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3D Data Visualisation

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  • 3D Data Visualisation

    Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum, but I have recently become interested in exploring whether there may be any merit in using a 3-dimensional representation to visualise a family tree, and have been experimenting to that effect. (I am only aware of one other development in this respect - namely "@rbre").

    The purpose of this post is really to seek comments and suggestions as to whether people feel there is any merit in taking this further (or not!)

    The basic approach is to export data into a GEDCOM file, and convert the GEDCOM data into a 3D representation, much like other tree-drawing software. (For the technically minded - I am generating an x3d model, and using a freely available x3d viewer to navigate around the 3D scene.)



    The visualisation represents an individual as a shape (Cylinder) extending over their lifetime in the vertical axis. Relationships (marriages and parent-child) are also shown. Individuals are laid out in the remaining two dimensions so as to keep relatives close by to one another so far as this is possible. You can then "fly" through this world and see the tree from various perspectives. One indirect benefit is that certain anomolies in the data are readily spotted.

    I appreciate there is still a fair way to go, but nevertheless look forward to hearing any thoughts...

    If anyone is interested in more detail, or seeing their own data in this format, then please feel free to get in touch.

  • #2
    As an environmetal informatician I regularly use 3D representations of environmental data, but I have never thought of using it on my family tree.

    To be honest from the example you give it looks a little 'cluttered', and I cannot really see any advantage over the traditional 2 dimensoinal approach. After all there are usually only 2 dimensions to a family tree (across a generation i.e siblings and cousins and between generations i.e parents and children).

    I really don't think that the life-span bit will work. If you consider that for most people in a tree the exact date of death is not known (certainly true for me, with certificates at £7 a shot a death certificate isn't going to give me much I don't already know and I have deaths in a 10 year span i.e. between censuses), the life-span cylinders are going to be pretty meaningless.

    I think I would want to see a 'live' example, with a comparison to a traditional 2D tree.
    Co-ordinator for PoW project Southern Region 08
    Researching:- Wieland, Habbes, Saettele, Bowinkelmann, Freckenhauser, Dilger in Germany
    Kincaid, Warner, Hitchman, Collie, Curtis, Pocock, Stanley, Nixey, McDonald in London, Berks, Bucks, Oxon and West Midlands
    Drake, Beals, Pritchard in Kent
    Devine in Ireland

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