Visualization program
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Visualization programs are computer programs that can be used to visualize data, information or results, for example, whereby visualization is understood to mean a visual illustration or graphical representation. The basis is that visual information can convey certain complex contents more easily than strings of texts and numbers. Depending on the program, various diagrams can be created, such as pie charts, line diagrams, bar charts, organizational charts, Gantt charts, flowcharts, network diagrams, cause-effect diagrams, block diagrams, etc.
A distinction is made between different programs, depending on the area of application:
Business Graphics
- Business graphics programs, such as Microsoft Visio, ConceptDraw, Edraw, or Dia (from the GNOME project). They can generally be used to create diagrams, such as cause-and-effect, flow, bar, line, column and pie charts, but also network diagrams.
Organizational charts
- Organizational chart software is used to create organizational charts. They can be used to import and visualize data from various sources, such as yEd Graph Editor (freeware).
Mind map
- Mind map software, such as FreeMind, MindManager.
Project Management
- Project management software can generally be used to create network diagrams or Gantt charts. Examples of programs are: Microsoft Project; InLoox; ConceptDraw Project.
Statistics
- In the field of statistics, especially in the area of descriptive statistics, the statistics software provides support with a wide range of options for creating diagrams and calculating data.
- In the field of exploratory data analysis and statistics, more emphasis is being placed on visual data analysis to discover new regularities in the data.
Office applications
- Word processing programs, such as Microsoft Word and OpenOffice.org Writer, offer the possibility of creating various visual content, such as tables, organizational charts, etc., in a word processor.
- Spreadsheet programs, such as Microsoft Excel and OpenOffice.org Calc, here calculations and statistics can be included in charts.
- Presentation programs, such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Apache OpenOffice Impress for creating visual information in presentations.
- Kivio from the KOffice package of KDE (license: GNU-GPL).
- Prezi
Process visualization
- Process visualization, see also user interface, man-machine interface, human machine interface like WEBfactory 2010 Fa. WEBfactory GmbH, Intouch Fa. Wonderware, Protool Fa. Siemens, WinCC Fa. Siemens, Zenon Software Fa. COPA DATA, PROCON-WIN Fa. GTI-control or ShowIt Fa. Ing-Büro Bauer GmbH
Building visualization
- Within the framework of the building control system, actual and target values of the building automation are visualised. Programs include CometVisu, EisBär or the QuadClient on the GIRA HomeServer or FacilityServer.
Scientific visualization
- Scientific visualization programs, for example the Advanced Visualization System (AVS/Express), Amira, Imaris, COVISE, IBM Data Explorer/OpenDX, DSVR, Iris Explorer, ParaView, SciRun, VISTA or the Free Software Tulip.
Geoinformation Systems
- Geoinformation systems often have a visualization module implemented, or offer an interface for this purpose.
Generally speaking, vector drawing programs such as Inkscape, CorelDRAW, OpenOffice.org-Draw and Adobe Illustrator etc. can be used for technical diagrams or porting.
See also
- Graphviz program package for visualization of graphs
- Information visualization - the field that deals with the graphical representation of large amounts of data that are not directly associated with physical states and processes.
