Comparison- Data Visualization Softwares

Comparative Evaluation-

In this spreadsheet, I have evaluated the installation time, compared features, collaboration, proposed features etc. for each of these softwares.

VR-Viz

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From May 2022: Updates on Virtualitics versus Immersion Analytics

Amanda Levy's Experience:

I initially used Virtualitics to work with a Kaggle dataset to visualize the progression and breakdown of female participation in the Olympics over the past 120 years.

There were obstacles to collaboration. A Virtualitics lisence only allowed one active user on my desktop account and only one licensed Oculus Quest 2 that could download the app.

Consequently, I looked at the popular dataset again, but this time, with Immersion Analytics, which had more expansive licensing properties and should have enabled easier collaboration.

I was able to visualize the dataset, but I had to split it into several smaller and pre-filtered csv files. I met with Bob Levy, the founder and CEO of Immersion Analytics to learn more about the software and how to optimally use it. He explained that the recommendation to split the dataset into the smaller csv files was so that they could be viewed smoothly not only on a Desktop but also on an Oculus Quest 2. 

While the Desktop Visualizer performed smoothly, viewing the dataset (even with the smaller csv files) on the Oculus Quest 2 Visualizer caused lags and unstable controllers.

When I met with Bob Levy, he gave me instructions on how to set up the collaboration features. We did a test-run together, but we didn't experiment with the Oculus Visualizer. We focused on the Desktop Visualizer. For the Oculus Visualizer, I could create a virtual room, and the class members could join, but they could not see the .viz file that I had opened. Additionally, they could not see the pointer from my controller. 

Thus, instead of using the virtual room, we pivoted to another more external collaboration setup where partners simultaneously looked at the .viz files in their own Visualizer environment and discussed the findings out-loud. More details about this alternative collaboration activity, performance takeaways, feedback, and suggestions for Immersion Analytics can be found on this wiki page.

In terms of the visualizations, Immersion Analytics did not fill the bar charts with frequencies as intuitively as Virtualitics. It did not aggregate how many entries shared the axis or filter value. Thus, I decided to pivot from the bar chart approach and, instead, look on a scatterplot at the dispersion of female medals by NOCs, by Sport, and labeled by year.