In the last few years, a huge progress has been made to achieve image-to-image translation by mapping images from a source domain to a target domain. We exploit the recent progress made in this field to tackle another issue, namely time series translation. This work targets time series translation i.e. maps time series data from a source domain to a target domain. We present our new algorithm DR-TiST, a modified version of DRIT [1], that enables time series translation. We apply DR-TiST to a real word use case where we transfer the time series behavior of a ventilation system to the environmental conditions of a different ventilation system and introduce new evaluation metrics to evaluate its performance. The performance of DR-TiST is compared to CycleGAN-VC [14], a special form of an image-to-image translation algorithm used for voice conversion. We demonstrate that the time series generated by DR-TiST are more realistic than the ones generated by CycleGAN-VC.

Recent developments in technology encourage the use of head-mounted displays (HMDs) as a medium to explore visualizations in virtual realities (VRs). VR environments (VREs) enable new, more immersive visualization design spaces compared to traditional computer screens. Previous studies in different domains, such as medicine, psychology, and geology, report a positive effect of immersion, e.g., on learning performance or phobia treatment effectiveness. Our work presented in this paper assesses the applicability of those findings to a common task from the information visualization (InfoVis) domain. We conducted a quantitative user study to investigate the impact of immersion on cluster identification tasks in scatterplot visualizations. The main experiment was carried out with 18 participants in a within-subjects setting using four different visualizations, (1) a 2D scatterplot matrix on a screen, (2) a 3D scatterplot on a screen, (3) a 3D scatterplot miniature in a VRE and (4) a fully immersive 3D scatterplot in a VRE. The four visualization design spaces vary in their level of immersion, as shown in a supplementary study. The results of our main study indicate that task performance differs between the investigated visualization design spaces in terms of accuracy, efficiency, memorability, sense of orientation, and user preference. In particular, the 2D visualization on the screen performed worse compared to the 3D visualizations with regard to the measured variables. The study shows that an increased level of immersion can be a substantial benefit in the context of 3D data and cluster detection.

Visualizing sets of isosurfaces from 3D scalar ensemble fields is a difficult task due to inherent occlusion effects, yet it is often required to analyze the uncertainty represented by such an ensemble. In this paper, we present a novel visualization technique for ensembles of isosurfaces based on screen-space silhouettes. By using silhouettes, the displayed information is reduced to avoid occlusions, yet the major shape of the surfaces can be maintained. Our approach preserves spatial coherence and does not make any assumption about the underlying surface distribution. By providing additional mechanisms, i.e., picking, clustering, cutting and animation, we enable the user to explore an ensemble of surfaces interactively.

Geometry generators are commonly used in video games and evaluation systems for computer vision to create geometric shapes such as terrains, vegetation or airplanes. The parameters of the generator are often sampled automatically which can lead to many similar or unwanted geometric shapes. In this paper, we propose a novel visual exploration approach that combines the abstract parameter space of the geometry generator with the resulting 3D shapes in a composite visualization. Similar geometric shapes are first grouped using hierarchical clustering and then nested within an illustrative parallel coordinates visualization. This helps the user to study the sensitivity of the generator with respect to its parameter space and to identify invalid parameter settings. Starting from a compact overview representation, the user can iteratively drill-down into local shape differences by clicking on the respective clusters. Additionally, a linked radial tree gives an overview of the cluster hierarchy and enables the user to manually split or merge clusters. We evaluate our approach by exploring the parameter space of a cup generator and provide feedback from domain experts.

Visualization and visual analysis play important roles in exploring, analyzing, and presenting scientific data. In many disciplines, data and model scenarios are becoming multifaceted: data are often spatiotemporal and multivariate; they stem from different data sources (multimodal data), from multiple simulation runs (multirun/ensemble data), or from multiphysics simulations of interacting phenomena (multimodel data resulting from coupled simulation models). Also, data can be of different dimensionality or structured on various types of grids that need to be related or fused in the visualization. This heterogeneity of data characteristics presents new opportunities as well as technical challenges for visualization research. Visualization and interaction techniques are thus often combined with computational analysis. In this survey, we study existing methods for visualization and interactive visual analysis of multifaceted scientific data. Based on a thorough literature review, a categorization of approaches is proposed. We cover a wide range of fields and discuss to which degree the different challenges are matched with existing solutions for visualization and visual analysis. This leads to conclusions with respect to promising research directions, for instance, to pursue new solutions for multirun and multimodel data as well as techniques that support a multitude of facets.

