Efficient application-independent visualization engine for information with complex data structure

A novel layered visualization model is proposed to provide a systematic approach for visualizing and manipulating information with complex structure. A heterogeneous multiple level composite container type concept is introduced to model any arbitrary complex data structure. The necessary visualization and manipulation strategies are also provided within the model. Based on the model, an efficient application-independent visualization engine has been designed and implemented. A type wrapper concept is used to provide a general application interface. Applications can easily interact with the visualization engine by registering application-dependent type wrappers into the engine. THE engine has been sued as the graphical interface to a distributed object-oriented multimedia database management system.