MQTT Topic Tree Best Practices and Visualization

Hello all,
While I’ve experimented with MQTT in the past with a test server, I wanted to build a more permanent installation from scratch. After installing a Mosquitto broker on my local network, I know from earlier work that things can get unwieldy very quickly if you don’t get your topic tree structure right from the very beginning. While the HASS config structure fits MQTT very well, the MQTT topic tree must still be constructed independently so I figured users and devs of all abilities could benefit from a discussion of best practices in topic tree configuration.
I’ve been using this well-written article at tinkerman.eldiariblau.net/mqtt-t … onvention/ as my primary reference but does anybody else have any recommendations for optimizing topic tree structure per compatibility with HASS? This might prove especially helpful for the growing numbers of ex-OpenHABers who might already have a topic tree set up.

Also, as one who thinks primarily in visual terms, it would be so much easier to set up the topic tree structure in a graphic format. Leaving NodeRED aside (lest I become known as “the NodeRED guy”) I was able to find a tool at hardill.me.uk/wordpress/2013 … r-updated/
The d3 MQTT_TT looks like just the tool I’ve been hoping for but it appears to require websockets support which I don’t think is supported by the older MQTT version currently running on Raspbian Jessie… Has anybody else used graphic/visualization tools for setting up their MQTT topic tree?

Personally I haven’t done anything like that. Just curious, what did you end up doing in the end?