Visualizing multidimensional nongeometric data sets
Rajehndra Nagappan · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2000
The multidimensional data orb (mdOrb) is a technique for visualizing sets of discrete data points that possess high dimensionality. The mdOrb partitions a 3D virtual environment into a number of smaller working regions, each representing a lower dimensional projection of the data space. Data points are then projected into and visualized in each of these regions, and the relationships between regions allow for interpretation of the data in many dimensions. The algorithm is based on the distribution of a set of axes form a common central origin to the surface of a sphere. The axes represent the dimensions of the data space. Adjacent axes and the spaces they form can be used for varying visualization strategies, in this paper a number of such strategies are described. The mdOrb is an interactive system in which the user can move axes about the sphere's surface, changing the proximity of axes to each other and thus reconfiguring the set of adjacencies and visualization spaces. The mdOrb is a visualization algorithm that allows easy exploration, manipulation and visualization of complex multidimensional data spaces.