OntoSphere3D: a multidimensional visualization tool for ontologies

In this paper we propose a novel approach for inspecting and editing ontologies using a 3-dimensional space, where information is represented on a 3D view-port enriched by several visual cues. This approach aims at tackling space allocation issues for ontology visual models by adopting a dynamic collapsing mechanism and different views, at different granularities, for granting a constant navigability of the rendered model. A Protege plug-in, based on the presented principles and named OntoSphere3D, has been developed. Preliminary results, comparing it to other solutions as Jambalaya, OWLViz and TgViz on specific operations, show that the approach is feasible and can actually lead to a more effective modeling process with respect to currently available solutions.