f"),
  est = c(1, .8, .4)
)
plot_lvm(
  params,
  layout = matrix(c(NA, "y", NA, NA, "f", NA, "x1", ".", "x2"),
                  nrow = 3, byrow = TRUE),
  node_style = data.frame(name = "f", shape = "diamond", fill = "#EEF2FF"),
  edge_style = data.frame(from = "f", to = "y", label = "beta",
                          linetype = "dashed", curvature = -.18)
)

---

Draw and save SEM path diagrams in R

Description

plot_sem() uses base R grid graphics, so a fitted lavaan model can be previewed directly in the RStudio Plots pane. The save helpers write the same diagram as SVG, PDF, or PNG.

Usage

plot_sem(object, layout = NULL, label = c("auto", "std", "est", "both", "none"),
  digits = 2, stars = "auto", residuals = FALSE, covariances = TRUE,
  node_labels = NULL, theme = lvm_theme_names(), style = NULL,
  node_style = NULL, edge_style = NULL,
  routing = c("straight", "smart", "none"),
  aspect = c("balanced", "preserve", "fill"), margin = 0.08, ...)

## S3 method for class 'sem_graph'
plot(x, ...)

save_sem_svg(object, file, width = 8, height = 4.8, ...)

save_sem_pdf(object, file, width = 8, height = 4.8, ...)

save_sem_png(object, file, width = 8, height = 4.8, res = 240, ...)

Arguments

object	A lavaan fit object, a lavaan-style parameter table, or an object returned by as_sem_graph().
layout	Optional custom layout. See as_sem_graph(), or a matrix passed through layout_matrix().
label	Edge label style: automatic, standardized estimates, raw estimates, both, or no labels. "auto" keeps default diagrams clean by hiding automatically estimated parameters while preserving explicit custom edge labels on ordinary diagrams; use "std", "est", or "both" to show coefficients explicitly.
digits	Number of digits for edge labels.
stars	Significance-star policy. "auto" keeps default diagrams clean, "fit" shows stars only when they fit the edge, "always" forces stars, and "none"/FALSE suppresses them. TRUE is treated as "fit".
residuals	Logical. Draw variance self-loops.
covariances	Logical. Draw covariance paths.
node_labels	Optional named character vector, unnamed vector, or function used to relabel nodes.
theme	Diagram theme. Use lvm_themes() to list built-in presets.
style	Optional style overrides created by lvm_style() or a named list.
node_style	Optional per-node style data frame or named list. Columns can include name, label, shape, fill, color, text_color, font_size, font_family, width, height, size, and line_width.
edge_style	Optional per-edge style data frame or named list. Columns can include from, to, optional type, label, color, line_width, linetype, curvature, arrow, label_size, label_color, label_fill, and label_font_family.
routing	Edge routing mode. "straight" keeps model edges as straight segments. "smart" can add subtle curvature for users who explicitly want automatic edge avoidance.
aspect	Plot coordinate scaling. "balanced" avoids extreme x/y distortion, "preserve" keeps coordinate units visually equal for the current device, and "fill" uses the historical full-panel stretch.
margin	Outer plot margin, in normalized parent coordinates.
...	Reserved for future extensions, or passed to plot_sem() by the save helpers.
x	A "sem_graph" object.
file	Output file path.
width, height	Device size in inches.
res	PNG output resolution in pixels per inch.

Value

plot_sem() invisibly returns the "sem_graph" object used for drawing. The save helpers invisibly return the normalized output path.

Examples

params <- data.frame(
  lhs = c("f", "f", "y"),
  op = c("=~", "=~", "~"),
  rhs = c("x1", "x2", "f"),
  est = c(1, .8, .4),
  std.all = c(.7, .6, .35),
  pvalue = c(NA, .001, .01)
)
plot_sem(params)

---

Select the best layout automatically

Description

select_lvm_layout() evaluates a grid of candidate layout settings and chooses the candidate with the best layout_quality() score. It lets users ask lvmPlot to try common orientation and routing alternatives before exporting a figure.

Usage

select_lvm_layout(object, layout_family = "auto",
  orientation = c("top-down", "left-right", "bottom-up", "right-left"),
  diagram = "auto", routing = "straight", show = NULL, min_abs = NULL,
  significant = NULL, alpha = 0.05,
  label = c("auto", "std", "est", "both", "none"), digits = 2,
  stars = "auto", node_labels = NULL, node_style = NULL,
  edge_style = NULL, ...)

