Towards Three-Dimensional Representation and Animation of UML Diagrams

Abstract-Software is usually complex and always intangible. In practice, the development and maintenance processes are timeconsuming activities mainly because software complexity is difficult to manage. Graphical visualization of software has the potential to result in a better and faster understanding of its design and functionality, thus saving time and providing valuable information to improve its quality. However, visualizing software is not an easy task because of the huge amount of information comprised in the software. Furthermore, the information content increases significantly once the time dimension to visualize the evolution of the software is taken into account. Human perception of information and cognitive factors must thus be taken into account to improve the understandability of the visualization. In this paper, we survey visualization techniques, both 2D-and 3D-based, representing the static aspects of the software and its evolution. We categorize these techniques according to the issues they focus on, in order to help compare them and identify the most relevant techniques and tools for a given problem.

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“…Several works represent UML diagrams in 3D, using the third coordinate to display more information [26], [27], [28].…”

Section: P 2)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Visualization of the Static Aspects of Software: A Survey

Caserta

Zendra

2011

IEEE Trans. Visual. Comput. Graphics

113

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“…In the past, 3D representations for UML have been suggested [1][2][3][4] and some research has been undertaken on specific aspects of 3D UML and related visualisations [5,6]. Despite this, there has been no definitive research into the overall benefit of completing common and critical software engineering tasks with UML extended using 3D visualisations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

X3D-UML: 3D UML State Machine Diagrams

McIntosh

Hamilton

Schyndel

2008

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

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Abstract. X3D-UML utilises X3D (eXtensible 3D) to enable standards-based advanced 3D UML visualisations. Using X3D-UML, 3D UML State Machine Diagrams have been evaluated against actual user tasks and data, using the Sequential Evaluation methodology. The results of User Task Analysis, Heuristic Evaluation and Formative Evaluation phases provide clear evidence that the use of UML extended with 3D is a practical solution for visualising complex system behaviour. RoseRT model metrics show between 56%-90% of state machine diagram work would benefit from such 3D UML extensions; hence the 3D improvement can deliver considerable benefit to organisations.

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“…by threedimensional layout to make UML diagrams more readable. Gogolla et al [13,26] use three-dimensional blocks for classes in class diagrams and move message balls between objects of a sequence diagram.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%