Showing papers in "IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications in 2006"
TL;DR: The R&D agenda for visual analytics addresses technical needs for each of these focus areas, as well as recommendations for speeding the movement of promising technologies into practice.
Abstract: Researchers have made significant progress in disciplines such as scientific and information visualization, statistically based exploratory and confirmatory analysis, data and knowledge representations, and perceptual and cognitive sciences. Although some research is being done in this area, the pace at which new technologies and technical talents are becoming available is far too slow to meet the urgent need. National Visualization and Analytics Center's goal is to advance the state of the science to enable analysts to detect the expected and discover the unexpected from massive and dynamic information streams and databases consisting of data of multiple types and from multiple sources, even though the data are often conflicting and incomplete. Visual analytics is a multidisciplinary field that includes the following focus areas: (i) analytical reasoning techniques, (ii) visual representations and interaction techniques, (iii) data representations and transformations, (iv) techniques to support production, presentation, and dissemination of analytical results. The R&D agenda for visual analytics addresses technical needs for each of these focus areas, as well as recommendations for speeding the movement of promising technologies into practice. This article provides only the concise summary of the R&D agenda. We encourage reading, discussion, and debate as well as active innovation toward the agenda for visual analysis.
549 citations
TL;DR: The capability of the controlled experiment method to measure insight is examined, to determine to what degree visualizations achieve this purpose.
Abstract: Recent visualization research literature has paid an increasing amount of attention to evaluating visualizations. It seems an appropriate time to reopen the question about what the ultimate purpose of visualization is and how it should be evaluated. One potential claim is: the purpose of visualization is insight. The purpose of visualization evaluation is to determine to what degree visualizations achieve this purpose. If this claim is true, then evaluating visualizations should seek to determine how well visualizations generate insight. Measuring insight would enable the direct comparison of visualization design alternatives, or the comparison against an insight goal. This article examines the capability of the controlled experiment method to measure insight
491 citations
TL;DR: This article considers animating evacuation in complex buildings by crowds who might not know the structure's connectivity, or who find routes accidentally blocked.
Abstract: This article considers animating evacuation in complex buildings by crowds who might not know the structure's connectivity, or who find routes accidentally blocked. It takes into account simulated crowd behavior under two conditions: where agents communicate building route knowledge, and where agents take different roles such as trained personnel, leaders, and followers
267 citations
TL;DR: A system that can generate stories can adapt narrative to the user's preferences and abilities, has expanded replay value, and can interact with users in ways that system designers didn't initially envision.
Abstract: Narrative intelligence refers to the ability - human or computer - to organize experience into narrative. Recently, researchers have applied narrative intelligence to create interactive narrative systems, virtual worlds in which a story unfolds and the user is considered a character in the story, able to interact with elements and other characters in the virtual world. The standard approach to incorporating storytelling into a computer system is to script a story at design time. However, this approach limits the computer system's ability to adapt to the user's preferences and abilities. The alternative approach is to generate stories dynamically or on a per-session basis (one story per time the system is engaged). Narrative generation is a process that involves the selection, ordering, and presentation through discourse of narrative content. A system that can generate stories can adapt narrative to the user's preferences and abilities, has expanded replay value, and can interact with users in ways that system designers didn't initially envision
224 citations
TL;DR: The authors present a system for simulating surgeries involving bone manipulation, such as temporal bone surgery and mandibular surgery, and discuss the automatic computation of surgical performance metrics.
Abstract: Visual and haptic simulation of bone surgery can support and extend current surgical training techniques. The authors present a system for simulating surgeries involving bone manipulation, such as temporal bone surgery and mandibular surgery, and discuss the automatic computation of surgical performance metrics. Experimental results confirm the system's construct validity
199 citations
TL;DR: LiverPlanner is a virtual liver surgery planning system that uses high-level image analysis algorithms and virtual reality technology to help physicians find the best resection plan for each individual patient.
