Proceedings Volume Human Vision, Visual Processing, and Digital Display V, (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.172680
In visualization, data are represented as variations in grayscale, hue, shape, and texture. They can be mapped
to lines, surfaces, and glyphs, and can be represented statically or in animation. In modem visualization systems,
the choices for representing data seem unlimited. This is both a blessing and a curse, however, since the visual
impression created by the visualization depends critically on which dimensions are selected for representing the
data (Bertin, 1967; Tufte, 1983; Cleveland, 1991).
In modem visualization systems, the user can interactively select many different mapping and representation
operations, and can interactively select processing operations (e.g., applying a color map), realization operations
(e.g., generating geometric structures such as contours or streamlines), and rendering operations (e.g., shading
or ray-tracing). The user can, for example, map data to a color map, then apply contour lines, then shift the
viewing angle, then change the color map again, etc. In many systems, the user can vary the choices for each
operation, selecting, for example, particular color maps, contour characteristics, and shading techniques. The
hope is that this process will eventually converge on a visual representation which expresses the structure of the
data and effectively communicates its message in a way that meets the user's goals. Sometimes, however, it
results in visual representations which are confusing, misleading, and garish.