This experimental visualization is being developed in collaboration with Bruce Campbell, Suzanne Weghorst, and others at the Pacific Rim Regional Visualization and Analytics Center (PARVAC) for visual analysis of scenario data produced by their RimSim Pacific Rim simulation software. We are developing a new data model for representing Seattle emergency response scenarios, drawing from a variety of existing real data sets (buildings, streets, traffic lights, hospital locations, etc.) as well as synthetic data sets that describe a hypothetical population of persons and vehicles and their movements over time.

This second, developmental visualization of a RimSim emergency response simulation for Seattle centers around a map of Seattle (top right), divided into 100 zones, shows emergency response facilities and the location of buildings, trees along streets, bus stops, traffic signals, and fire hydrants. The map labels critical infrastructure and facility locations on the map using scalable icons from the Homeland Security Working Group Symbology Reference. A water level slider colors buildings in blue to simulate flooding. A bar chart shows aggregate statistics for the health and mobility status of people and vehicles over selected zones. Communications between five key players are shown as a graph (colored on topic, such as red for police issues) and over time.

This rather early developmental version has limited interaction, existing primarily to explore map layering options and ways of representing communications within a small group of people over time. It is possible to pan-and-zoom the map with the mouse or keyboard, turn various natural and artificial layers on and off with checkboxes, control flooding altitude and key symbol sizes with sliders, and scrub over time in the message plots (at top right).

Visualization (12.2 MB). Reduced-size version with subsets of trees and buildings and no contour lines.
Video Tour (18.5 MB). Slightly earlier version, no audio.