| The Physical Visualization of Information: Designing Data Sculptures in an Educational Context | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 1-23 | |
| Andrew Vande Moere; Stephanie Patel | |||
| This paper is a qualitative case study analysis of the issues involved in
designing and implementing data sculptures, the physical "embodiment" of data
in a tangible presence, shape or form, within the context of an undergraduate
design studio. It demonstrates how approaches and theories from the field of
data visualization can form a rich contextual resource and motivational tool
for teaching principles of creative design. A relatively short, two-week
assignment challenged students to investigate and convey a meaningful
data-driven insight through a tangible representation. In this paper, we
analyze the resulting collection of physical artifacts developed by the
students to reveal notable design approaches of embodying abstract information.
We present a novel classification of data sculptures based on a semiotic
taxonomy (symbolic, iconic, or indexical) and consider the qualities of
representational fidelity and narrative formulation, for instance when the
unfolding of the data-driven narrative is seen as a process, rather than an
outcome. In addition, we investigate how the introduction of digital
fabrication techniques influenced the design strategies chosen by the students
versus handmade approaches. Keywords: design; education; data visualization; information aesthetics; data
Sculpture; digital fabrication | |||
| Visual Analysis of History of World Cup: A Dynamic Network with Dynamic Hierarchy and Geographic Clustering | | BIBA | Full-Text | 25-39 | |
| Adel Ahmed; Xiaoyan Fu; Seok-Hee Hong; Quan Hoang Nguyen; Kai Xu | |||
| In this paper, we present new visual analysis methods for history of the FIFA World Cup competition data, a social network from Graph Drawing 2006 Competition. Our methods are based on the use of network analysis method, and new visualization methods for dynamic graphs with dynamic hierarchy and geographic clustering. More specifically, we derive a dynamic network with geographic clustering from the history of the FIFA World Cup competition data, based on who-beats-whom relationship. Combined with the centrality analysis (which defines dynamic hierarchy) and the use of the union of graphs (which determines the overall layout topology), we present three new visualization methods for dynamic graphs with dynamic hierarchy and geographic clustering: wheel layout, radial layout and hierarchical layout. Our experimental results show that our visual analysis methods can clearly reveal the overall winner of the World Cup competition history as well as the strong and weak countries. Furthermore, one can analyze and compare the performance of each country for each year along the context with their overall performance. This enables us to confirm the expected and discover the unexpected. | |||
| From Tree to Graph -- Experiments with E-Spring Algorithm | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 41-63 | |
| Pushpa Kumar; Kang Zhang; Mao Lin Huang | |||
| Graph drawing and visualization represent structural information as diagrams
of abstract graphs and networks. E-Spring Algorithm, derived from the popular
spring embedder model, was proposed to eliminate node overlaps in the drawings
of clustered directed acyclic graphs Gc. In this paper, we apply the E-Spring
algorithm to general graphs by minimizing edge-node intersections. Initially, a
tree structure is extracted from the original graph using the breadth-first
search (BFS) algorithm. The extracted tree is then visualized without node
overlaps using the E-Spring algorithm, and the remaining non-tree edges are
appended to this visualization. A post-processing step that implements edge
routing is performed on the obtained visualization to eliminate residual
edge-node intersections. This method has been validated by visualizing eBay
buyer-seller relationships and Graph Catalog benchmarking data. Keywords: node overlaps; edge-node intersections; edge routing; graph visualization | |||
| Visual Navigation with Schematic Maps | | BIBA | Full-Text | 65-84 | |
| Steffen Bogen; Ulrik Brandes; Hendrik Ziezold | |||
| A prototypical example of the operational dimensions of visual information communication is the use of schematic maps for visual navigation. The implementation of maps on location-sensitive or handheld devices has changed the preliminaries of common mapping techniques. By an analysis of selected examples, both historic and current, we want to open up the space for innovative map design options. Our approach blends art history and computer science, and is based on a systematic, operational perspective. It may be unexpected, though, that it starts from the way that graphic design supports imaginative navigation on the map, rather than considering its utility for navigation in the physical space directly. | |||
| DOI-Wave: A Focus+Context Interaction Technique for Networks Based on Attention-Reactive Interface | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 85-94 | |
| Lei Ren; Lin Zhang; Dongxing Teng; Guozhong Dai; Qian Li | |||
| This paper presents DOI-Wave, a Focus+Context technique for interactive