Arguments

object	A supported latent variable model object or "lvm_graph".
layout_family	Candidate layout families.
orientation	Candidate orientations.
diagram	Candidate diagram subsets.
routing	Candidate routing modes.
show	Optional edge types to show.
min_abs	Optional absolute loading/path threshold.
significant	Logical. Keep only significant estimated edges.
alpha	Significance threshold.
label	Edge label style used for scoring.
digits	Number of digits for edge labels.
stars	Significance-star policy.
node_labels	Optional node relabeling vector or function.
node_style, edge_style	Optional per-node and per-edge style tables.
...	Passed to model adapters.

Value

A list with the selected graph, quality object, best candidate row, and candidate table, with class "lvmPlot_layout_selection".

Examples

params <- data.frame(
  lhs = c("f", "f", "f"),
  op = "=~",
  rhs = c("x1", "x2", "x3"),
  std.all = c(.7, .8, .75)
)
selection <- select_lvm_layout(
  params,
  orientation = c("top-down", "left-right"),
  label = "std"
)
selection
plot_lvm(selection$graph, label = "std")

---

Render a SEM path diagram as TikZ

Description

sem_tikz() renders measurement paths, structural regressions, and covariances from lavaan output as editable TikZ code.

Usage

sem_tikz(object, layout = NULL, label = c("auto", "std", "est", "both", "none"),
  digits = 2, stars = "auto", residuals = FALSE, covariances = TRUE,
  node_labels = NULL, standalone = FALSE, theme = lvm_theme_names(),
  style = NULL, node_style = NULL, edge_style = NULL,
  routing = c("straight", "smart", "none"), escape = TRUE, file = NULL, ...)

Arguments

object	A lavaan fit object, a lavaan-style parameter table, or an object returned by as_sem_graph().
layout	Optional custom layout. See as_sem_graph(), or a matrix passed through layout_matrix().
label	Edge label style: automatic, standardized estimates, raw estimates, both, or no labels. "auto" keeps default diagrams clean by hiding automatically estimated parameters while preserving explicit custom edge labels on ordinary diagrams; use "std", "est", or "both" to show coefficients explicitly.
digits	Number of digits for edge labels.
stars	Significance-star policy. "auto" keeps default diagrams clean, "fit" shows stars only when they fit the edge, "always" forces stars, and "none"/FALSE suppresses them. TRUE is treated as "fit".
residuals	Logical. Draw variance self-loops.
covariances	Logical. Draw covariance paths.
node_labels	Optional named character vector, unnamed vector, or function used to relabel nodes.
standalone	Logical. Wrap the TikZ picture in a standalone LaTeX document.
theme	Diagram theme. Use lvm_themes() to list built-in presets.
style	Optional style overrides created by lvm_style() or a named list.
node_style	Optional per-node style data frame or named list. The same node style fields used by plot_sem() are emitted as local TikZ node options.
edge_style	Optional per-edge style data frame or named list. The same edge style fields used by plot_sem() are emitted as local TikZ draw and coefficient-label options.
routing	Edge routing mode. "straight" keeps model edges as straight segments. "smart" can add subtle curvature for users who explicitly want automatic edge avoidance.
escape	Logical. Escape node labels and plain-text custom edge labels for LaTeX. Labels already written as LaTeX math or commands are preserved.
file	Optional path to write the generated code.
...	Reserved for future extensions.

Value

A character scalar with class "sem_tikz".

Examples

params <- data.frame(
  lhs = c("f", "f", "y"),
  op = c("=~", "=~", "~"),
  rhs = c("x1", "x2", "f"),
  est = c(1, .8, .4),
  std.all = c(.7, .6, .35),
  pvalue = c(NA, .001, .01)
)
sem_tikz(params)

---

Write a TikZ SEM diagram to disk

Description

write_sem_tikz() writes a TikZ path diagram to a .tex file and can optionally compile it when a local TeX engine is available.

Usage

write_sem_tikz(object, file, standalone = TRUE, compile = FALSE,
  engine = c("pdflatex", "xelatex", "lualatex", "tectonic"), clean = TRUE,
  ...)

Arguments

object	A lavaan fit object, lavaan-style parameter table, "sem_graph", "sem_tikz", or character TikZ code.
file	Output .tex path.
standalone	Logical. If TRUE, ensure a standalone LaTeX document is written.
compile	Logical. Compile the .tex file with a local TeX engine.
engine	TeX engine used when compile = TRUE.
clean	Logical. Remove common TeX auxiliary files after successful compilation.
...	Passed to sem_tikz() when object is not already TikZ code.

Value

Invisibly returns the normalized output path.

---