Proactive Graphics for Exploratory Visualization of Biogeographical Data

Abstract

Developments in software functionality afford new opportunities for cartographic visualization that improve capabilities for data exploration. By using proactive tools such as animation and hypermedia, users may browse database contents to view the organization of the data as well as the organization of the database. When visual tools are proactive, users initiate queries and steer data presentation in a manner consistent with the associative power of the human intellect. This paper argues for increased emphasis on proactivity in designing cartographic displays. A hypermedia implementation is presented for a biogeographical database. Software functions include animation and hypermedia for browsing data at multiple scales and times. Issues of graphical design and hypermedia navigation are emphasized.