exploration of networks, whose layout depends dynamically on the user's
degree-of-interest (DOI). DOI-Wave uses the hierarchical clustered graph
paradigm, in which, the view of a graph is dynamically determined by the
selection of a single node as the focus node. The layout algorithm could change
the view of graph animatedly, as the selected focus node is changed, according
to each node's DOI value computed by a DOI function. The Focus+Context paradigm
in DOI-Wave, from user's perspective, makes it easy to understand the
relationships between the focus node and the other nodes. And the hierarchical
cluster paradigm, which adapts to display space dynamically, leads to
simultaneously clear and compact visualization. We have applied DOI-Wave to
visualizing and exploring social networks. Evaluation results show DOI-Wave is
effective. Keywords: information visualization; user interface; graph visualization; interaction
techniques; Focus+Context; attention-reactive user interface | |||
| Multi-dimensional Data Visualization using Concentric Coordinates | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 95-118 | |
| Jiawan Zhang; Yuan Wen; Quang Vinh Nguyen; Liangfu Lu; Maolin Huang; Jiadong Yang; Jizhou Sun | |||
| This paper proposes a new method called Concentric Coordinate for
visualizing multidimensional datasets. To reduce the overlapping and edge
crossings among curves, axes are arranged as concentric circles rather than
parallel lines that are commonly used in the traditional approach. Edges which
represent data items are drawn as segments of curves rather than poly-lines
drawn in the classical parallel coordinate approach. Some heuristics are
applied in our new method in order to improve the readability of views. The
paper demonstrates the advantages of new method. In comparison with the
parallel coordinate method, our concentric circle approach can reduce more than
15% of the edge overlaps and crossings by visualizing the same dataset. In our
new approach, we further enhance the readability of views by increasing the
crossing angle. Finally, a visual interactive network scans detection system
called CCScanViewer is developed based on our new visualization method to
represent traffic activities in network flows, and the experiments show that
the new approach is effective in detecting unusual patterns of network scans,
port scans, the hidden scans, DDoS attacks etc. Keywords: Concentric Coordinates; Multi-dimensional Data Visualization; Crossing
Reduction; Security Visualization | |||
| Construct Connotation Dictionary of Visual Symbols | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 119-134 | |
| Ping Xiao; Ernesto Arroyo; Josep Blat | |||
| We present the first version of an electronic dictionary
(http://vis.upf.edu/CDVS/dic2.aspx) where designers can find pictures to
represent abstract concepts. It aims at the expressiveness and variety of
visual expressions for abstract concepts. This dictionary is driven by an
automatic knowledge extraction method, which elicits pairs of abstract concept
and picture from corpus. The extracted visual symbols look promising. A
preliminary experiment was accomplished to test the quality and quantity of
these visual symbols. We offer analysis of the experiment results and proposals
to improve the knowledge extraction method. Keywords: visual symbol; abstract concept; connotation; design; knowledge extraction;
corpus; clustering; data mining; survey; user experiment; work efficiency | |||
| Constructing Confluent Context-sensitive Graph Grammars from Non-confluent Productions for Parsing Efficiency | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 135-147 | |
| Yang Zou; Jian Lü; Xiaoqin Zeng; Xiaoxing Ma; Qiliang Yang | |||
| The efficient parsing algorithms are usually confined to confluent graph
grammars in context-sensitive formalisms, whereas the confluence condition is
not frequently met by graph grammars in practical applications. This paper,
based on the Reserved Graph Grammar (RGG) formalism, proposes an extended
formalism XRGG which allows imposing constraints characterizing application
situations on graph productions. The constraints can make the redexes of the
XRGG productions' right graphs mutually exclusive so as to ensure the
confluence of the corresponding graph grammar. Then an algorithm is developed
to construct a confluent XRGG graph grammar from an RGG grammar with
non-confluent productions for tackling identical graph languages. This method
can be easily generalized to other context-sensitive graph grammar formalisms,
thus making the efficient parsing algorithm of the RGG that depends on
confluent graph grammars more widely applicable. Keywords: Context-sensitive graph grammar; confluence; parsing algorithm; constraint;
extended productions | |||
| Experimental Color in Computer Icons | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 149-158 | |
| Yan-Peng Lim; Peter Charles Woods | |||
| Color selection is important as color could adversely affect the entire
design if not appropriately applied in icon design. Color is also visually
important to make a design more attractive, legible and viewer-friendly. The
function of icons in computer display is for direction and navigation. Color
and icon are both of equal importance in Graphical User Interface environments.
