A case study on interactive exploration and guidance aids for visualizing historical data

In this paper, we address the problem of historical data visualization. We describe the data acquisition, preparation, and visualization. Since the data contain four dimensions, the standard 3D exploration techniques have to be extended or appropriately adapted in order to enable interactive exploration. We discuss in detail two interaction concepts: (1) navigation with one fixed dimension, and (2) quasi 4D navigation allowing to simultaneously explore the four-dimensional space. In addition, we also present a picture-in-picture display mode, enabling the user to interactively view the data, while "flying with" a particular event, tracking its motion in time and space. Finally, we present a technique for guided exploration and animation generation, allowing for a vivid gain of insight into the historical data.