Abstract: We have developed LiverPlanner, a virtual liver surgery planning system that uses high-level image analysis algorithms and virtual reality technology to help physicians find the best resection plan for each individual patient. Preliminary user studies of LiverPlanner show that the proposed tools are well accepted by doctors and lead to much shorter planning times
168 citations
TL;DR: This paper designs, implemented, and studied a variety of tabletop user interfaces, interaction techniques, and usage scenarios, including the need for input methods that transcend traditional mouse- and keyboard-based designs.
Abstract: Tables provide a large and natural interface for supporting direct manipulation of visual content for human-to-human interactions. Such surfaces also support collaboration, coordination, and parallel problem solving. However, the direct-touch table metaphor also presents considerable challenges, including the need for input methods that transcend traditional mouse- and keyboard-based designs. In this paper, we've designed, implemented, and studied a variety of tabletop user interfaces, interaction techniques, and usage scenarios
159 citations
TL;DR: The US National Science Foundation (NSF) and US National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently published a report on the potential of visualization as a new technology as discussed by the authors, which explored the state of the field, examined the potential impact of visualization on areas of national and international importance, and presented their findings and recommendations for the future of our growing discipline.
Abstract: The US National Science Foundation (NSF) convened a panel to report on the potential of visualization as a new technology. The NSF and US National Institutes of Health (NIH) convened the Visualization Research Challenges (VRC) Executive Committee to write a new report. Here, we summarize that new VRC report. We explore the state of the field, examine the potential impact of visualization on areas of national and international importance, and present our findings and recommendations for the future of our growing discipline. Our audience is twofold: the supporters, sponsors, and application users of visualization research on the one hand, and researchers and practitioners in visualization on the other. We direct our discussion toward solving key problems of national interest and helping this work's sponsors to concentrate resources to the greatest effect. Our findings and recommendations reflect information gathered from visualization and applications scientists during two workshops on VRC, as well as input from the larger visualization community.
148 citations
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TL;DR: The author considers the issue from the perspective of the day-to-day practice of academic visualization research.
Abstract: Users play a central role in visualization. The ultimate aim of visualization is to provide insight to users, not just to produce images. Since the late 1980s, our field has spent much effort on developing new methods to help users obtain insight, and we have made a lot of progress. Many researchers nowadays use visualization routinely to understand the results of their measurements and simulations. However, many problems still exist, and not every method reaches its intended audience. In recent years, discussion has focused on the position of our field and which goals to pursue. In this article, the author considers the issue from the perspective of the day-to-day practice of academic visualization research
135 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report on the emergent narrative concept aiming at the definition of a narrative theory adapted to the VR medium (whether a game or VR application), and discuss designing unscripted dramas with affectively driven intelligent autonomous characters based on the development of the FearNot! system for education against bullying.
Abstract: In this article, we report on the emergent narrative concept aiming at the definition of a narrative theory adapted to the VR medium (whether a game or VR application). The inherent freedom of movement proper to VR - an indisputable element of immersion - collides with the Aristotelian vision of articulated plot events with respect to the given timeline associated with the story in display. This narrative paradox can only be observed in interactive VR applications and it doesn't seem possible to resolve it through the use of existing narrative theories. Interactivity is the novel element that storytellers must address. The authors discuss designing unscripted dramas with affectively driven intelligent autonomous characters based on the development of the FearNot! system for education against bullying
133 citations
TL;DR: A Stanford University research group built and evaluated a series of novel prototypes that explore multi-user coordination policies and cooperative gesturing, encouraging equitable participation in educational tasks and supporting social skills development for special-needs populations.
Abstract: A Stanford University research group explores how design alternatives for tabletop interfaces can impact group dynamics to promote effective teamwork. They built and evaluated a series of novel prototypes that explore multi-user coordination policies and cooperative gesturing, encouraging equitable participation in educational tasks and supporting social skills development for special-needs populations
TL;DR: A precomputation scheme and multilayer computational architecture enable the model's real-time execution with visual and haptic feedback to the user and presents methods for measuring and integrating experimental data on the viscoelastic material properties of soft tissues into the model for realistic display of visual deformations and interaction forces.
