Visualization
Kenny Inthirath
Visual Techniques Rubric
 Reviewing a Suitable Technique to Use
 Scope and Purpose
 What types of models can be represented?
 Architectural or Effect Visualization?
 Basic Type
 What is the Basic Type of Visualization?
 Graphical, Textual, Hybrid?
Rubric Cont.
 Depiction
 How is the model depicted?
 Basic Constituents of Depiction?
 Interaction
 What interaction is Possible?
 The Capabilities of the Interface?
 Fidelity
 How Faithful is the Visualization to the Model?
Rubric Cont.
 Consistency
 Consistency Across Viewpoints?
 Consistency Across Interaction?
 Comprehensibility
 Ease of Comprehension?
 How do Visuals Optimize Information?
 Making Use of Existing Comprehension?
Rubric Cont.
 Dynamism
 Use of Dynamic Elements
 View Coordination
 Extent of Multiple Views Allowed?
 Strategies to Coordinate Multiple Views?
 Aesthetics
 How Aesthetically Pleasing?
 Extensibility
 Ease of Reuse/Modification?
Textual Visualizations
 Visualization of text/code
 Very common
 Multitude of choices
 Advance Techniques
 Code folding
 Templates
 Autocomplete
 Think of text/code editors
Textual Visualization Examples
*Code Folding, Templates
Text Visualization Examples
*Same code, but does not offer code folding
Rubric Example
 Scope and Purpose
 Depicting and editing models that can be expressed as
structured text
 Basic Type
 Textual
 Fidelity
 Depict entire model including all details
 Etc.
Informal Graphical Editor
 Diagram Editors
 Strength of Visualization
 Straightforward
 Aesthetically Pleasing
 Entire overview visible
 Limitation of space
 Easy User Interface
 Point and Click
Informal Graphical Editor Example
*PowerPoint is excellent for its ease of use
Informal Graphical Editor Example
*Microsoft Visio 2010
Rubric Example
 Interaction
 Point and Click
 Dragging
 Consistency
 User is responsible for development/representation
 Dynamism
 Limited animations
UML
 Unified Modeling Language
 Concepts graphed to symbols
 Tools prescribe how diagrams should look
 Up to user to how to create diagrams
 Differences in UML Software
 User Interface
 Tools provided
 XMI
 Visualization method through Text
UML Example
*ArgoUML
UML Example
*XMI Example
Rubric Example
 Consistency
 Consistent Symbols across diagram types
 Comprehensibility
 Interpreted at general level with no prior knowledge
 Proper interpretation requires knowledge of symbols
 View Coordination
 Diagrams can represent multiple views
 No standard for linking multiple views
Rapide
 Effect Visualization
 Depicts effects rather than decisions
 Simulation
 Models interactions between components
 Runs in parallel
 Results are not deterministic
 Can generate different outcomes
 Outcomes visualized as graphs
Rapide Eaxmple
*Rapide
Rubric Example
 Depiction
 Models in rigorous text format
 Effect Visualization are directed graphs/nodes
 Dynamism
 No support
 Extensibility
 Difficult to extend
 Relative black box
LTSA
 Labeled Transition State Analyzer
 Analyze and visualize concurrent systems
 Model finite state machines
 Graphically represented by
 Nodes-and-Arrows
 Employ dynamic visualization
 Show animations of different states/changes
 During real-time simulation
LTSA Example
*LTSA Tool
Rubric Example
 Basic Type
 Multiple Textual and Graphical Model
 Interaction
 Integrated set of tools allow user to manipulate both
text and graphical visualization
 Consistency
 Limited vocabulary and symbols ensure consistency
 Extensibility
 Domain specific visualizations can be added as plug-ins
xADL 2.0
 XML Schemas
 Canonical Textual Visualization
 Most users never see the text
 Use of graphical tools instead
 Graphical tools can range in visualization Techniques
 xADLite
 Programming-Like Language
 ArchEdit
 Semigraphical
 Archipelago
 Graphical Editor
ArchEdit
Archipelago
MTAT




Message Tracing and Analysis Tool
Additional visualization support for xADL 2.0
Dynamic visualizations of sending/receiving events
Provides unified visual of
 Architecture Design
 Implementation
 Events are sent in a real system
MTAT Example
Rubric Example
 Scope and Purpose
 Multiple coordinate textual, graphical, effect
visualization of xADL 2.0 models
 Depiction
 Textual visualizations as XML or xADLITE
 Graphical visualization as trees and text (ArchEdit)
 Fidelity
 Display entire model
 Various graphical visuals elide some detail
Takeaway
 Visualizations != Underlying Model
 Creating distinction between a model and its
visualization
 Different ways of representing the same model
 Strengths
 Weaknesses
 Understanding, exchanging, communicating about
design decisions easier
 Internal and External