Hyperglyphs: Exploring the Limits of Glyph Structure

Presenter: Jeff Sale, Learning Design Technologist, San Diego Supercomputer Center, UC San Diego

Date: June 21, 2017

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEkDwe6q6Cw

Abstract

A growing percentage of the big data torrent consists of semi-structured and unstructured non-traditional data and presents a huge challenge for conventional visualization methods and applications. Some of these types of data consist of complex cell-like structure (i.e. a whole object made up of parts), such as the metadata associated with a publication in a database such as Scopus, and as a result may lend themselves to some kind of glyph-based representation. The concept of a glyph in scientific visualization is well known and has found numerous applications over the years. However, the limits to the level of complexity of glyph structure have not been fully explored. In this seminar we provide a brief history of glyphs in scientific visualization, and we present examples of highly complex ‘hyperglyphs’, highly complex geometric structures which can seem overly complex at first but, when thousands are arrayed in 3D space and with user training and adaptation, can significantly enhance perception and information assimilation and lead to new knowledge and insights.

Target Audience: Existing scientific visualization community and researchers working with unstructured or non-traditional data who are seeking new ways to visualize their data, for example, the XSEDE ECSS.

Prerequisites: Some experience with 3D scientific visualization software, navigating a 3D space with a mouse, working with data in CSV format.

Software Availability:
Free download for Mac OSX and Windows: https://github.com/openantz/
Licensed software, Windows only: http://www.synglyphx.com/

Software Requirements:
Download either the macOS or windows versions of OpenANTz.

Use Cases:
Broad range of use cases as time permits. Some examples are listed at: http://www.edworlds.com/antz/toroids/ and https://synglyphx.wordpress.com

Training and Reference Materials: Tutorial is a work-in-progress available at http://www.edworlds.com/antz/toroids/tutorials/index.html Wiki documentation can be found at https://sourceforge.net/p/openantz/wiki/Home/

Biography

Jeff Sale is currently a learning design technologist at the San Diego Supercomputer Center on the campus of UC San Diego where he develops education technology courseware with a focus on challenging concepts in science. He works to promote the use of cyberinfrastructure in K-12 and undergraduate education through workshops, training, and curriculum development in collaboration with a talented group of co-workers and educators.

Jeff received a B.S. in Physics and a Masters Degree in Learning Design Technology from San Diego State University. Early in his career, Jeff supported clinical neuroscience research with the Loma Linda University Medical Center’s Neurology Research Team. During this time he helped pioneer new ways of integrating and applying virtual reality technologies and data visualization techniques to the clinical setting in areas such as quantitative assessment of movement disorders (Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, ALS), physical rehabilitation, augmentative communication, environmental control, and electro-physiological analysis and visualization of bio-electro-magnetic data (EEG, ECG, EMG, MEG). This work was the focus of numerous news reports and was included in one of the first books on Virtual Reality nearly 25 years ago.

Jeff also currently serves as visualization consultant for SynGlyphX, and Washington D.C.-based visualization startup. Jeff has published and presented work in visualization of electrophyisological data, virtual reality technologies applied to neuro-rehabilitation, and distributed medical intelligence.