Abstract: We propose an end-to-end solution to real-time and realistic finite-element modeling and simulation of viscoelastic soft tissue behavior. We provide an efficient numerical scheme for solving a linear viscoelastic FEM model derived from the generalized Maxwell solid, and present methods for measuring and integrating experimental data on the viscoelastic material properties of soft tissues into the model for realistic display of visual deformations and interaction forces. Our precomputation scheme and multilayer computational architecture enable the model's real-time execution with visual and haptic feedback to the user. Our approach includes time- and rate-dependent effects, which requires considering a node's loading history in our displacement computations at each cycle of the simulation
TL;DR: This study's primary objective was furthering the science of marine mammal ethology and field testing GeoZui4D, an innovative test-bench for investigate effective ways of navigating through time-varying geospatial data.
Abstract: A new collaboration between visualization experts, engineers, and marine biologists has changed. For the first time, we can see and study the foraging behavior of humpback whales. Our study's primary objective was furthering the science of marine mammal ethology. We also had a second objective: field testing GeoZui4D, an innovative test-bench for investigate effective ways of navigating through time-varying geospatial data
TL;DR: This work integrates the information in log and alert files into an intuitive, flexible, extensible, and scalable visualization tool - VisAlert - that presents critical information concerning network activity in an integrated manner, increasing the user's situational awareness.
Abstract: The VisAlert visual correlation tool facilitates situational awareness in complex network environments by providing a holistic view of network security to help detect malicious activities. Information visualization techniques and methods in many applications have effectively increased operators' situational awareness, letting them more effectively detect, diagnose, and treat anomalous conditions. Visualization elevates information comprehension by fostering rapid correlation and perceived associations. Our visualization technique integrates the information in log and alert files into an intuitive, flexible, extensible, and scalable visualization tool - VisAlert - that presents critical information concerning network activity in an integrated manner, increasing the user's situational awareness.
TL;DR: An interface technique that manages viewing complexity and offers a set of versatile visualization capabilities in 3D augmented virtual environments (AVE) is explored.
Abstract: The authors developed a Magic Lens framework for Scape, an augmented virtual environment (AVE). They generalize the functional characteristics of Magic Lenses in terms of 3D visualization in AVEs and present two tangible Magic Lens-enabled devices with complementary interface capabilities. The authors also demonstrate their Magic Lens devices through testbed applications relevant to urban planning and medical training. This article explores an interface technique that manages viewing complexity and offers a set of versatile visualization capabilities in 3D augmented virtual environments (AVE)
TL;DR: A broad survey of existing large-display groupware systems is undertaken to understand how their purpose, design, and deployment affect the success of their integration into everyday tasks and practices.
Abstract: Research in the field of large-display groupware applications has yet to yield a killer app, a common look and feel for applications, or a set of broadly applicable design principles. It's therefore difficult to understand what constitutes a successful large-display groupware application and what affects their adoption. Although large-display groupware faces many of the same adoption and use challenges as conventional desktop groupware, how people perceive and interact with large-display groupware yields some unique challenges. We've built and evaluated several large-display groupware systems that address various workgroups, functions, and environments. This experience has given us broad expertise regarding the social dynamics and technical challenges surrounding large-display groupware's design. To enhance our understanding of these challenges, we've also undertaken a broad survey of existing large-display groupware systems to understand how their purpose, design, and deployment affect the success of their integration into everyday tasks and practices.
TL;DR: This trend toward sensual involvement is particularly noticeable in tabletop displays, as they appeal to two aspects of familiar daily life: the horizontal surface as a workspace, and hand gestures as tools for manipulating information.
Abstract: Just as online shopping is a bellwether of advanced online technologies, so are museum and gallery showcases for the best in computer display and interface technology. In the first case, commerce demands that speed and reliability get priority, in the latter, technological invisibility is foremost. The museum experience is an unusually tactile, sensual one, and the standard keyboard-mouse-and-screen setup might seem out of place. This trend toward sensual involvement is particularly noticeable in tabletop displays, as they appeal to two aspects of familiar daily life: the horizontal surface as a workspace, and hand gestures (or common objects) as tools for manipulating information.
TL;DR: This work presents a novel and intuitive approach for material design through direct control of the material's bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) via a series of brush strokes and proposes that these brush strokes allow the artist to create a BRDF with intrinsic knowledge of how the highlight will appear on a given object.
