IsoMatch: Creating Informative Grid Layouts

• Published in: Computer graphics forum Vol. 34; no. 2; pp. 155 - 166
• Main Authors: Fried, O., DiVerdi, S., Halber, M., Sizikova, E., Finkelstein, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2015
• Subjects: Algorithms; Analysis; Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS); Collection; Collections; Criteria; Data visualization; Exploration; Hierarchies; I.3.3 [Computer Graphics]: Picture/Image Generation-Display algorithms; I.3.6 [Computer Graphics]: Methodology and Techniques-Interaction techniques; Image processing systems; Information management; Representations; Seats; Studies; Visualization
• ISSN: 0167-7055; 1467-8659
• DOI: 10.1111/cgf.12549

Collections of objects such as images are often presented visually in a grid because it is a compact representation that lends itself well for search and exploration. Most grid layouts are sorted using very basic criteria, such as date or filename. In this work we present a method to arrange collections of objects respecting an arbitrary distance measure. Pairwise distances are preserved as much as possible, while still producing the specific target arrangement which may be a 2D grid, the surface of a sphere, a hierarchy, or any other shape. We show that our method can be used for infographics, collection exploration, summarization, data visualization, and even for solving problems such as where to seat family members at a wedding. We present a fast algorithm that can work on large collections and quantitatively evaluate how well distances are preserved.