Spatio-temporal mapping; A Technique for overview visualization of time-series datasets

Miyamura, Hiroko  ; Hayashi, Sachiko*; Suzuki, Yoshio   ; Takemiya, Hiroshi

Numerical simulations have recently increased in scale and have often output high dimensional datasets. This makes it difficult for users to quickly grasp physical phenomena involved in such datasets. To overcome this difficulty, we propose a spatio-temporal mapping technique (spatio-temporal map) by using an information visualization technique. The spatio-temporal map is generated by mapping the values of a 3D and time-evolving physical quantity into a 2D space with spatial and temporal axes. Here, 3D spatial information is condensed into one dimension by subdividing a target model with an octree. By using the map, users can quickly find regions of interest (ROI). In addition, users can interactively change several aspects of the map such as its resolution and color coding method. By applying the spatio-temporal map to a full-scale 3D vibration simulator for an entire nuclear power plant, we confirmed that the map is a useful technique to quickly identify appropriate ROI.