Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
3D Components for Visualization
slot C slot D
slot A slot B
3D Environment
2D Components
BoxPad
CellSyncPad
Export
slots
slot A
slot D
slot B
slot C
A3:B5
A2
A2
A3:B5
A
B
C
functional
linkage with
range
functional
linkage with
range
functional linkage
1
with cell
2
Value
Value
1_1
3
Value
1_2
4
Value
2_1
Value
2_2
5
Value
3_1
Value
3_2
Excel sheet
Fig. 3.
Overview of architecture for spreadsheet-based coordinated parallel
visualization
3 Coordinated Multiple 3D Visualizations on Spreadsheet
We have proposed a spreadsheet-based visualization framework for end-users to
generate and modify multiple 3D visualizations of data-sets from various Web
resources [2]. Our framework enables users to use various values for different
parameters and/or different 3D components in parallel to enable exploratory
searches for solutions by making intercomparisons of multiple results.
Our approach enables users to embed 3D visualization environments into
spreadsheet cells (Fig. 3). We utilize an Excel spreadsheet environment to de-
fine multiple coordinated visualizations. A 3D visualization environment is an
IntelligentBox environment itself. We can construct 3D visualizations in this en-
vironment. Our approach also allows users to only export the necessary functions
of 3D visualization mechanisms into the embedded environments to input and
output parameter values to and from spreadsheet cells. By using this facility,
users can share the slot values of boxes in different visualization environments
in different cells through spreadsheet cells. To define coordination, we provide
interactive 2D/3D components and coordination rules that enable users to use
operations for coordination such as brushing and linking, retrieving related or
detailed information one after another, synchronizing viewpoints between 3D vi-
sualizations, and sharing table values between 3D components for visualizations
and cells on Excel.