Abstract: A majority of the artists in the graphics community use one of the mainstream packages for modeling and designing a scene for 3D rendering. These packages - such as Alias' Maya, Discreet's 3ds Max, or Newtek's Lightwave -provide slider bars and numerical inputs that let the artist design the material's attributes, such as smoothness and metallic qualities. While advanced users develop a mental mapping from numerical input to material appearance, novice users might not have a natural feel for a material's numeric parameterization. We present a novel and intuitive approach for material design through direct control of the material's bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) via a series of brush strokes. Using our system, BRDF-Shop, the artist can paint highlights onto a spherical canvas and model a physically correct BRDF. Our principal hypothesis behind this approach is that artists understand materials through the shape and position of the highlights. We propose that these brush strokes; in combination with a real-time display, allow the artist to create a BRDF with intrinsic knowledge of how the highlight will appear on a given object.
TL;DR: This work applies a hierarchical data visualization technique that represents leaf nodes as black square icons and branch nodes as rectangular borders enclosing the icons to bioactive chemical visualization and job distribution in parallel-computing environments.
Abstract: A technique for visualizing intrusion-detection system log files using hierarchical data based on IP addresses represents the number of incidents for thousands of computers in one display space. Our technique applies a hierarchical data visualization technique that represents leaf nodes as black square icons and branch nodes as rectangular borders enclosing the icons. This representation style visualizes thousands of hierarchical data leaf nodes equally in one display space. We applied the technique to bioactive chemical visualization and job distribution in parallel-computing environments.
TL;DR: The GeoWall hardware and software are described and how the GeoWall Consortium was instrumental in creating a community of users in a variety of disciplines is discussed, using case studies to show how it helped research and education.
Abstract: The GeoWall lets people visualize the structure and dynamics of the Earth in stereo, aiding their understanding of spatial relationships. Making use of inexpensive, polarized 3D glasses, entire classrooms or conference audiences can share the 3D experience. Since the hardware is portable, it's easy to bring visualizations to the audience. In this article we describe the GeoWall hardware and software and discuss how the GeoWall Consortium was instrumental in creating a community of users in a variety of disciplines. Using case studies, we show how the GeoWall helped research and education. Finally, we describe our recent work in high-resolution tiled displays
TL;DR: This work presents work applying search-based drama management (SBDM) to the interactive fiction piece Anchorhead, to further investigate the algorithmic and authorship issues involved.
Abstract: Our work relates to automatically guiding experiences in large, open-world interactive dramas and story-based experiences where a player interacts with and influences a story. A drama manager (DM) is a system that watches a story as it progresses, reconfiguring the world to fulfill the author's goals. A DM might notice a player doing something that fits poorly with the current story and attempt to dissuade him or her. This is accomplished using soft actions such as having a nonplayer character start a conversation with a player to lure him or her to something else, or by more direct actions such as locking doors. We present work applying search-based drama management (SBDM) to the interactive fiction piece Anchorhead, to further investigate the algorithmic and authorship issues involved. Declarative optimization-based drama management (DODM) guides the player by projecting possible future stories and reconfiguring the story world based on those projections. This approach models stories as a set of possible plot points, and an author-specified evaluation function rates the quality of a particular plot-point sequence
TL;DR: FlashMap is a macromedia flash-based WYSIWYG map generalization Web service for real-time generalizing and editing of vector map data.
Abstract: Map is a macromedia flash-based WYSIWYG map generalization Web service for real-time generalizing and editing of vector map data. Requiring only a Web browser with the flash plug-in, it offers line and shape simplification and smoothing. Users can upload map files, perform generalization operations, and export and download their work
TL;DR: A new method is presented to model fast volume preservation of a mass-spring system to achieve a realistic and efficient deformable object animation, without using internal volumetric meshing, that is comparable to a finite-element-method-based model at a fraction of the computational cost.
Abstract: This article presents a new method to model fast volume preservation of a mass-spring system to achieve a realistic and efficient deformable object animation, without using internal volumetric meshing. With this method the simulated behavior is comparable to a finite-element-method-based model at a fraction of the computational cost
TL;DR: It is shown how the input channels are integrated to use the modalities beneficially and how this enhances the interface's overall usability.
