Dynamic visualization of geographic networks using surface deformations with constraints

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of displaying large network data within geographic context in a 3D interactive environment. Networks often have a spatial component, and maintaining the geographic context of the network data in visualization is imperative for understanding related human behavior and enabling a semantic interpretation. We propose a novel visualization system, where spatial network data is visualized as deformations on a 3D map. The developed system enables users gleaning dominant tendencies for each node without examining each relation separately. Conventional node and link displays are incorporated for detailed examination of a portion of data on demand. Having two modalities for displaying data as a whole and a detailed portion of it, our visualization system provides a reading for the data at micro and macro levels.