*Not currently accepting new graduate students*

Research Interests

1. Information Visualization
   Develop more effective ways to manage information gathered from very large information spaces such as the World Wide Web. Today's hypertext systems, such as the WWW involve large information spaces and inadequate user interfaces. What is desired is user-interface approaches which reduce the cognitive load placed on the user by the interface. The method being developed is classed as a `detail-in-context` method, based on a method called the Continuous Zoom, developed in earlier research. This work combines both advanced visualisation methods and HCI methodology; an important facet is that the visualisations are based on fundamental cognitive science concepts (e.g. Object Files, FINSTs).
   
   Other applications for this work include applying ideas related to FINSTs etc. to problems in air traffic control (sponsored by Hughes through HRL Laboratories).
   
   
2. Visual Analytics
   Visual Analytics is the science of analytical reasoning facilitated by interactive visual interfaces. People use visual analytics tools and techniques to synthesize informaion and derive insight from massive, dynamic, ambiguous and often conflicting tata; detect the expected and discover the unexpected. Visual Analytics is a multidisciplinary field that includes analytical reasoning techniques, visual representation and interaction techniques and data representations and transformations. My research in this area is just beginning; a particular area of focus is temporal analytics, developing visual analytic techniques and processes to help analysts better understand changing temporal patterns, be they bio-informatic or event based.
   
   
3. Design Visualization
   Development of the use of colour to visualize shape information in the design of free form surfaces via certain aspects of surface (Gaussian and average) curvature.
   
   
4. Haptic Rendering
   As part of an IRIS 3-funded project, we are working on methods to provide `haptic rendering` of 3-dimensional objects, and integratethese representations with visual (computer graphic)images. The long term goal is to simulate endoscopic surgery environments. In a related project (NSERC Strategic Grant funding) I am working with several others in SFU`s Virtual Hand Laboratory (School of Kinesiology) to help better understand human visuo-motor systems and show how to apply this to a variety of tasks ranging from endoscopic surgery to computer-aided design.
   
   
5. Intelligent Graphic Interface
   The thrust of this completed joint university-industry project was to bring intelligence and advanced visualization methods to help improve graphic user interfaces for very large real time systems, such as power transmission and telecommunications systems. Part of this work has been in visualization methods for representing large, hierarchically organized networks. The project was successfully concluded with MPR Teltech seeking applications of the technology. A spin-out from this project is the CZWeb work described above (item 1).
   
   The research was joint with T. Calvert and W. Havens. The major industrial partner was MPR Teltech, though several other organizations including HP Canada, BC Tel, TransAlta Utilities, Alberta Research Council, DEC Canada, Shell Canada, and HA Simons, were involved.

