fillpattern
Pattern fills for ggplot2, hardened against the ways users write sizes
Comparison · Analytics
ggmapinset vs UCell
A side-by-side editorial comparison of ggmapinset and UCell — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
ggmapinset vs UCell: at a glance
What is ggmapinset?
A ggplot2 inset-map extension that is now infrastructure for other packages
ggmapinset adds magnified inset panels to ggplot2 sf maps, handling the coordinate transformation, the inset frame and the sf-related stat layers that have to follow it. The 0.5.0 release is aimed less at end users than at extension authors: coerce_centre() is a new extension point required by sibling package ggautomap, and the inset parameter drops NA in favour of waiver() as its default. It comes from cidm-ph, alongside nswgeo.
What is UCell?
A rank-based gene signature scorer that has grown by adapting to whatever object format single-cell R uses next
UCell scores gene signatures in single-cell data using a rank-based metric that is robust to dataset composition. Its release history reads as a sequence of ecosystem accommodations: Bioconductor submission in 2.0, SmoothKNN() for k-nearest-neighbor smoothing of scores in 2.2, smoothing applied directly to expression slots in 2.4, Seurat v5 assay compatibility in 2.6, multi-layer Seurat v5 objects in 2.8, and a missing_genes parameter in 2.14 that lets callers impute or skip signature genes absent from the data. Version 2.16 tracks Bioconductor 3.23 and points at a new publication and a Python implementation, pyUCell.
ggmapinset vs UCell: editorial side-by-side
ggmapinset
0.0ANALYTICS
A ggplot2 inset-map extension that is now infrastructure for other packages
◆ Current state
ggmapinset adds magnified inset panels to ggplot2 sf maps, handling the coordinate transformation, the inset frame and the sf-related stat layers that have to follow it. The 0.5.0 release is aimed less at end users than at extension authors: coerce_centre() is a new extension point required by sibling package ggautomap, and the inset parameter drops NA in favour of waiver() as its default. It comes from cidm-ph, alongside nswgeo.
◆ Where it's heading
The package has moved steadily from feature to foundation. 0.3.0 replaced confusing parameter names and rebuilt everything on stat_sf_inset() so coordinate limits stayed correct, then exposed transform_to_inset() explicitly for extension developers. 0.4.0 generalised inset shapes beyond circles to rectangles and arbitrary sf geometries. 0.5.0 continues in that direction, changing defaults in ways that require downstream extensions to adapt — the cost of being depended upon.
◆ Prediction
Expect further extension points driven by what ggautomap and the other cidm-ph mapping packages need, with the user-facing inset API staying largely settled after the shape generalisation.
UCell
0.0ANALYTICS
A rank-based gene signature scorer that has grown by adapting to whatever object format single-cell R uses next
◆ Current state
UCell scores gene signatures in single-cell data using a rank-based metric that is robust to dataset composition. Its release history reads as a sequence of ecosystem accommodations: Bioconductor submission in 2.0, SmoothKNN() for k-nearest-neighbor smoothing of scores in 2.2, smoothing applied directly to expression slots in 2.4, Seurat v5 assay compatibility in 2.6, multi-layer Seurat v5 objects in 2.8, and a missing_genes parameter in 2.14 that lets callers impute or skip signature genes absent from the data. Version 2.16 tracks Bioconductor 3.23 and points at a new publication and a Python implementation, pyUCell.
◆ Where it's heading
Two threads run through this. The scoring algorithm itself has barely changed — the rank-based core is stable, and 2.14's reformatting to gene indices rather than string matching is a speed change, not a method change. What does change constantly is object-format compatibility, which is the tax of living between Seurat and SingleCellExperiment. The pyUCell reference in 2.16 is the first sign of the method reaching beyond R, though these notes say nothing about its scope.
◆ Prediction
The cadence is locked to Bioconductor's twice-yearly release train, so the next version will most likely accompany Bioconductor 3.24 with whatever Seurat or SingleCellExperiment changes it brings.
Alternatives to ggmapinset and UCell
Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either ggmapinset or UCell.
gcube
gcube's recent releases are all packaging metadata, not simulation code
cubist
The R port of Quinlan's Cubist gets reproducibility fixes, not new modelling
ggstats
ggstats keeps widening what a coefficient or Likert plot can be
ecodive
ecodive rebuilt itself into a broad diversity-metric library, breaking as it went
simStateSpace
State-space data simulation for R, filled in one function at a time
See all ggmapinset alternatives → · See all UCell alternatives →
Recent activity from ggmapinset and UCell
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 3mo agoUCellTracks Bioconductor 3.23 and points to a Python port
- 4mo agoggmapinsetNew extension point for ggautomap; waiver() replaces NA
- 9mo agoUCellUCell version 2.14
- 1y agoggmapinsetRectangular and arbitrary sf inset shapes
- 2y agoUCellUCell version 2.8
- 2y agoUCellUCell version 2.6
- 3y agoggmapinsetRebuilt on stat_sf_inset() with corrected coordinate limits
- 3y agoUCellUCell version 2.4
- 3y agoUCellUCell version 2.2
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ggmapinset and UCell?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. ggmapinset and UCell are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is ggmapinset better than UCell?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. ggmapinset and UCell are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to ggmapinset?
Top ggmapinset alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ggmapinset alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ggmapinset for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to UCell?
Top UCell alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "UCell alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ucell for the full list with editorial commentary on each.