The combination of color and icon makes for a powerful tool that allows
information to be pleasantly presented on screen in a manner that is both clear
and easy to comprehend. This study divided into Part 1, 2 and 3 comprises three
research questions. The objective of this study is to encourage the 73
participants to explore the RGB color model by applying the color for a pair of
previous and next icons. The findings from this study show that students still
need to be given a systematic list of color combinations for foreground and
background color choices. Keywords: Color; Icon; RGB Color | |||
| Hidden Cluster Detection for Infectious Disease Control and Quarantine Management | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 159-172 | |
| Yain-Whar Si; Kan-Ion Leong; Robert P. Biuk-Aghai; Simon Fong | |||
| Infectious diseases that are caused by pathogenic microorganisms can spread
fast and far, from one person to another, directly or indirectly. Prompt
quarantining of the infected from the rest, coupled with contact tracing, has
been an effective measure to encounter outbreaks. However, urban life and
international travel make containment difficult. Furthermore, the length of
incubation periods of some contagious diseases like SARS enable infected
passengers to elude health screenings before first symptoms appear and thus to
carry the disease further. Detecting and visualizing contact-tracing networks,
and immediately identifying the routes of infection, are thus important. We
apply information visualization and hidden cluster detection for finding
cliques of potentially infected people during incubation. Preemptive control
and early quarantine are hence possible by our method. Our prototype Infectious
Disease Detection and Quarantine Management System (IDDQMS), which can identify
and trace clusters of infection by mining patients' history, is introduced in
this paper. Keywords: Infectious Disease; Cluster Detection; Contact Tracing; SARS; Health Care
Information System | |||
| Multi-scale Vortex Extraction of Ocean Flow | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 173-183 | |
| Cui Xie; Lihua Xing; Cunna Liu; Xiaocong Li | |||
| A simple and intuitionistic method of vortices extraction is put forward in
this paper. It includes two parts work: the vortex core detection and the
vortex hull extraction. The former is based on Sperner's Lemma to label the
velocity vector direction of triangle vertices and identifies the
fully-labeling triangle cells that are most likely to contain critical points.
