DevLan/vispubs huggingface dataset:
H3: laying out large directed graphs in 3D hyperbolic space
Authors: Tamara Munzner
Published at InfoVis, 1997

We present the H3 layout technique for drawing large directed graphs as node-link diagrams in 3D hyperbolic space. We can lay out much larger structures than can be handled using traditional techniques for drawing general graphs because we assume a hierarchical nature of the data. We impose a hierarchy on the graph by using domain-specific knowledge to find an appropriate spanning tree. Links which are not part of the spanning tree do not influence the layout but can be selectively drawn by user request. The volume of hyperbolic 3-space increases exponentially, as opposed to the familiar geometric increase of euclidean 3-space. We exploit this exponential amount of room by computing the layout according to the hyperbolic metric. We optimize the cone tree layout algorithm for 3D hyperbolic space by placing children on a hemisphere around the cone mouth instead of on its perimeter. Hyperbolic navigation affords a Focus+Context view of the structure with minimal visual clutter. We have successfully laid out hierarchies of over 20,000 nodes. Our implementation accommodates navigation through graphs too large to be rendered interactively by allowing the user to explicitly prune or expand subtrees.
Managing multiple focal levels in Table Lens
Authors: Tichomir Tenev, Ramana Rao
Published at InfoVis, 1997

The Table Lens, focus+context visualization for large data tables, allows users to see 100 times as many data values as a spreadsheet in the same screen space in a manner that enables an extremely immediate form of exploratory data analysis. In the original Table Lens design, data are shown in the context area using graphical representations in a single pixel row. Scaling up the Table Lens technique beyond approximately 500 cases (rows) by 40 variables (columns) requires not showing every value individually and thus raises challenges for preserving the exploratory and navigational ease and power of the original design. We describe two design enhancements for introducing regions of less than a pixel row for each data value and discuss the issues raised by each.
Managing software with new visual representations
Authors: Mei C. Chuah, Stephen G. Eick
Published at InfoVis, 1997

Managing large projects is a very challenging task requiring the tracking and scheduling of many resources. Although new technologies have made it possible to automatically collect data on project resources, it is very difficult to access this data because of its size and lack of structure. We present three novel glyphs for simplifying this process and apply them to visualizing statistics from a multi-million line software project. These glyphs address four important needs in project management: viewing time dependent data; managing large data volumes; dealing with diverse data types; and correspondence of data to real-world concepts.
Metrics for effective information visualization
Authors: Richard Brath
Published at InfoVis, 1997

Metrics for information visualization will help designers create and evaluate 3D information visualizations. Based on experience from 60+ 3D information visualizations, the metrics we propose are: number of data points and data density; number of dimensions and cognitive overhead; occlusion percentage; and reference context and percentage of identifiable points.
Multidimensional detective
Authors: Alfred Inselberg
Published at InfoVis, 1997

The display of multivariate datasets in parallel coordinates, transforms the search for relations among the variables into a 2-D pattern recognition problem. This is the basis for the application to visual data mining. The knowledge discovery process together with some general guidelines are illustrated on a dataset from the production of a VLSI chip. The special strength of parallel coordinates is in modeling relations. As an example, a simplified economic model is constructed with data from various economic sectors of a real country. The visual model shows the interelationship and dependencies between the sectors, circumstances where there is competition for the same resource, and feasible economic policies. Interactively, the model can be used to do trade-off analyses, discover sensitivities, do approximate optimization, monitor (as in a process) and provide decision support.
Nonlinear magnification fields
Authors: Alan Keahey, Edward L. Robertson
Published at InfoVis, 1997

We introduce nonlinear magnification fields as an abstract representation of nonlinear magnification, providing methods for converting transformation routines to magnification fields and vice-versa. This new representation provides ease of manipulation and power of expression. By removing the restrictions of explicit foci and allowing precise specification of magnification values, we can achieve magnification effects which were not previously possible. Of particular interest are techniques we introduce for expressing complex and subtle magnification effects through magnification brushing, and allowing intrinsic properties of the data being visualized to create data-driven magnifications.
On integrating visualization techniques for effective software exploration
Authors: Margaret-Anne D. Storey, Kenny Wong, F. David Fracchia, Hausi A. Müller
Published at InfoVis, 1997

This paper describes the SHriMP visualization technique for seamlessly exploring software structure and browsing source code, with a focus on effectively assisting hybrid program comprehension strategies. The technique integrates both pan+zoom and fisheye-view visualization approaches for exploring a nested graph view of software structure. The fisheye-view approach handles multiple focal points, which are necessary when examining several subsystems and their mutual interconnections. Source code is presented by embedding code fragments within the nodes of the nested graph. Finer connections among these fragments are represented by a network that is navigated using a hypertext link-following metaphor. SHriMP combines this hypertext metaphor with animated panning and zooming motions over the nested graph to provide continuous orientation and contextual cues for the user. The SHriMP tool is being evaluated in several user studies. Observations of users performing program understanding tasks with the tool are discussed.
The structure of the information visualization design space
Authors: Stuart K. Card, Jock D. Mackinlay
Published at InfoVis, 1997

