Molecumentary: Adaptable Narrated Documentaries Using Molecular Visualization

Abstract

We present a method for producing documentary-style content using real-time scientific visualization. We introduce molecumentaries, i. e., molecular documentaries featuring structural models from molecular biology, created through adaptable methods instead of the rigid traditional production pipeline. Our work is motivated by the rapid evolution of scientific visualization and it potential in science dissemination. Without some form of explanation or guidance, however, novices and lay-persons often find it difficult to gain insights from the visualization itself. We integrate such knowledge using the verbal channel and provide it along an engaging visual presentation. To realize the synthesis of a molecumentary, we provide technical solutions along two major production steps: (1) preparing a story structure and (2) turning the story into a concrete narrative. In the first step, we compile information about the model from heterogeneous sources into a story graph. We combine local knowledge with external sources to complete the story graph and enrich the final result. In the second step, we synthesize a narrative, i. e., story elements presented in sequence, using the story graph. We then traverse the story graph and generate a virtual tour, using automated camera and visualization transitions. We turn texts written by domain experts into verbal representations using text-to-speech functionality and provide them as a commentary. Using the described framework, we synthesize fly-throughs with descriptions: automatic ones that mimic a manually authored documentary or semi-automatic ones which guide the documentary narrative solely through curated textual input.

V-Mail: 3D-Enabled Correspondence About Spatial Data on (Almost) All Your Devices

“…V-Mails provide users with different options for consuming data stories, from passive viewing to interacting with them, as there is no one correct level of interactivity on the spectrum for constructing a narrative visualization [12], [29], [35]. While interaction can distract viewers from an initial story arc [21], the ability to interactively view data stories is typically seen as giving the audience a feeling of involvement and lends credibility [22], [28], [29], [41], [43].…”

“…Authoring a meaningful animation, however, can be complicated. Automated techniques are thus also useful, especially in time-critical scenarios such as urgent care in a hospital [15] and even for science dissemination [22]. V-Mail, adopts a semi-automatic approach, similar to that of Lidal et al [26]; the animations are created by interpolating the values the storyteller has captured/created in discrete states.…”

“…To achieve this vision, we formulated the following design criteria, which are closely informed by ongoing data visualization research on storytelling, communication, and collaboration: As audiences have different goals and needs, C1 we need to provide them with different options for consuming the presented material, e. g., with different levels of interaction and detail [12], [24], [43] and C2 we want to support a range of devices to view messages and provide feedback so users can pick a visualization suitable for their tasks and current situations [16]. As there can be multiple ways of interpreting results, C3 messages should capture the thought process that lead to a conclusion so others can make informed decisions [26], [31], [41] C4 and, when going through the steps of presenting spatial data, it is important to a method should be provided for the audience to maintain spatial correspondence as the presentation proceeds and to understand where, spatially within the data, each step takes place [22], [29], [37], [38],…”

ScrollyVis: Interactive Visual Authoring of Guided Dynamic Narratives for Scientific Scrollytelling

“…Furthermore, we allow for 3D data visualization, such as volume and surface visualizations. Kouřil et al [24] presented a novel way to prepare story structures and automatically create concrete narratives for molecular documentaries. They present a technique called story graph foraging and techniques for real-time narrative 3 synthesis.…”

Nanotilus: Generator of Immersive Guided-Tours in Crowded 3D Environments

“…Ideally, such a sparsification process preserves the scene's fundamental properties, among others, the notion of crowdedness, while securing the visibility of the selected structures. Our prior work has made it possible to automatically generate a guided tour for desktop viewing [5]. However, the perception of crowdedness has been traded for clear visibility of the discussed structures.…”