It is now almost three years since I moved to Boston to start working at Fathom Information Design and the Sabeti Lab at Harvard. As I noted back then, one of the goals of this work was to create new tools for exploring complex datasets -mainly of epidemiological and health data- which could potentially contain up to thousands of different variables. After a process that went from researching visual metaphors suitable to explore these kind of datasets interactively, learning statistical techniques that can be used to quantify general correlations (not necessarily linear or between numerical quantities), and going over several iterations of internal prototypes, we finally released the 1.0 version of a tool called “Mirador” (spanish word for lookout), which attempts to bridge the space between raw data and statistical modeling. Please jump to the Mirador’s homepage to access the software and its user manual, and continue reading below for some more details about the development and design process.
Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for the ‘Visualization’ Category
Finding correlations in complex datasets 7 comments
At Fathom (and first tablet app) Leave a comment
Hello! A few days ago I started working at Fathom, the information visualization studio run by Ben Fry. While here I will work on various data visualization projects, specially those requiring real-time, interactive graphics with OpenGL, as well as continue with my involvement with the development of the Processing language and environment. This job also encompasses an exciting collaboration with the lab of Pardis Sabeti at Harvard university, focused in the creation of new tools for visualizing epidemiological data and helping understand the factors that determine the origin and spread of various diseases. During my first week at Fathom I got started by working on an Android port of the “Stats of the Union” visualization, originally available for iPad tablets.
Projects using GLGraphics / GSVideo Leave a comment
One of my motivations to develop Software Libre is the possibility to share knowledge and to create potentially useful tools, not only for myself but also for other artists and coders. So, it is very encouraging to see work being done with some of the tools I have been putting together during the last couple of years. Check the rest of this post to see some great projects made with Processing, GLGraphics, GSVideo, and Proscene.
Cytoscape and OPENGL2 Leave a comment
In earlier posts I talked about using Processing to create Cytoscape plugins, and also about the new OpenGL rendering engine for Processing, OPENGL2. This engine introduces several improvements over the original OPENGL renderer, and it is already available in the latest pre-release of Processing, 0194. A few days ago, I put together a simple template project for Eclipse that attempts to make writing Processing-based plugins for Cytoscape a little easier. Now I updated this template to use the OPENGL2 engine as the renderer for the plugin. Download here.
Using Processing to create Cytoscape plugins 4 comments
Cytoscape is a cross-platform, open source application for visualization and analysis of networks. It is widely used in the field of Systems Biology to visualize different types of biological networks (like protein-protein interactions). It also has a plugin mechanism for extending its core functionality. Cytoscape is written in Java, so this open the possibility of using Processing to create Cytoscape plugins. I just put together a small template for creating Processing plugins for Cytoscape using Eclipse, keep reading for more details.
codeanticode 