MetaGlyph: Automatic Generation of Metaphoric Glyph-based Visualization

Lu Ying, Yuchen Yang, Xinhuan Shu, Dazhen Deng, Tan Tang, Lingyun Yu, Yingcai Wu

View presentation:2022-10-19T16:21:00ZGMT-0600Change your timezone on the schedule page
2022-10-19T16:21:00Z
Exemplar figure, described by caption below
Example MGVs generated by MetaGlyph: (a) several attributes of different pokemons; (b) forest area changes in different countries from 1995 to 2020; (c) display of various CDs; (e) multiple hotels’ information arranged by price (x) and rate (y); (f) chocolates in different ratings placed on a map; (g) disparate mushrooms. The legends in (a1)(b1)(f1) are also generated by MetaGlyph. The center boxes with yellow backgrounds illustrate the data mappings for each glyph. Encoding channels are represented in icons and (d) shows the annotation. Dashed arrows are used to associate visual elements with the resulting visualizations.

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Abstract

Glyph-based visualization achieves an impressive graphic design when associated with comprehensive visual metaphors, which help audiences effectively grasp the conveyed information through revealing data semantics. However, creating such metaphoric glyph-based visualization (MGV) is not an easy task, as it requires not only a deep understanding of data but also professional design skills. This paper proposes MetaGlyph, an automatic system for generating MGVs from a spreadsheet. To develop MetaGlyph, we first conduct a qualitative analysis to understand the design of current MGVs from the perspectives of metaphor embodiment and glyph design. Based on the results, we introduce a novel framework for generating MGVs by metaphoric image selection and an MGV construction. Specifically, MetaGlyph automatically selects metaphors with corresponding images from online resources based on the input data semantics. We then integrate a Monte Carlo tree search algorithm that explores the design of an MGV by associating visual elements with data dimensions given the data importance, semantic relevance, and glyph non-overlap. The system also provides editing feedback that allows users to customize the MGVs according to their design preferences. We demonstrate the use of MetaGlyph through a set of examples, one usage scenario, and validate its effectiveness through a series of expert interviews.