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CCP Visualisation Tools Survey.

Through the EPSRC SLA and via the University of Manchester we have been asked to coordinate some visualisation surveys across certain disciplines. This is to inform current uses as well as indicate trends and developments for future collaboration and high impact visualisation uses. The aim is to complete the surveys by the end of October 2014, then evaluate the use and practicality of such a system for long term embedding into a visualisation service. Details from all users will be in this public site..


Why?

Current users need to be informed of their usage and better service gven to them in the future. There is a plan for long term embedding these results into a visualisation service that goes beyond a single facility.


CCPs Surveyed

List of (and links to) Communities surveyed, response rates, responders' locations


Methodology

Three surveys were issued:

  1. [Link] to the global survey of all funded networks.
  2. [Link] to the CCPi network's survey.
  3. [Link] to the CFD network's survey.

The surveys were broadly similar. Results have been combined for the analysis.

The survey was distributed via each CCP emailing list and 107 responses were received by 31 October 2014 for the global survey.


Executive Summary of Results

  • Three packages are the most-used packages by 26% of respondents. Conversely, another 31 packages are used by one or two users and account for a further 26% of respondents.
  • Producing publication quality plots is the most-used technique.
  • However, the features making these packages the favourites are:
  1. Software that is written specifically for their domain of interest.
  2. Large datasets are handled efficiently.
  3. Scripting or other ability to extend the tool is required.
  • Users second most favoured packages are general purpose visualisation tools.
  • Users were given five options for selecting their most required development. None emerged as being more needed than the others.
  • Conversely, large amounts of memory was clearly the most important requirement for high performance visualisation.
  • The main future challenges are suggested to be
  1. The ability to handle large amounts of data
  2. The ability to operate in a distributed environment.


Summaries of the various questions' results

Q1 Home institutions

Q2 Which CCP(s) are you involved with?

Q3 What software do you use for visualisation of data?

Q4 What visualisation techniques are important to your work?

Q5 Comments on the respondents' most used visualisation tool.

Q6 Same as question 5, for any other tool used.

Q7 Visualisation requirements. How important do you see the provision of the following?

Q8 Requirements for high performance/advanced visualisation facilities. Do you have any need for access to:

Q9 What do you see as the main challenges for visualisation in your domain now and in the near future?

Q10 Any other comments?


Authors

Martin Turner email

Ronald Fowler email

Tim Morris email