Interactive Narrative Content and Context for
Visualization
Curtis Wong
Group Manager
Next Media Research
Microsoft Research
Visualization of Astrophysical Data: Bringing together Science, Art & Education
Overview
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5 min - Conceptual overview of Interactive narrative
5 min - Leonardo da Vinci – Context and Visualization
5 min - Commanding Heights – Enhanced broadband TV
5 min - Interactive Universe – Extensible narrative
10 min General Q & A
Overview Interactive Narrative
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How do we make astronomical
visualization even more effective for
research, education and public outreach?
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Backstory – one person’s journey to understanding
 Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Hammer 1980
 Voyager, Criterion Collection 1990
 Continuum, 1995
The three layered cake
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Story
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The opening hook - Why should I care?
Layered narrative
 Sets the stage and provides enough background to enable exploration
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Contextual Exploration
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Visualization WITH narrative “what’s going on”
Interactive
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In context explanation
Links to related contextual data
Links back to stories
Simulation – user driven with explanation of what’s going on
Resources
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Original data/documents
Ability to draw their own conclusions
Links out to related resources
Leonardo da Vinci
The Architecture of Leonardo da Vinci
Exploration and context – circa 1997
Story
Pre-title
Background
Renaissance
Leonardo’s
Life
Mind of
the Master
Treatise on
Nature
Interactive Exhibits – water, light, the heavens
Paintings – Spatial contextual presentation
Context &
Visualization
Timeline – paintings and historical context
Codex Leicester – Contextual translation
Information
Web Page
Web Page Original
Web Page
Page Web Page
sourceWeb
documents
Water
Earth
Heavens
Commanding Heights
The Battle for the World Economy
"This site takes a blue chip TV series and uses broadband
to push forward the boundaries of programme extension.
Every element from the original series is available, but
fascinatingly accessible in ways that can only be achieved
online. The content, navigation and design are impeccable.
The potential dry subject of globalisation is brought
powerfully to life, and the learning journeys are directly
under the user's control.
This is a milestone in the development of broadband
content." - British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Commanding Heights Architecture
Program proposal excerpt:
Interactive Universe
A framework for an extensible engagement,
exploration and education of topics in Astronomy
Story
Extensible Architecture
Sky
Closely coupled/tightly integrated
1.
Story – Engagement
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Accessible layered stories
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2.
Linked to layers below
Context – Visualization and exploration
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3.
Basic astronomy to current areas of research
Layered to enable beginners to engage
Short narratives of areas of current research linked to:
Interactive sky maps (size/location et al context)
Rich simulation and visualizations with links up/down to Story and
Reference
Reference – Object catalog & source database
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Visual object catalog enable browsing and pivoting by similarity
Original source data
Story (s)
Context
Reference
Catalog
Story mode
Stellar Evolution
Story mentions
gravitational
condensation of protostars from hydrogen
and galactic dust
And links to related
content appears below
Clicking on the related
link below takes you to
the object in context of
the sky
Nebula
Story
Sky mode
Sky
Stellar Evolution
Nebula
Context – How big/far away is it?
Sky
Illustrating the context
of apparent scale and
spatial location in
comparison to common
reference objects:
trees, houses, moon
etc.
Nebula
Reference Catalog
Catalog
Reference Catalog
Catalog
Conceptual Navigation Architecture
Story
Context
Source
Docs
Story Module e.g.
Galaxy formation
Image Catalog
Zooming
Annotated
Sky maps
Sky Server Terabyte database
Conceptual Navigation Architecture
Story
Story
Context
Source
Docs
Additional linked stories e.g.
Supernova expansion structure
Story Module e.g.
Galaxy formation
Image Catalog
Zooming
Annotated
Sky maps
Sky Server Terabyte database
Opportunity
Build an Integrated learning prototype
Extensible story based framework
2. Stories closely linked INTO visualizations,
simulations and contextual resources
3. Built on top of a rich database
1.
The dream scenario…
Integrated learning prototype
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Rich visual stories from Astro 101 core to latest topics in astronomy
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Rich contextual resources linked in
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Television documentaries
Illustrated lectures
Other narratives
Interactive simulations
National Virtual Observatory
Interactive Atlas of the Universe
Digital Universe
Built on top of a rich database
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Which takes advantage of a existing rich database
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Deep resource materials
Linking of domains specific reference data
Tie simulation to story and reference
Accessible links to real data
So any kid can engage with the stories, get drawn in and explore topics of
interest and dive deeply to make their own discoveries working with real
data.