Research challenges

We have explored the use of graphics and multimedia in process and information modeling in the Improvise project. We have encountered several problems and challenges that are important not only in process modeling, but that generalize to other multimedia diagramming domains. The following problems are of particular importance:

• Identifying the notations, symbols, and embedded multimedia objects that are valuable for information system diagrams.

• Exploring static and dynamic techniques that can simplify navigation and improve understanding of large networks of objects.

• Investigating how graph visualization systems can combine high quality diagrams, incremental layout, and hybrid notations.

• Determining the properties that are important for making effective incremental visualization, and how to embody them in efficient algorithms.

• Integrating multimedia with information diagrams that have executable semantics, such as process flows or program flows. In particular, we would like to index recorded video and speech, in order to associate steps in the execution (or simulation) of a process flow with frames in a recording [Sri95][Bul92]. The goal is to synchronize the playing of a video with the execution of a process flow at a fine granularity.