On the use of virtual reality in software visualization: The case of the city metaphor

Background: Researchers have been exploring 3D representations for visualizing software. Among these representations, one of the most popular is the city metaphor, which represents a target object-oriented system as a virtual city. Recently, this metaphor has been also implemented in interactive software visualization tools that use virtual reality in an immersive 3D environment medium. Aims: We assessed the city metaphor displayed on a standard computer screen and in an immersive virtual reality with respect to the support provided in the comprehension of Java software systems. Method: We conducted a controlled experiment where we asked the participants to fulfill program comprehension tasks with the support of (i) an integrated development environment (Eclipse) with a plugin for gathering code metrics and identifying bad smells; and (ii) a visualization tool of the city metaphor displayed on a standard computer screen and in an immersive virtual reality. Results: The use of the city metaphor displayed on a standard computer screen and in an immersive virtual reality significantly improved the correctness of the solutions to program comprehension tasks with respect to Eclipse. Moreover, when carrying out these tasks, the participants using the city metaphor displayed in an immersive virtual reality were significantly faster than those visualizing with the city metaphor on a standard computer screen. Conclusions: Virtual reality is a viable means for software visualization

Metaviz : issues in software visualizing beyond 3D

Software visualization can play a significant role in program comprehension. A large number of visualization tools have been developed to support program comprehension. Traditionally, these tools are 2D representations. In recent years, 3D software visualization techniques have been introduced to support program comprehension. These techniques provide new approaches to visualizing and comprehending software system structures and their internal relationships. At the same time, they introduce new research challenges. The software metaphors, layout algorithms, and readability criteria generally applicable in 2D software visualization cannot directly be applied in 3D visualizations. In this thesis, we present our research on the use of a new metaphor based on energy fields using the Metaballs 3D modeling and visualization technique. We also present grouping and layout algorithms, specially designed for 3D Metaballs based software visualization. These are built into Metaviz, a software visualization tool, which we have designed and implemented as part of our larger program comprehension environment, CONCEPT. Using Metaviz, we also show examples that illustrate how these visualization techniques, when combined with program slicing and metric based analysis, provide guidance during software comprehension during the testing and maintenance phrase

Nucleic acid visualization with UCSF Chimera

With the increase in the number of large, 3D, high-resolution nucleic acid structures, particularly of the 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits and the intact bacterial ribosome, advancements in the visualization of nucleic acid structural features are essential. Large molecular structures are complicated and detailed, and one goal of visualization software is to allow the user to simplify the display of some features and accent others. We describe an extension to the UCSF Chimera molecular visualization system for the purpose of displaying and highlighting nucleic acid characteristics, including a new representation of sugar pucker, several options for abstraction of base geometries that emphasize stacking and base pairing, and an adaptation of the ribbon backbone to accommodate the nucleic acid backbone. Molecules are displayed and manipulated interactively, allowing the user to change the representations as desired for small molecules, proteins and nucleic acids. This software is available as part of the UCSF Chimera molecular visualization system and thus is integrated with a suite of existing tools for molecular graphics

Web-based visualization for 3D data in archaeology : The ADS 3D viewer

The solid geometry of archaeological deposits is fundamental to the interpretation of their chronological sequence. However, such stratigraphic sequences are generally viewed as static two-dimensional diagrammatic representations which are difficult to manipulate or to relate to real layers. The ADS 3D Viewer is a web-based resource for the management and analysis of archaeological data. The viewer was developed to take advantage of recent developments in web technology, namely the adoption of WebGL (Web Graphics Library) by current web browsers. The ADS 3D Viewer combines the potential of the 3D Heritage Online Presenter (3DHOP), a software package for the web-based visualization of 3D geometries, with the infrastructure of the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) repository, in the attempt to create a platform for the visualization and analysis of 3D data archived by the ADS. Two versions of the viewer have been developed to answer the needs of different users. The first version, the Object Level 3D Viewer, was implemented to extend the browsing capability of ADS project archives by enabling the visualization of single 3D models. The second version, the Stratigraphy 3D Viewer, is an extension which allows the exploration of a specific kind of aggregated data: the multiple layers of an archaeological stratigraphic sequence. This allows those unable to participate directly in the fieldwork to access, analyse and re-interpret the archaeological context remotely. This has the potential to transform the discipline, allowing inter-disciplinary, cross-border and ‘at-distance’ collaborative workflows, and enabling easier access to and analysis of archaeological data

Analyzing student travel patterns with augmented data visualizations

Visualization and visual analytics tools can provide critical support for experts and stakeholders to understand transportation flows and related human activities. Correlating and representing quantitative data with data from human actors can provide explanations for patterns and anomalies. We conducted research to compare and contrast the capabilities of several tools available for visualization and decision support as a part of an integrated urban informatics and visualization research project that develops tools for transportation planning and decision making. For this research we used the data collected by the StudentMoveTO (Toronto) survey which was conducted in the fall of 2015 by Toronto's four universities with the goal of collecting detailed data to understand travel behaviour and its effect on the daily routines of the students. This paper discusses the usefulness of new software which can allow designers to build meaningful narratives integrating 3D representations to assist in Geo-spatial analysis of the data

Snap2Diverse: Coordinating Information Visualizations and Virtual Environments

The field of Information Visualization is concerned with improving with how users perceive, understand, and interact with visual representations of data sets. Immersive Virtual Environments (VEs) excel at providing researchers and designers a greater comprehension of the spatial features and relations of their data, models, and scenes. This project addresses the intersection of these two fields where information is visualized in a virtual environment. Specifically we are interested in visualizing abstract information in relation to spatial information in the context of a virtual environment. We describe a set of design issues for this type of integrated visualization and demonstrate a coordinated, multiple-views system supporting 2D and 3D visualization tasks such as overview, navigation, details-on-demand, and brushing-and-linking selection. Software architecture issues are discussed with details of our implementation applied to the domain of chemical information and visualization. Lastly, we subject our system to an informal usability evaluation and identify usability issues with interaction and navigation that may guide future work in these situations

Developing student spatial ability with 3D software applications

This paper reports on the design of a library of software applications for the teaching and learning of spatial geometry and visual thinking. The core objective of these applications is the development of a set of dynamic microworlds, which enables (i) students to construct, observe and manipulate configurations in space, (ii) students to study different solids and relates them to their corresponding nets, and (iii) students to promote their visualization skills through the process of constructing dynamic visual images. During the developmental process of software applications the key elements of spatial ability and visualization (mental images, external representations, processes, and abilities of visualization) are carefully taken into consideration

2D & 3D UML-based software visualization for object-oriented programs

UML (Unified Modeling Language) is a successful example of two-dimensional software visualization that is widely used in both academic and enterprise environments for object-oriented software development. The presented work ( UML3D ), which is included in the CONCEPT (Comprehension Of Net-CEntered Programs and Techniques) framework, applies 3D visualization techniques to UML to take advantages of 3D space and the additional features that can be applied in the 3D space. The UML3D project also integrates a self-organizing layout algorithm for both traditional 2D UML and 3D UML diagrams. The use of layout algorithms can reduce the complexity of a graph and facilitate the task of program comprehension. Moreover, UML3D addresses some other shortcomings of UML by providing intuitive navigation and interactions with the diagrams. We also discuss the use of source code analysis like program slicing and coupling to improve the scalability, usability and navigability of the visual representations. An initial usability study of UML3D based on the SUMI (Software Usability Measurement Inventory) questionnaire was performed to study the ease of use and to identify future research directions