Research on information visualization has reached the point where a number of successful point designs have been proposed and a variety of techniques have been discovered. It is now appropriate to describe and analyze portions of the design space so as to understand the differences among designs and to suggest new possibilities. This paper proposes an organization of the information visualization literature and illustrates it with a series of examples. The result is a framework for designing new visualizations and augmenting existing designs.
Visualizing information on a sphere
Authors: Markus H. Gross, Thomas C. Sprenger, J. Finger
Published at InfoVis, 1997

We describe a method for the visualization of information units on spherical domains which is employed in the banking industry for risk analysis, stock prediction and other tasks. The system is based on a quantification of the similarity of related objects that governs the parameters of a mass-spring system. Unlike existing approaches we initialize all information units onto the inner surface of two concentric spheres and attach them with springs to the outer sphere. Since the spring stiffnesses correspond to the computed similarity measures, the system converges into an energy minimum which reveals multidimensional relations and adjacencies in terms of spatial neighborhoods. Depending on the application scenario our approach supports different topological arrangements of related objects. In order to cope with large data sets we propose a blobby clustering mechanism that enables encapsulation of similar objects by implicit shapes. In addition, we implemented various interaction techniques allowing semantic analysis of the underlying data sets. Our prototype system IVORY is written in Java, and its versatility is illustrated by an example from financial service providers.
Volume rendering for relational data
Authors: Barry G. Becker
Published at InfoVis, 1997

A method for efficiently volume rendering dense scatterplots of relational data is described. Plotting difficulties that arise from large numbers of data points, categorical variables, interaction with non-axis dimensions, and unknown values, are addressed by this method. The domain of the plot is voxelized using binning and then volume rendering. Since a table is used as the underlying data structure, no storage is wasted on regions with no data. The opacity of each voxel is a function of the number of data points in a corresponding bin. A voxel's color is derived by averaging the value of one of the variables for all the data points that fall in a bin. Other variables in the data may be mapped to external query sliders. A dragger object permits a user to select regions inside the volume.
Balancing Usability and Learning in an Interface
Authors: Noel Rappin, Mark Guzdial, Matthew J. Realff, Pete Ludovice
Published at CHI, 1997

Creating educational software forces a difficult tradeoff. The software must be easy for the students to use, yet not so simple that the parts that students are to learn from are done for them by the computer. DEVICE (Dynamic Environment for Visualization of Chemical Engineering) is a learning environment aimed at allowing chemical engineering students to model chemical engineering problems, then execute those problems as simulations. In the design of DEVICE, we have attempted to use student tasks to focus attention on the most important parts of the problem without overwhelming students with extnneous detail.
Bringing Treasures to the Surface: Iterative Design for the Library of Congress National Digital Library Program
Authors: Catherine Plaisant, Gary Marchionini, Tom Bruns, Anita Komlodi, Laura Campbell
Published at CHI, 1997

ABSTRACT The Human-Computer Interaction Lab worked with a team for the Library of Congress (LC) to develop and test interface designs for LC's National Digital Library Program. Three iterations are described and illustrate the progression of the project toward a compact design that minimizes scrolling and jumping and anchors users in a screen space that tightly couples search and results. Issues and resolutions are discussed for each iteration and reflect the challenges of incomplete metadata, data visualization, and the rapidly changing web environment.
Characterizing Interactive Externalizations
Authors: Lisa Tweedie
Published at CHI, 1997

This paper seeks to characterize the space of techniques that exist for interactive externalisations (visualizations). A selection of visualizations are classified with respect to: the types of data represented, the nature of the visible feedback displayed and the forms of interactivity used. Such characterization provides a method for evaluating potential designs and comparing different tools.
Putting Visualization to Work: ProgramFinder for Youth Placement
Authors: Jason B. Ellis, Anne Rose, Catherine Plaisant
Published at CHI, 1997

The Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory (HCIL) and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) have been working together to develop the ProgramFinder, a tool for choosing programs for a troubled youth from drug rehabilitation centers to secure residential facilities. The seemingly straightforward journey of the ProgramFinder from an existing user interface technique to a product design required the development of five different prototypes which involved user interface design, prototype implementation, and selecting search criterion. While HCIL’s effort focused primarily on design and implementation, DJJ’s attribute selection process was the most time consuming and difficult task. We also found that a direct link to DJJ’s workflow was needed in the prototypes to generate the necessary “buy-in”. This paper analyzes the interaction between the efforts of HCIL and DJJ and the amount of “buyin” by DJJ staff and management. Lesson learned are presented for developers.
A 3D Contextual Shading Method for Visualization of Diecasting Defects
Authors: Shao-Chiung Lu, Alec B. Rebello, D. H. Cui, Roni Yagel, Richard Allen Miller, Gary L. Kinzel
Published at Vis, 1996

In many mechanical design-related activities, the visualization tool needs to convey not only the shape of the objects, but also their interior problem regions. Due to the binary nature of these models, existing shading models often fall short of supporting a realistic display. In this case study, we present several new contextual shading methods that we originally developed for our design visualization tools. The results are then compared with gray-scale shading applied to a gray-level version of the binary object. The comparison shows that our method can be applied to any binary object and yields promising results.
A fast Gibbs sampler for synthesizing constrained fractals
Authors: Baba C. Vemuri, Chhandomay Mandal
Published at Vis, 1996

It is well known that the spatial frequency spectra of membrane and thin-plate splines exhibit self-affine characteristics and hence behave as fractals. This behavior was exploited in generating the constrained fractal surfaces in the work of Szeliski and Terzopoulos (1989), which were generated by using a Gibbs sampler algorithm. The algorithm involves locally perturbing a constrained spline surface with white noise until the spline surface reaches an equilibrium state. In this paper, we introduce a very fast generalized Gibbs sampler that combines two novel techniques, namely a preconditioning technique in a wavelet basis for constraining the splines and a perturbation scheme in which, unlike the traditional Gibbs sampler, all sites (surface nodes) that do not share a common neighbor are updated simultaneously. In addition, we demonstrate the capability to generate arbitrary-order fractal surfaces without resorting to blending techniques. Using this fast Gibbs sampler algorithm, we demonstrate the synthesis of realistic terrain models from sparse elevation data.
A haptic interaction method for volume visualization
Authors: Ricardo S. Avila, Lisa M. Sobierajski
Published at Vis, 1996

Volume visualization techniques typically provide support for visual exploration of data, however additional information can be conveyed by allowing a user to see as well as feel virtual objects. We present a haptic interaction method that is suitable for both volume visualization and modeling applications. Point contact forces are computed directly from the volume data and are consistent with the isosurface and volume rendering methods, providing a strong correspondence between visual and haptic feedback. Virtual tools are simulated by applying three-dimensional filters to some properties of the data within the extent of the tool, and interactive visual feedback rates are obtained by using an accelerated ray casting method. This haptic interaction method was implemented using a PHANToM haptic interface.
A linear iteration time layout algorithm for visualising high-dimensional data
Authors: Matthew Chalmers
Published at Vis, 1996

A technique is presented for the layout of high dimensional data in a low dimensional space. This technique builds upon the force based methods that have been used previously to make visualisations of various types of data such as bibliographies and sets of software modules. The canonical force based model, related to solutions of the N body problem, has a computational complexity of O(N/sup 2/) per iteration. The paper presents a stochastically based algorithm of linear complexity per iteration which produces good layouts, has low overhead, and is easy to implement. Its performance and accuracy are discussed, in particular with regard to the data to which it is applied. Experience with application to bibliographic and time series data, which may have a dimensionality in the tens of thousands, is described.
A system for measuring surface facet orientation from atomic force microscope data
Authors: John G. Hagedorn, Holly E. Rushmeier, John Blendell, Mark Vaudin
Published at Vis, 1996

The authors describe a graphical system developed for researchers in materials science for extracting information from data obtained by atomic force microscopy. In particular, they consider the problem of computing surface orientations from data obtained from ceramic materials. The visualization problems they consider in designing this system include finding useful mechanisms for the researcher to interact with the data, presenting results in forms familiar to the scientist, and enhancing traditional display techniques.
A system for the complementary visualization of 3D volume images using 2D and 3D binaurally processed sonification representations
Authors: David Rossiter, Wai-Yin Ng
Published at Vis, 1996

Typically, feedback from analysis of three-dimensional volume image structures are presented in the visual domain. This ignores the potential for complementary analysis of feedback in the aural domain. This paper presents a system in which visualization of a volume image may be enhanced through representation of the voxel structure by a sound sequence (termed a 'sonification') in which a sequence of sound signals is generated by the mapping of voxel values to pitch, amplitude, timing and other acoustic parameters according to the design of the selected sound instrument(s). Stereo audio or spatial audio processing techniques are employed to enhance the perception of the representative sonification as emanating from the visual loci of the associated voxel.
A visualization tool for mechanical design
Authors: Shao-Chiung Lu, Alec B. Rebello, D. H. Cui, Roni Yagel, Richard Allen Miller, Gary L. Kinzel
Published at Vis, 1996

