Creating Complex Interactive 3D Visualisations of Naval Battles from Natural Language Narratives

3D graphics programming employing 3D models provide an information-rich, interactive environment. Their use in CGI supported films, such as Avatar, demonstrate their ability to create a compelling audience experience. 3D models and 3D graphics programming have been available for many years. Graphics programming depends on knowledge of programming languages such as C++ and graphics libraries such as OpenGL and DirectX. 3D modelling tools for professionals include 3D Studio Max and Maya. All of these tools are complex to use and require considerable experience in their use to create reasonable visualisations. This is becoming a bottleneck at a time when the increased power of computers and graphics cards makes 3D visualisation much more accessible. In this paper we discuss a system that by-passes this bottleneck. The system enables non-expert users to create complex, interactive 3D spatiotemporal visualisations and the entities that inhabit them. The user only needs to supply a natural language narrative and technical specifications of the entities contained therein.