Browsing by Author "Fuchs, Johannes"

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    Comparative Analysis with Heightmaps in Virtual Reality Environments
    (The Eurographics Association, 2019) Kraus, Matthias; Buchmüller, Juri; Schweitzer, Daniel; Keim, Daniel A.; Fuchs, Johannes; Madeiras Pereira, João and Raidou, Renata Georgia
    3D heightmaps can be considered as an extension of heatmaps using the third dimension to encode the respective value by height, often in addition to encoding it by color. In contrast to 2D heatmaps, 3D heightmaps allow a superposition without aggregation. However, they also have the general disadvantages of 3D visualizations, such as occlusion and perceptual distortion. Previous research has revealed various advantages of stereoscopic displays and virtual reality (VR) in the context of 3D visualizations, for example, concerning memorization, depth perception, and collaboration. In this paper, we present a novel technique to compare heightmaps in VR by introducing a multi-layer approach of stacked heightmaps. We demonstrate the applicability and usefulness of our method by means of a use case on comparative crime data analysis.
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    Real-Time Gaze Mapping in Virtual Environments
    (The Eurographics Association, 2019) Kraus, Matthias; Kilian, Timon Urs; Fuchs, Johannes; Madeiras Pereira, João and Raidou, Renata Georgia
    In order to analyze an analyst's behavior in an immersive environment, his or her eye movements can be monitored using eye trackers. Hereby, points of individual interest can be objectively identified, for instance, to assess the usability and intuitiveness of a framework. However, this technique can be used not only as a post-event analysis tool but also to assist an ongoing exploration of a virtual environment. With this poster, we present a technique that allows a real-time gaze map creation which supports the immersed analyst by providing real-time feedback on the user's own activity. In our approach, all surfaces in the virtual environment are enwrapped with a mesh structure. The grid structure recognizes when a user drifts with his or her eyes above it and increments weights of activated node points. This allows highlighting areas that have been observed, but also those that have not been observed - also when they are occluded by other objects or surfaces. We tested our technique in a preliminary qualitative expert study and received helpful feedback for further improvements.