Skyscraper Visualization of Multiple Time-Dependent Scalar Fields on Surfaces

Abstract We present a system to visualize multiple time-dependent scalar fields defined on 3D surfaces as they arise from numerical simulations. Domain experts want to understand correlations between multiple scalar fields to verify underlying processes. However, existing visualization techniques require high exploration effort to perceive temporal changes and relations of multiple fields on 3D surfaces. This makes analysis time-consuming and carries a high risk of overlooking regions with specific correlations. Therefore, we introduce a novel concept to facilitate exploration of multiple time-dependent scalar fields simultaneously. The basic idea is to use a novel glyph-based depiction, called skyline visualization, which is inspired by the skyscraper metaphor from information visualization. The skyscrapers are represented by 2D and 3D bar charts, where their floors show the temporal behavior of scalar fields of the corresponding surface region. The user can interact with the skyline visualization to see at which surface areas the scalar fields take on striking values or whether correlations exist between them. Furthermore, the user can immediately see in which regions scalar fields change strongly over time or show strongly inverted behavior. We evaluated our system with several CFD engineers, radiologists and visualization experts. Compared to existing systems, they were able to find regions of interest quickly and with high accuracy.