This document provides an overview of three tools for creating visualizations: GraphViz, Prezi, and ManyEyes. It discusses using GraphViz to generate graphs from descriptions in its DOT language, creating nonlinear presentations in Prezi by connecting ideas on a canvas, and visualizing data sets uploaded to ManyEyes through interactive charts and graphs. Examples and instructions are provided for using each tool to explore visual literacy and representation.

1. Studio 12
GraphViz, Prezi, ManyEyes
Introduction to the Digital Liberal Arts
MDST 3703 / 7703
Fall 2010

2. Business
• Last formal studio
– Next week Thanksgiving
– Last studio will be an open session
• Talk to me if you think you need help

3. Review
• Effective visualization requires visual literacy
• Graphesis helps us understand visual literacy
• The visual as cultural
• The visual as irreducible—as important as the
data and content

4. Overview
Today we explore some practical tools to
develop visualizations
We look at three tools for creating visualizations
• GraphViz
• Prezi
• ManyEyes

5. GraphViz
• Free tool from AT&T to create “graphs”
– http://www.graphviz.org/
– Good PC and Mac versions
• Graph = nodes + links
– In math, these are “edges” and “vertices”
– Used by Euler to solve the “seven bridges of
Konigsburg” problem
• GraphViz uses a simple language called DOT
– Give it a graph expressed in DOT and it will generate
a nice picture using an algorithm

6. Is it possible to walk
through the city crossing
each of these bridges
once and only once?
Euler’s Solution: An even
number nodes with and
odd number of edges
means “no” …
Let land masses = nodes
and bridges = edges

7. Graphs can represent almost anything
• Social networks
• Causal chains of events (e.g. evolution)
• Texts, e.g. basic structure and narrative
structure
• Arguments
• The Internet

8. The DOT Language
A -> B
B -> C
A -> C

9. The DOT Language
A [label='foo']
B [label='bar']
C [label='baz']
D [label='boo']
A -> B
B -> C
B -> D

11. GraphViz example

12. The DOT language--Nodes
A [label=""Jacob, the Scourge of Grammar, mark
with awe,nNor less revere him, Blunderbuss of
Law"" style="filled" color="green"]
A1 [label=""Jacob"" group="A" shape="ellipse"]
A2 [label=""Blunderbussnof Law"" group="A"
shape="ellipse"]
A3 [label=""Scourge of Grammar"" group="A"
shape="ellipse"]
B [label="Note 149" shape="record"]
C [label="Note 149, 150" shape="record"]
D [shape="record" label="Note 150"]
E [shape="record" label="II, Note to 226"]

13. The DOT language--Edges
A -- {A1;A2;A3}
A1 -- B
A2 -- {C;D}
A2 -- I04 [style="dashed"]
B -- {B1;B2}
B1 -- B3 [style="dashed"]
I01 -- B3 [style="dashed"]
B3 -- I03 [style="dashed"]
I01 -- A3 [style="dashed"]
C -- {I02;I08}
I02 -- I03 [style="dashed"]
I02 -- I06
I06 -- I07
I05 -- I10 [style="dashed"]
I08 -- E [style="dashed"]
E -- I09
D -- I10

14. Try it …
• Go to http://ashitani.jp/gv/#
– Start typing in the box on the left …
• To create your own, use one of these:
Mac http://www.pixelglow.com/graphviz/
Win http://wingraphviz.sourceforge.net/wingraphviz/
• Use it to create graphs and then save them as
images
• Nice tutorial here …
http://www.linux.com/archive/feed/49655?theme=print

15. Prezi
• Creates presentations based on graphs
• Allows you to throw down ideas and then
connect them
– Not the PowerPoint sequence of implied order
– PPT: worst of both worlds – both linear and non-
narrative
• Then you “play” them based on the edges you
provide

16. Prezi How-to
• Demo video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxhqD0hNx4Q
• Go to prezi.com and create an account
– http://prezi.com
• Create a presentation
– We’ll do one collaboratively …

17. Prezi’s Devices
• Nodes can be texts or images or URLs
• Nodes can by groups by frames
• Nodes can be connected by paths
• Narrative flow is accomplished through
movement and zooming in and out

18. ManyEyes
• IBM site that lets you create visualizations
with data sets
– Textual or tabular (i.e. CSV, exported Excel)
• A place to find and create data
• Tons of very cool visualizations

19. ManyEyes How-to
• Google Manyeyes
http://www-958.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/
• Create an account
• Find some data—text or image
• Upload (Participate > Upload a data set)

20. ManyEyes How-to
• Get some free data from http://factual.com/
• Select “Government”
• Select “TARP Recipients”
• Export data as CSV
• Open in Excel and save as Tab delimited
• Paste into ManyEyes
• Visualize as a Bubble Chart