Abstract: Multivariate data that includes data records may be obtained, each of the data records represented as data values of data attribute variables. A cardinality of the data records is substantially large. A display layout template representing a collectivized visualization of dataset points is obtained, the collectivized visualization logically associated with a set of the data attribute variables, from a perspective of a user viewer. An individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records is determined, based on a portion of the data values associated with each respective data record. The individualized particulate display representation includes a discrete, individually selectable particulate shape and a display location relative to geometric bounds logically associated with the template. Display of the individualized particulate display representations is initiated in accordance with the template.

Abstract: Descried herein are various technologies to visualizing data in a spreadsheet application. Customized visualizations are generated by binding a user-defined equation with a parameter of a primitive visual shape that has been selected by the user to visualized a dataset. The user-defined equation takes as input a value of data in a cell of the spreadsheet application, and the primitive visual shape is displayed to the user as a function of the output of the user-defined equation.

Abstract: Multivariate data that includes data records may be obtained, each of the data records represented as data values of data attribute variables. A cardinality of the data records is substantially large. A display layout template representing a collectivized visualization of dataset points is obtained, the collectivized visualization logically associated with a set of the data attribute variables, from a perspective of a user viewer. An individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records is determined, based on a portion of the data values associated with each respective data record. The individualized particulate display representation includes a discrete, individually selectable particulate shape and a display location relative to geometric bounds logically associated with the template. Display of the individualized particulate display representations is initiated in accordance with the template.

Abstract: Multivariate data that includes data records may be obtained, each of the data records represented as data values of data attribute variables. A cardinality of the data records is substantially large. A display layout template representing a collectivized visualization of dataset points is obtained, the collectivized visualization logically associated with a set of the data attribute variables, from a perspective of a user viewer. An individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records is determined, based on a portion of the data values associated with each respective data record. The individualized particulate display representation includes a discrete, individually selectable particulate shape and a display location relative to geometric bounds logically associated with the template. Display of the individualized particulate display representations is initiated in accordance with the template.

Abstract: The pluggable web-based visualization technique described herein pertains to a method for providing pluggable web-based visualizations for applications. The method selects visualizations from the web to be embedded into a host application on a desktop computing device. The visualizations can be plugged in to a variety of host applications. This empowers end-users, application designers, and visualization designers by allowing greater reuse of existing code. Additionally, end-users do not have to wait for new revisions of existing applications to use the latest techniques. Designers of domain specific visualizations can work on just the visualization and have them incorporated into a variety of different host applications. Users can perform local processing and visualizations on their own machine, yet obtain new visualizations from the web where they can be updated more frequently and where special purpose visualizations are available.

Abstract: Multivariate data that includes data records may be obtained, each of the data records represented as data values of data attribute variables. A cardinality of the data records is substantially large. A display layout template representing a collectivized visualization of dataset points is obtained, the collectivized visualization logically associated with a set of the data attribute variables, from a perspective of a user viewer. An individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records is determined, based on a portion of the data values associated with each respective data record. The individualized particulate display representation includes a discrete, individually selectable particulate shape and a display location relative to geometric bounds logically associated with the template. Display of the individualized particulate display representations is initiated in accordance with the template.

Abstract: A data trends static visualization system and method including a data trends static visualization diagram for statically visualizing changes in data. The data trends static visualization diagram is a multi-dimensional static diagram including plots of multiple data items, where each data item is a set of related data having associated nodes and links. Each node represents a data point of the data item and links are used to connect at least some of the nodes. The data trends static visualization diagram uses a variety of visualization components to accentuate data changes and indicate a direction (or flow) of data trends. The visualization components include a node opacity visualization component, a link opacity visualization component, and a node size visualization component. The data trends static visualization diagram includes a traces diagram, for plotting trace lines in one diagram, and a small multiples diagram, for plotting individual trace lines in multiple diagrams.

Abstract: A chart animation module is described herein that animates a transformation of a first chart into a second chart. The transformation, for instance, can correspond to a grouping-type transformation, a filtering-type transformation, or a transposing-type transformation. In one implementation, the chart animation module performs the transformation in such a manner so as to create a visual perception that there is a conservation of area and preservation of identify of constituent elements that are moved from the first chart to the second chart. The chart animation module can move the constituent elements in the form of blocks or particles.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can construct a map for summarizing analyses with respect to data included in a database. In addition, the architecture can display the map in a special canvas area. Generally, the map is a hub-and-spoke-style map in which a hub is associated with an entity (e.g., a related set of records) included in a database. Likewise, the spokes are typically representative of operations (e.g., filter, join, transform) that act upon the hub/entity from which it extends. The map can aid with open-ended analysis on complex databases by recording and ordering competing hypotheses and can also further collaborative efforts with respect to analysis.

Abstract: Descried herein are various technologies to visualizing data in a spreadsheet application. Customized visualizations are generated by binding a user-defined equation with a parameter of a primitive visual shape that has been selected by the user to visualized a dataset. The user-defined equation takes as input a value of data in a cell of the spreadsheet application, and the primitive visual shape is displayed to the user as a function of the output of the user-defined equation.

Abstract: The disclosed functionality enables non-sessions users of an activity session to be provided awareness of the session. The non-sessions users are made aware of the session and can then choose to join (or not join) the session in an ad hoc manner based on the exposed session information. This functionality encourages serendipitous group interactions (or participations) that might not otherwise occur, does not require that all relevant and/or interested people be identified, and removes the overhead of explicitly inviting everyone who might be interested in the activity and managing responses received from each of the users. Rather than requiring an explicit invitation to join as in conventional applications systems, users can implicitly invite friends to join an activity.

