1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a size and content of a hierarchical visualization by a software component executing on a computer that displays a multi-level hierarchical visualization of nodes including a collapsed sub-hierarchy, the method performed by the software component comprising: displaying a user interface that enables a user to invoke a contextual search that is contextual to the collapsed sub-hierarchy; responsive to the user invoking the contextual search, receiving search criteria entered by the user; displaying any nodes from the collapsed sub-hierarchy matching the search criteria; receiving a user selection of which ones of the matching nodes from the collapsed sub-hierarchy to show; and displaying a partial rendering of the collapsed sub-hierarchy that shows the selected matching nodes while keeping remaining non-matching nodes hidden.