Combining with triangle subdivision scheme and recording the number and the
position of the intersection of a surround streamline with the four axes under
the coordinate system originated from the examined vortex core to determine the
existence of the swirling flow pattern of vortices. Thus from visual and
logical perspective, the actual vortex core regions are verified and the
specific swirling range of vortex can be obtained by recording the outmost ring
of the intersection points on the swirling streamlines surrounding the examined
core. This approach can not only suppress false positives but also make the
vortex extraction process easily and efficiently. Furthermore, an interactive
vortex-scale factor is used for selective extracting and visualizing the vortex
in ocean flow. This method is very flexible for user to perform multi-scale
vortex feature analysis. The visualization results of the real ocean
investigation data can prove the effectiveness of our method by comparing our
results to the method of Jiang's. In addition, it also shows the potential of
the interactive visual analysis by the abstraction properties of feature
extraction process in physical oceanography and in engineering practice. Keywords: Vortex detection; feature extraction; ocean flow visualization | |||
| A Novel Visualization Method for Detecting DDoS Network Attacks | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 185-194 | |
| Jiawan Zhang; Guoqiang Yang; Liangfu Lu; MaoLin Huang; Ming Che | |||
| With the rapid growth of networks in size and complexity, netwok
administrators today are facing more and more challenges for protecting their
networked computers and other devices from all kinds of attacks. Unlike the
traditional methods of analyzing textual log data, a visual interactive system
called DDoSViewer is proposed in this paper for detecting DDoS kind of network
attacks. DDoSViewer is specifically designed for detecting DDoS attacks through
the analysis of visual patterns. We will discuss the data sources, visual
structures and interactive functions that are used in the proposed
visualization system. We will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
the existing visual solutions for DDoS detection. The extraction and analysis
of network data, the calculation and display of graphic elements' attributes
and the pre-characteristics of DDoS attacks are all included in the new
visualization technique. The experiments showed that the new system can detect
DDoS attacks effectively. Keywords: network security; DDoS attacks; information visualization; port scan | |||
| A Pool of Topics: Interactive Relational Topic Visualization for Information Discovery | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 195-207 | |
| Inessa Seifert; Michael Kruppa | |||
| In this paper, we present a novel relational visualization that supports
people at information discovery tasks in digital libraries. This visualization
displays search query results structured into topics and highlights the
intersections between them. The proposed visual representation introduces
interactive drag-and-drop operations for manipulation of the generated topics.
These operations mirror the human online searching strategies that involve
boolean AND, OR, and NOT operators. In doing so, the information seeker can
refine (or relax) a search query in an interactive way during a focusing or a
defocusing phase. The intersections of topics are made explicitly visible to
enable the information seeker to avoid frustrating "no hits" situations. Keywords: information visualization; boolean operators; information discovery; online
search strategies | |||
| DaisyViz: A Model-based User Interfaces Toolkit for Development of Interactive Information Visualization | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 209-229 | |
| Lei Ren; Feng Tian; Lin Zhang; Guozhong Dai | |||
| Although the increasing hordes of information visualization technologies are
recognized both in industry and research community, there are seldom toolkits
for non-expert users or end-users to rapidly design and develop domain-specific
information visualization applications. Such toolkits should provide support
for the unified data structures suited to tree, network, temporal and
multi-dimensional data, well-known visualization techniques and interaction
techniques, and generic visualization tasks. We built DaisyViz, a model-based
user interfaces toolkit, which enables end-users to rapidly develop
domain-specific information visualization applications without traditional
programming. DaisyViz is based on an interface model called UIMI consisting of
three declarative models -- data model, visualization model, and control model.
