Cooperative, computer-aided design of scientific visualizations

Abstract

While the field of scientific visualization has grown rapidly over the last decade, the task of designing graphical displays that effectively depict the data to be visualized is still a time-consuming, difficult, and essentially manual process. This paper proposes an approach to partially automating the process through cooperative computer-aided design (CCAD)--a paradigm that combines the strengths of manual and automated design by interspersing guiding design operations by the human user with the exploration of design alternatives by the computer. We demonstrate this approach in the context of the IVE design system--a CCAD environment for the design of scientific visualizations. Given a set of design requirements, the system is able to generate several alternative visualizations using a set of design rules that combine primitive visualization components in different ways. These alternatives are presented graphically to the user, who can browse through them, select the most promising visualization and refine it manually.