Abstract: The pluggable web-based visualization technique described herein pertains to a method for providing pluggable web-based visualizations for applications. The method selects visualizations from the web to be embedded into a host application on a desktop computing device. The visualizations can be plugged in to a variety of host applications. This empowers end-users, application designers, and visualization designers by allowing greater reuse of existing code. Additionally, end-users do not have to wait for new revisions of existing applications to use the latest techniques. Designers of domain specific visualizations can work on just the visualization and have them incorporated into a variety of different host applications. Users can perform local processing and visualizations on their own machine, yet obtain new visualizations from the web where they can be updated more frequently and where special purpose visualizations are available.

Abstract: A method that facilitates smoothly animating content of a graphical user interface includes acts of receiving a description of a first virtual scene and receiving a description of a second virtual scene. The method also includes an act of causing an animated transition to be displayed on a display screen of a computing device between the first virtual scene and the second virtual scene at a graphical object level based at least in part upon the description of the first virtual scene and the description of the second virtual scene, wherein the animated transition at the graphical object level is an animated change of a graphical object between the first virtual scene and the second virtual scene.

Abstract: A system and method in a wireless network for discovering which resources (e.g., other wireless computing devices) are proximate a user's wireless computing device. Wireless signal strengths with respect to various base stations are compared with the signal strengths of other network devices or resources, to determine which devices are experiencing similar signal strengths. Devices with similar signal strengths are deemed proximate. Each participating computing device may send its signal strength reports to a proximity server, which distributes proximity data to network clients. Each client may receive and process the signal strength data for determining which other clients/resources are proximate, or the server can perform proximity computations and return a list of proximate clients. Once computed, the identities of the proximate clients can be used to query for additional data about the clients, such as the names and other details of their owners, or information about the resource.

Abstract: A design application uses metadata-based techniques (e.g., runtime reflection) to examine class metadata of design objects. A key object is provided by a programmer of a graphical design application to generically animate properties of design objects in one or more animation frames. Using runtime reflection or other metadata techniques, the key object finds properties of each design object and updates specified property values for animated display in one or more animation frames. A key set object is provided to group multiple key objects into a sequence of key frames along a timeline. In this manner, a programmer can provide a small amount of support program code (e.g., a key class and a key set class) that can be associated with selected design objects at runtime of the design application in order to allow an animation designer to decide which design objects and which properties to animate.

Abstract: A data trends static visualization system and method including a data trends static visualization diagram for statically visualizing changes in data. The data trends static visualization diagram is a multi-dimensional static diagram including plots of multiple data items, where each data item is a set of related data having associated nodes and links. Each node represents a data point of the data item and links are used to connect at least some of the nodes. The data trends static visualization diagram uses a variety of visualization components to accentuate data changes and indicate a direction (or flow) of data trends. The visualization components include a node opacity visualization component, a link opacity visualization component, and a node size visualization component. The data trends static visualization diagram includes a traces diagram, for plotting trace lines in one diagram, and a small multiples diagram, for plotting individual trace lines in multiple diagrams.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can construct a map for summarizing analyses with respect to data included in a database. In addition, the architecture can display the map in a special canvas area. Generally, the map is a hub-and-spoke-style map in which a hub is associated with an entity (e.g., a related set of records) included in a database. Likewise, the spokes are typically representative of operations (e.g., filter, join, transform) that act upon the hub/entity from which it extends. The map can aid with open-ended analysis on complex databases by recording and ordering competing hypotheses and can also further collaborative efforts with respect to analysis.

Abstract: The disclosed functionality enables non-sessions users of an activity session to be provided awareness of the session. The non-sessions users are made aware of the session and can then choose to join (or not join) the session in an ad hoc manner based on the exposed session information. This functionality encourages serendipitous group interactions (or participations) that might not otherwise occur, does not require that all relevant and/or interested people be identified, and removes the overhead of explicitly inviting everyone who might be interested in the activity and managing responses received from each of the users. Rather than requiring an explicit invitation to join as in conventional applications systems, users can implicitly invite friends to join an activity.

Abstract: A system and method in a computer network in which computer users may make handwritten annotations (to publication pages such as a slideshow slide) public to other computer users, as well as to view public annotations from other computer users. Users can selectively publish authored notes, and subscribe to other user's published notes, as well as see who is subscribing to those notes. An annotation program such as running on a tablet personal computer allows a user to operate in a public mode or a private mode. In the public mode, an author's ink strokes are sent to a server which distributes those ink strokes to subscribers of that author. The architecture provides other useful applications, including a shared canvas mode in which any user annotations corresponding to a publication page are viewable to other users, and a graffiti mode in which annotations are persisted independent of any publication page.

Abstract: A design application uses metadata-based techniques (e.g., runtime reflection) to examine class metadata of design objects. A key object is provided by a programmer of a graphical design application to generically animate properties of design objects in one or more animation frames. Using runtime reflection or other metadata techniques, the key object finds properties of each design object and updates specified property values for animated display in one or more animation frames. A key set object is provided to group multiple key objects into a sequence of key frames along a timeline. In this manner, a programmer can provide a small amount of support program code (e.g., a key class and a key set class) that can be associated with selected design objects at runtime of the design application in order to allow an animation designer to decide which design objects and which properties to animate.