Abstract: This paper explores the development of grassland settlements, focusing on the role of Aobao in shaping and guiding the formation of these settlements. The dispersed nature of settlements in grassland pastoral areas poses unique challenges, with their spatial structures significantly differing from those in other regions. Consequently, the construction of a spatial network structure is essential to identify optimal methods for enhancing the spatial layout of settlements in grassland pastoral areas. The research proceeds in three phases: Firstly, a spatial network system linking Aobao and settlements is established; Secondly, network feature analysis is conducted to unravel the mechanisms of their interaction; And finally, spatial types and layout optimization directions are determined. The key findings are as follows: 1) The spatial dispersion characteristic of grassland pastoral areas is prominent, and the integration of Aobao nodes effectively strengthens the integrity of the settlement spatial network structure. 2) Within the 'Aobao-Settlement' spatial network system, some nodes do not exhibit a significant central role, revealing notable spatial variations. The mechanisms of interaction between Aobao and settlements manifest as two primary spatial functional clusters: agglomeration and fusion. 3) Leveraging a visualization system grounded in the translated mechanisms of Aobao and settlement interaction, two spatial types namely 'agglomeration enhancement type' and 'fusion driven type' are identified, with four further subdivisions at the secondary level. This research aims to provide suitable approaches for optimizing the spatial layout of discrete settlements.