Abstract: An augmented reality system enhances a mobile user's situational awareness and provides new visualization functionality. The custom-built multimodal interface provides access to information encountered in urban environments. In this article, we detail our experiences with various input devices and modalities and discuss their advantages and drawbacks in the context of interaction tasks in mobile computing. We show how we integrated the input channels to use the modalities beneficially and how this enhances the interface's overall usability
TL;DR: The TViews table provides a means for real-time multiobject tracking on the tabletop and for the management of large numbers of objects and applications across multiple platform instances.
Abstract: The TViews table is a media interaction platform designed for shared living spaces within the home environment. This platform consists of three parts: a dynamic object tracking and identification system that works with an extensible set of tagged objects on the table's surface, a planar display that is integrated into the table's surface, and a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) that tie these elements together. TViews is an extensible method and acoustic-based sensing framework for creating digital media tables that overcome many limitations of single-purpose systems. The system provides a means for real-time multiobject tracking on the tabletop and for the management of large numbers of objects and applications across multiple platform instances
TL;DR: The time-based network traffic visualizer combines low-level, textual detail with multiple visualizations of the larger context to help users construct a security event's big picture.
Abstract: The time-based network traffic visualizer combines low-level, textual detail with multiple visualizations of the larger context to help users construct a security event's big picture. TNV is a visualization tool grounded in an under standing of the work practices of security analysts. We designed it to support ID analysis by giving analysts a visual display that facilitates pattern and anomaly recognition, particularly overtime. It also offers more focused views on packet-level detail in the context of the surrounding network traffic.
TL;DR: In two experiments, the authors investigate judgments of document similarity as a function of interpoint distance and region membership in region-display spatializations.
Abstract: Region-display spatializations represent documents metaphorically as points within regions. Semantic interrelatedness is expressed by some combination of interpoint distance and region membership. In two experiments, the authors investigate judgments of document similarity as a function of these variables. Distance matters, but region membership largely determines judged similarity; hue further modifies it. Spatial metaphors are a popular approach to visualizing information in such forms as information worlds, information spaces, and cyberspaces
TL;DR: The results indicate that both systems effectively present significantly more information when compared to traditional textual approaches, and it is believed that the interactive, graphical techniques that are presented will have broad applications in other domains seeking to deal with information overload.
Abstract: This article presents a framework for designing network security visualization systems as well as results from the end-to-end design and implementation of two highly interactive systems. In this article, we provide multiple contributions: we present the results of our survey of security professionals, the design framework, and lessons learned from the design of our systems as well as an evaluation of their effectiveness. Our results indicate that both systems effectively present significantly more information when compared to traditional textual approaches. We believe that the interactive, graphical techniques that we present will have broad applications in other domains seeking to deal with information overload.
TL;DR: A digital tabletop is sufficiently different from the standard desktop computer in that it invites researchers to challenge traditional perspectives on human-computer interaction, such as rethinking the use of a computer as a solitary act.
Abstract: A digital tabletop is sufficiently different from the standard desktop computer in that it invites researchers to challenge traditional perspectives on human-computer interaction, such as rethinking the use of a computer as a solitary act, the activities people do with computers, the types of social interactions that can be part of digital interactions, and how the interplay between digital and social needs can be supported. This special issue on digital tabletops provides a sample of the research being conducted in this domain.
TL;DR: This article created a table tennis simulation as this game involves fast user movements and has moderate space requirements, and reports on the realization of this immersive table Tennis simulation, V-Pong.
Abstract: Most applications for immersive virtual environments (VEs) allow slow-or medium-speed user interaction. Examples of this kind of interaction include changing an object's position, triggering an action, or setting a control parameter. To broaden the application range for VR systems, we need to integrate technologies that allow for faster VE-user movements. This raises the question, What response times can we achieve with VR systems built from standard recent hardware components? To answer this question, we created a table tennis simulation as this game involves fast user movements and has moderate space requirements. In this article we report on the realization of our immersive table tennis simulation, V-Pong