Data Animator: Authoring Expressive Animated Data Graphics

John R. Thompson, Zhicheng Liu, John T. Stasko

Abstract: Animation helps viewers follow transitions in data graphics. When authoring animations that incorporate data, designers must carefully coordinate the behaviors of visual objects such as entering, exiting, merging and splitting, and specify the temporal rhythms of transition through staging and staggering. We present Data Animator, a system for authoring animated data graphics without programming. Data Animator leverages the Data Illustrator framework to analyze and match objects between two static visualizations, and generates automated transitions by default. Designers have the flexibility to interpret and adjust the matching results through a visual interface. Data Animator also supports the division of a complex animation into stages through hierarchical keyframes, and uses data attributes to stagger the start time and vary the speed of animating objects through a novel timeline interface. We validate Data Animator’s expressiveness via a gallery of examples, and evaluate its usability in a re-creation study with designers.