VaRiant - A Tool for the Visualization of Variant Structures in VR
Accelerating technological advancement has made the comprehension of technological systems and complicated product structures more difficult. Modern product lines are made up of a complex component structure and comes in many variants. Feature models are an alternative to the visualization of variant structures in table form. Just like with traditional methods, there are challenges with the usability when displaying large structures. This document describes the development of a tool for the visualization and analysis of variant structures in immersive Virtual Reality (VR) based on the web application “Glencoe”. The theoretical foundation is made up of extensive literature research into visualization forms, method for information filtering and evaluation of VR applications in the work with graphs and tree structures. The research proposes solutions for the challenges with scalability and usability and motivates their evaluation in the prototypical development project. The structured approach to software development and the utilized software tools and components are described. The document showcases a selection of interesting implementation details. The development results in the prototype of the feature model viewer “VaRiant” with a focus on engaging visuals, intuitive interactions and a positive user experience. The development artifacts make a good foundation for future research in the potential of VR applications in variant management and the impact of different virtual environments and interaction concepts on the effective and efficient use of VR tools.
Watch the video of VaRiant on YouTube.
Visit the student project “Team proTRon”.
Visit “Glencoe”.
Project link: http://dx.doi.org/10.18420/vrar2020_35