In the development process, users visually construct UIMI which could be used
to generate profiles. Those profiles can be parsed by DaisyViz to automatically
generate a prototype system. We firstly give the formal definition of UIMI, and
then discuss the architecture of DaisyViz. To evaluate DasyViz we built an
application in a manufacturing enterprise and performed a user study. The
results show DaisyViz is usable and effective. Keywords: User interface; information visualization; toolkit; multiple coordinated
views; model-based interface development | |||
| A New Interactive Platform for Visual Analytics of Social Networks | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 231-244 | |
| Quang Vinh Nguyen; Mao Lin Huang | |||
| This paper presents a new interactive platform for visual analytics of large
networks and graphs. The platform integrates multiple graph layouts,
interactive navigations and clustering algorithms into an effective and
flexible analytical visual environment for better understanding of the nature
of variety of different networks. This could lead to the discovery and
revealing of hidden structures and relationships among the network items as
well as the attributes associated with particular focused elements. We provide
a number of interactive navigation and exploration methods so that it can
provide a flexible and controllable way to archive the preferable view for
analytics. We are extending our visual analytics platform into a large and
high-resolution display. Keywords: Information Visualisation; Graph Visualisation; Interaction; Visual
Analytics; Network; Visualisation Framework | |||
| Strategic paths and memory map: Exploring a building and memorizing knowledge | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 245-254 | |
| Sandro Varano; Jean-Claude Bignon | |||
| Restoring archaeology and architecture, we propose a 3D navigation mode
based on topographic and cognitive paths. During the exploration of a 3D model,
the learner can create his own memory map facilitating the appropriation and
memorization of knowledge. In this article, we will correlate the exploration
and creation activities. The Great Pyramid of Giza is a support to this work. Keywords: Archaeology and architecture; strategic path; memory map; learning | |||
| Information visualization Approach on the University Examination Timetabling Problem | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 255-264 | |
| J. Joshua Thomas; Ahamad Tajudin Khader; Bahari Belaton | |||
| The university examination timetabling is known to be a highly constrained
combinatorial optimization problem. We classify the examination timetabling
into preprocessing, during the processing, and post-processing stages. In each
of the processes the data places a crucial role to engross into the stages to
generate timetables. Major research work on timetabling is to tune the
algorithms or focused on the optimal timetable generations and its performance.
In this paper, we propose an interactive system based on visualization
techniques to guide the optimization process with constraint satisfaction
algorithms. Visualization assists the user to learn the data (pre-processing)
with that to make a medium between the scheduler and the timetable designers to
improve the obtained solutions. To show the usefulness of our ideas, we apply
graph visualization (Prefuse) on the pre-processing data that could effectively
support a human timetable designer in the analysis of complex timetable
generations. Keywords: Examination timetabling; Graph visualization; Information visualization | |||
| Making Traffic Safety Personal: Visualization and Customization of National Traffic Fatalities | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 265-282 | |
| Brian N. Hilton; Thomas A. Horan; Benjamin Schooley | |||
| Communicating public health issues related to rural and urban road
transportation safety is a challenging task. The approach to this task was to
utilize an action-design research methodology to design and evaluate several
innovative GIS-mashups that visually communicate traffic fatality information
from the national to the local level. These web-based mashups
(www.saferoadmaps.org) integrate a range of spatial data regarding motor
vehicle crashes, transportation policy legislation, and driver behavioral data
and present a visual representation of traffic safety across the United States.
It was anticipated that these mashups, and related website, would help raise
awareness and change fundamental perceptions regarding the magnitude, risk
factors, and impacts of motor vehicle crashes and bring both increased safety
and awareness to transportation policy makers and private citizens. Preliminary
findings from around the world suggest that there is a strong interest in this
type of information, particularly as users can customize it to local queries. Keywords: Visualization Interface; GIS; Mashup; Public Health; Traffic Fatalities; Web
2.0; XML | |||
| Visualizing Table Dependency Relations to Reveal Network Characters in Database Applications | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 283-297 | |
| Chengying Mao | |||
| With the rapid growth of software size and complexity, how to understand and
maintain a software system has become a great challenge in its life-cycle,
especially from the global perspective. The paper mainly focuses on the
comprehension problem of database-based software systems. A framework for
visualizing and analyzing table dependency structure of a DB-based application
