An intuitive feel for parallel coordinate representations can be realized with some practice just as an intuitive feel for Cartesian representations is developed through usage and practice. Cartesian coordinates however do not provide an easy means of representing higher dimensional systems. Parallel coordinates provides a means to visualize higher order geometries in an easily recognizable two dimensional representation. As a tool for the exploratory data analysis of multidimensional systems parallel coordinates can display the patterns, trends, and correlations in the data while additionally revealing hypedimensional geometry. In order to develop a feel for parallel coordinates it is instructive to first look at how two dimensional systems translate between Cartesian and parallel systems.
Multidimensional systems follow in a similar matter.
The construction of the parallel coordinate system is fairly simple. A single horizontal line is drawn and a series of vertical axes, each representing a separate variable, are placed equal distances along the line. The number of vertical axes is equal to the number of variables and the spacing between each axes is typically of unit length. The values of a given variable are represented on the vertical axes pertaining to that variable. The values on each of the N axes that correspond to an individual point in Euclidean space are connected by line segments between successive vertical axes.