A specification language and system for the three-dimensional visualisation of knowledge bases

Abstract

In this paper we present models and languages to specify 3D interfaces for accessing knowledge bases. In this approach, a specification has an abstract and a concrete level. The abstract specification language describes the contents of nodes, obtained by selecting knowledge base objects, and different categories of links on these nodes. It serves to generate an abstract interface which is a 3D spatial hypertext. The concrete specification language associates styles and layout managers to the abstract interface components, so as to produce a concrete interface in which the nodes have a presentation and a position. This concrete interface is then easily translated in a 3D scene representation language such as VRML or X3D to be displayed. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.