3D visualization for software development

Information visualization has been acknowledged as an important tool in software decision support. But usually visualizations are static and just used for presentation rather than exploration. Interactive statistical data visualization can be used as a powerful tool which reaches beyond the limits of static graphs. We developed code mapping, a software platform for visualization and manipulation of complex and large software portfolios. Code mapping builds data-rich, graphical representations that are color-coded for function, call position and experimental interaction data. The functions implemented in code mapping allow collaboration and organization of software architecture diagrams in a visual model format; this feature is especially useful for Web services development and other Internet application code. The aim of this paper is to describe a tool which helps to visualize the software development and to present a new way to visualize software in a three-dimensional CAVE® environment.