Dimensional anchors: a graphic primitive for multidimensional multivariate information visualizations

Abstract

We introduce a graphic primitive, called a dimensional anchor (DA), which facilitates the creation of new visualizations and provides insight into the analysis of information visualizations. The DA represents an attempt to provide a unified framework or model for a variety of visualizations, including Parallel Coordinates, scatter plot matrices, Radviz, Survey Plots and Circle Segments A dimensional anchor is constructed by assigning values to parameters associated with various geometric graphic elements that encode the basics of the above visualizations. We define a visualization vector space in which all of the above visualizations and many new ones are represented by vectors. These encodings make it possible to perform a Grand Tour traveling from Parallel Coordinates to Survey Plot, and visiting many other visualizations in between