Graphical Surface Rendering Data Visualization Tools and Primitives for Tabular Data and Spreadsheets

摘要

Graphical tools and primitives are provided for visualization of graphical surfaces from tabular data such as in a spreadsheet. The invention can be used for simple business analysis as well as advanced engineering and science. Visualizations of a two-dimensional surface is rendered from provided data according to position, orientation, and viewpoint, some or all of which can be controlled by a user interface. The surface can also represent interactively controlled filtered or stochastically processed tabular data. The visualization can be displayed together with the display an electronic spreadsheet or other tabular data representation. The surface can suspended over a region of the displayed tabular data or displayed in other ways. The visually rendered surfaces can comprise symbols, colors, textures, or glyphs representing data, and virtual illumination. The surface can be suspended over a region of displayed tabular data. Visual height measuring and level sets slicing tools can be provided.