is proposed, and its corresponding prototype tool named DBViewer is
implemented. It mainly includes two main functions, i.e., table dependency
visualization in database and structure feature metrics. The key methods of
building this tool are proposed and some characters of table dependency
relations in database are also found via metrics in this paper. Some
experiments are performed on five DB-based software systems, and some
preliminary rules have been found: (1) the degree distribution of table
dependency graph roughly conforms to power law, (2) the average path length of
the max connected subgraph is small, and (3) the clustering effect is not so
evident and the coefficients are all less than 0.05 in the max connected
sub-graph of all table dependency relations. Keywords: Software Visualization; Complex Network; Pareto Law; Graphviz | |||
| Visualized Feature Modeling in Software Product Line | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 299-310 | |
| Li Zheng; Chao Zhang; Zhanwei Wu; Yixin Yan | |||
| In the research of commonalities and variations of domain modeling, feature
modeling is proved to be an effective and widely used method. But how to
visualize the feature models in user interfaces remains to be a problem. In
studying the data processing domain, we design rendering rules to combine
features to user visible engines in GUI XML and UML based Architecture
Description Language (ADL). Furthermore, we visualize the process in our IDE
tool based on Eclipse. Keywords: Software Product Line; Feature Modeling; Visualization | |||
| A Useful Visualization Technique: A Literature Review for Augmented Reality and its Application, limitation & future direction | | BIBA | Full-Text | 311-337 | |
| Donggang Yu; Jesse Sheng Jin; Suhuai Luo; Wei Lai; Qingming Huang | |||
| Augmented reality (AR), a useful visualization technique, is reviewed based literatures. The AR research methods and applications are surveyed since AR was first developed over forty years ago. Recent and future AR researches are proposed which could help researchers of decide which topics should be developed when they are beginning their own researches in the field. | |||
| Novel Blind Steganalysis for JPEG Images | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 339-353 | |
| Li Zhuo; Chen Jian; Jiang Xiaoning; Zeng Xianting; Pan Xuezeng | |||
| A new blind steganalytic scheme is proposed in this paper for JPEG images.
Based on the DCT domain and the decompressed spatial domain, nine statistical
models are constructed for a JPEG image. By using the center of mass (COM) of
histogram characteristic function (HCF), we calculate the energy distribution
for each statistical model in the frequency domain as a part of the feature
set. Besides, we select suitable individual elements which hold main
information of the statistical models based on DCT domain as the other part of
the feature set. Then a 194-dimensional feature vector is obtained for each
image. Support vector machines (SVM) are utilized to construct the classifiers.
Experimental results show that the proposed scheme provides good detection
accuracy on five popular JPEG steganographic algorithms, and outperforms
several recently reported similar steganalytic methods, especially when the
embedded messages are small. Keywords: Steganalysis; Blind detection; Statistical model; Feature vector; Support
vector machine | |||
| A Polarization Restraint Based Fast Motion Estimation Approach to H.264 Stereoscopic Video Coding | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 355-364 | |
| Mingjing Ai; Lili Zhao; Yongmei Zhu; Qinping Zhao | |||
| An efficient polarization restraint based fast motion estimation algorithm
for H.264 stereoscopic video coding is proposed in this paper. For parallel
binocular-camera systems, there exists a certain principle called polarization
restraint, according to which, for the object in a 3D scene, there is no
vertical disparity between its projection point on the left plane and that on
the right plane. The Motion Estimation (ME) complexity in the right view
channel can be greatly reduced by adopting the algorithm presented in this
paper. Experimental results show that, compared with the Full Search Block
Match Algorithm (FSBMA), the number of search candidates of the proposed
algorithm are only 1/136 of that of the FSBMA with similar decoded video
quality. Besides, the computation complexity of the proposed algorithm is lower
than that of Diamond Search (DS) and of Three Step Search (TSS) with much
better decoded pictures' quality. Keywords: polarization restraint; stereoscopic video coding; H.264; parallel
binocular-camera | |||
| Multi-core Parallel of Photon Mapping | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 365-374 | |
| Huaiqing He; Tianbao Wang; Qing Xu; Yaoyu Xing | |||
| By analyzing the internal parallelism in the rendering stage of photon
mapping and by learning the idea of ray tracing in parallel, this paper carries
out the photon mapping in parallel in multi-core processors. It solves the
problem of load balancing through dynamic scheduling the refined data blocks.
The improved algorithm achieves good acceleration ratio using multi-threaded
programming language of OpenMP. The experimental results show that the improved
algorithm has better performance and improves the rendering speed of the photon
map algorithm to a certain extent. Keywords: multi-core; photon mapping; parallel rendering; dynamic scheduling | |||