We present a new visualization approach to support design for manufacturing (DFM). This involves the correlation of manufacturing problems with the causative geometric characteristics. We then discuss the use of distance transform and 3-D thinning to extract these characteristics from a voxelized object. In contrast to current computer aided engineering (CAE) tools, our system is very efficient and simple to use. It does not require the skill and experience to generate and control a numerical mesh and interpret the results. The specifically tailored visualization system makes the results self-evident. Though the current domain is die casting, it could potentially be applied to many net shape processes.
Anatomy-based facial tissue modeling using the finite element method
Authors: Erwin Keeve, Sabine Girod, Paula Pfeifle, Bernd Girod
Published at Vis, 1996

Anatomy-based facial tissue modeling for surgical simulation is a field whose time has come. Real-time facial animation has been created in the last few years using models based on the anatomical structure of the human skin. Anatomy-based models are also under development in the field of medical visualization, with which facial surgery can be realistically simulated. In this article, we present an anatomy-based 3D finite element tissue model. Integrated into a computer-aided surgical planning system, this model allows the precise prediction of soft tissue changes resulting from the realignment of the underlying bone structure. The model has already been used in our Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and has improved craniofacial surgical planning procedures. The model is described in detail, and surgical simulation results are shown and discussed.
BLaC-wavelets: a multiresolution analysis with non-nested spaces
Authors: Georges-Pierre Bonneau, Stefanie Hahmann, Gregory M. Nielson
Published at Vis, 1996

In the last five years, there has been numerous applications of wavelets and multiresolution analysis in many fields of computer graphics as different as geometric modelling, volume visualization or illumination modelling. Classical multiresolution analysis is based on the knowledge of a nested set of functional spaces in which the successive approximations of a given function converge to that function, and can be efficiently computed. This paper first proposes a theoretical framework which enables multiresolution analysis even if the functional spaces are not nested, as long as they still have the property that the successive approximations converge to the given function. Based on this concept, we finally introduce a new multiresolution analysis with exact reconstruction for large data sets defined on uniform grids. We construct a one-parameter family of multiresolution analyses which is a blending of Haar and linear multiresolution, using BLaC (Blending of Linear and Constant) wavelets.
Case Study: Mantle convection visualization on the Cray T3D
Authors: James S. Painter, Hans-Peter Bunge, Yarden Livnat
Published at Vis, 1996

The recent years have seen rapid advancement towards viewing the Earth as an integrated system. This means that we have come to understand the interdependence of the major planetary subsystems-atmosphere, biosphere, oceans and the deep earth interior-on a large range of time and length scales. One of the longest time scales of the planet is imposed by solid state convection within the silicate Earth mantle. Mantle convection modeling, and other earth science modeling efforts, now are producing simulation data on grids that are large enough to strain the memory and processing power of even the largest high-end graphics workstations. Another alternative is to use parallel visualization tools running on the massively parallel computers that generated the data. This is the approach that we have taken for the visualization of mantle convection simulation data.
Case Study: Visual access for landscape event based temporal data
Authors: Sheelagh Carpendale, Andrew Fall, David J. Cowperthwaite, Joseph Fall, F. David Fracchia
Published at Vis, 1996

As ecological awareness increases there has been a shift towards more integrated forest management. Accurate modeling of future states of forested landscapes will allow better planning for safeguarding our forest resource for future generations. We present an initial exploration into providing visual access to information generated by SELES (Spatially Explicit Landscape Event Simulator). We explore the application of our visual access distortion technique to a block of temporal data created from a sequence of landscape event based information. This type of access extends the possibilities of visual exploration for temporal and spatial interrelations in a data set.
Case study: Visualization of laser confocal microscopy datasets
Authors: Georgios Sakas, Michael G. Vicker, Peter Jörg Plath
Published at Vis, 1996

The paper presents an example of how existing visualization methods can be successfully applied-after minor modifications-for allowing new, sometimes unexpected insight into scientific questions, in this case for better understanding of unknown, microscopic biological structures. The authors present a volume rendering system supporting the visualization of LCM datasets, a new microscopic tomographic method allowing for the first time accurate and fast in-vivo inspection of the spatial structure of microscopic structures, especially important in (but not restricted to) biology. The speed, flexibility and versatility of the system allows fast, convenient, interactive operation with large datasets on small computers (workstation or PC). By testing different datasets, they have been able to significantly improve the performance of understanding the internal structure of LCM data. Most important, they have been able to show static and dynamic structures of cells never seen before and allowing significant insight in the cell movement process. Therefore they regard the system as a universal tool for the visualization of such data.