Many application domains deal with multi-variate data that consist of both categorical and numerical information. Smallmultiple displays are a powerful concept for comparing such data by juxtaposition. For comparison by overlay or by explicit encoding of computed differences, however, a specification of references is necessary. In this paper, we present a formal model for defining semantically meaningful comparisons between many categories in a small-multiple display. Based on pivotized data that are hierarchically partitioned by the categories assigned to the x and y axis of the display, we propose two alternatives for structure-based comparison within this hierarchy. With an absolute reference specification, categories are compared to a fixed reference category. With a relative reference specification, in contrast, a semantic ordering of the categories is considered when comparing them either to the previous or subsequent category each. Both reference specifications can be defined at multiple levels of the hierarchy (including aggregated summaries), enabling a multitude of useful comparisons. We demonstrate the general applicability of our model in several application examples using different visualizations that compare data by overlay or explicit encoding of differences.

We present a systematic approach to the interactive visual analysis of heterogeneous scientific data. The data consist of two interrelated parts given on spatial grids over time (e.g., atmosphere and ocean part from a coupled climate model). By integrating both data parts in a framework of coordinated multiple views (with linking and brushing), the joint investigation of features across the data parts is enabled. An interface is constructed between the data parts that specifies 1) which grid cells in one part are related to grid cells in the other part, and vice versa, 2) how selections (in terms of feature extraction via brushing) are transferred between the two parts, and 3) how an update mechanism keeps the feature specification in both data parts consistent during the analysis. We also propose strategies for visual analysis that result in an iterative refinement of features specified across both data parts. Our approach is demonstrated in the context of a complex simulation of fluid-structure interaction and a multirun climate simulation.

Abstract We present a systematic study of opportunities for the interactive visual analysis of multi‐dimensional scientific data that is based on the integration of statistical aggregations along selected independent data dimensions in a framework of coordinated multiple views (with linking and brushing). Traditional and robust estimates of the four statistical moments (mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis) as well as measures ofoutlyingnessare integrated in an iterative visual analysis process. Brushing particular statistics, the analyst can investigate data characteristics such as trends and outliers. We present a categorization of beneficial combinations of attributes in 2D scatterplots: (a) kthvs. (k + 1)thstatistical moment of a traditional or robust estimate, (b) traditional vs. robust version of the same moment, (c) two different robust estimates of the same moment. We propose selected view transformations to iteratively construct this multitude of informative views as well as to enhance the depiction of the statistical properties in scatterplots and quantile plots. In the framework, we interrelate the original distributional data and the aggregated statistics, which allows the analyst to work with both data representations simultaneously. We demonstrate our approach in the context of two visual analysis scenarios of multi‐run climate simulations.

Abstract In this paper we present a new approach to the interactive visual analysis of time‐dependent scientific data – both from measurements as well as from computational simulation – by visualizing a scalar function over time for each of tenthousands or even millions of sample points. In order to cope with overdrawing and cluttering, we introduce a new four‐level method of focus+context visualization. Based on a setting of coordinated, multiple views (with linking and brushing), we integrate three different kinds of focus and also the context in every single view. Per data item we use three values (from the unit interval each) to represent to which degree the data item is part of the respective focus level. We present a color compositing scheme which is capable of expressing all three values in a meaningful way, taking semantics and their relations amongst each other (in the context of our multiple linked view setup) into account. Furthermore, we present additional image‐based postprocessing methods to enhance the visualization of large sets of function graphs, including a texture‐based technique based on line integral convolution (LIC). We also propose advanced brushing techniques which are specific to the time‐dependent nature of the data (in order to brush patterns over time more efficiently). We demonstrate the usefulness of the new approach in the context of medical perfusion data.

One of the most prominent topics in climate research is the investigation, detection, and allocation of climate change. In this paper, we aim at identifying regions in the atmosphere (e.g., certain height layers) which can act as sensitive and robust indicators for climate change. We demonstrate how interactive visual data exploration of large amounts of multi-variate and time-dependent climate data enables the steered generation of promising hypotheses for subsequent statistical evaluation. The use of new visualization and interaction technology--in the context of a coordinated multiple views framework--allows not only to identify these promising hypotheses, but also to efficiently narrow down parameters that are required in the process of computational data analysis. Two datasets, namely an ECHAM5 climate model run and the ERA-40 reanalysis incorporating observational data, are investigated. Higher-order information such as linear trends or signal-to-noise ratio is derived and interactively explored in order to detect and explore those regions which react most sensitively to climate change. As one conclusion from this study, we identify an excellent potential for usefully generalizing our approach to other, similar application cases, as well.