Selected Publications

• Green, Tera M., Dustin Dunsmuir, Eric Lee, Nazanin Kadivar, John Dill and Brian Fisher. “Analytic Provenance for Collaborative Cognition with CZSaw”, CHI Workshop on Analytic Provenance, 2011.
• Arias-Hernández, Richard, John Dill, Brian Fisher and Tera Marie Green.  2011. Visual Analytics and Human-Computer Interaction. ACM Interactions. Jan 2011, pp 51-56.
• Chen, V., Dunsmuir, D., Alimadadi, S., Lee, E., Guenther, J., Dill, J., Qian, C., Shaw, C.D., Stone, M., and Woodbury, R. "Model based Interactive Analysis of Interwoven, Imprecise Narratives", Proceedings of IEEE Visual Analytics Science & Technology (Salt Lake City, UT, Oct 24-29, 2010), pp. 275-276. Oct 2010.
• Chen, Victor, Dustin Dunsmuir, Saba Alimadadi, Eric Lee, Jeffrey Guenther, John Dill, Cheryl Qian, Chris Shaw, Maureen Stone, Robert Woodbury. "Model based Interactive Analysis of Interwoven, Imprecise Narratives". VAST 2010 Mini Challenge 1 Award: Outstanding Interaction Model. IEEE VAST10 Contest, 2010.
• Kadivar, N., V. Chen, D. Dunsmuir, E. Lee, C. Qian, J. Dill, C. Shaw and R. Woodbury. Capturing and Supporting the Analysis Process. IEEE VAST09, pp 131-138, Atlantic City NJ, October 2009.
• Shaw, C., J-D. Yim, W. Chao and J. Dill. 2009. Visual Analysis of Temporal Email with EmailTime. Proc. Information Visualization IV09, London. July, 2009.
• Marshall, P., S. Payandeh and J. Dill. 2005. Suturing for Surface Meshes. IEEE Conference on Control Applications (CCA05)
• Lam, Heidi, Brian Fisher and John Dill. 2005. A Pilot Study of CZTalk: A Graphical Tool for Collaborative Knowledge Work. Hawaii International Conference on System Science Jan 3 - 6, 2005. 10pp
• Hoskinson, Reynald, Caitlin Akai, Brian Fisher, John Dill and Barry Po. 2004. Causes of Depth Perception Errors in Stereo Displays. (Extended abstract and poster). Proc. ACM Symposium on Applied Perception in Graphics and Visualization APGV 2004, Los Angeles. P. 164.
• Samiei, Maryam, John Dill and Arthur Kirkpatrick. 2004. EZMail: Using Information Visualization Techniques to Help Manage Email. Proc. Information Visualization IV04, 14-16 July 2004, London.
• Swindells, C., Po, B.A., Hajshirmohammadi, I., Corrie, B., Dill, J.C., Fisher, B.D. & Booth, K.S. 2004. Comparing CAVE, wall, and desktop displays for navigation and wayfinding in complex 3D models. In Proceedings of CGI 2004(Computer Graphics International), Hersonissos, Crete, Greece, June 16-19, pp. 420-427.
• Payandeh, S., J. Dill, G. Wilson, H. Zhang, L. Shia, A. Lomax and C. MacKenzie: 2003. A Multi-Modal Training Environment for Surgeons,. 5th Int. Conf. On Multi-Modal Interfaces. ICMI03.
• Le Duc, M., S. Payandeh and J. Dill. 2003. Toward Modeling of a Suturing Task. Graphic Interface 2003, , pp. 273-27.
• Zhang, J. S. Payandeh and J. Dill. 2003. Levels of Detail in Reducing Cost of Haptic Rendering: a Preliminary User Study. IEEE VR03, 11th International Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, IEEE Computer Society, March 2003, pp 205-212.
• Zhang, J. S. Payandeh and J. Dill. 2003. Haptic Aided Design: a Case Study. IEEE VR03, 11th International Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, IEEE Computer Society, March 2003, pp 254-261.
• Zhang, J. S. Payandeh and J. Dill. 2002. Haptic Subdivision: an Approach to Defining Level-of-detail in Haptic Rendering. IEEE VR02, 10th International Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, IEEE Computer Society, pp. 201-208
• Cai, Z., J. Dill and S. Payendeh. Haptic Rendering: Practical Modeling and Collision Detection. Proc. IMECE99. pp. 81-86, 1999.
• Fisher, B., J. Dill and M. Liljefors. Perceptual cognition and the design of Air Traffic Control interfaces. Proc. Information Visualization 99 (Late Breaking Hot Topics). Submitted. 1999.
• Dill, J.C. Top Ten Software Products of 1997. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications. 18(1), p. 94, January,1998.
• Fisher, B., G. Agelidis, J. Dill, P. Tan, G. Collaud and C. Jones. "CZWeb: Fish-Eye Views for Visualiziang the World-Wide Web", Proc. Seventh Int. Conf. on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI International '97), pp 719-722, 1997.
• Dill, J., Fisher, B., & Jones, C. (1997). CZWeb, a tool for visualizing and navigating through the World Wide Web. Telelearning Network of Centres of Excellence (1st place demo).
• Burkell, J., Dill, J., Eagleson, R., Fisher, B., and C. Groeneboer . Supporting interaction of multiple users in shared workspaces. Telelearning Network of Centres of Excellence (poster). 1997.
• Dill, J.C. A New Method for Navigating Large Information Spaces. Invited Presentation, Lucent Research Laboratories, Naperville, IL, 1997.
• Dill, J.C. Top Ten Software Products of 1996. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications. 17(1), p. 83, January,1997.
• Wein, M., K. Booth and J. Dill. Computer Graphics section of Computer Science article in The Canadian Encyclopedia. 1996.
• Dill, J.C. Top Ten Software Products of 1995. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications. 16(1), pp. 92, January, 1996.
• Schaffer, D., Z. Zuo, .S. Greenberg, J. Dill, L. Bartram, S. Dubs, and D. Roseman. An experiment comparing variable zoom to standard methods. ACM TOCHI 3(2), pp 162-188, June 1996.
• Collaud, Gé rald, John Dill, Christopher Jones and Paul Tan The Continuously Zoomed Web -a Graphical Navigation Aid for WWW . Proc. IEEE Visualization '96, Late Breaking Hot Topics, pp.1-3, 1996.
• D. H. Hepting, F. D. Fracchia, J. C. Dill, R. D. Russell. "A Personal Paradigm vor Computer-Aided Visualization", Proceedings of the Conference on Information and Knowledge Management, workshop on New Paradigms in Information VIsualization and Manipulation, CIKM '96.
• Fisher, B.D., Agelidis, M., & Dill, J. (1996). User testing of CZWeb, a Web mapping and navigation tool. Telelearning Network of Centres of Excellence (poster). 1996.
• Bartram, L., A. Ho, J. Dill and F. Henigman. The Continuous Zoom: A Constrained Fisheye View Method for Visualizing and Navigating Large Information Spaces. UIST 95.
• Collaud, Gérald, John Dill, Christopher Jones and Paul Tan. A Distorted View Approach to Assisting Web Navigation. Proc. Workshop on New Paradigns in Information Visualization and Manipulation (in conjunction with 4th Int. Conf. on Information and Knowledge Management, pp. 95-100, Baltimore, December 1995.
• Jones, J.D., W.S. Havens and J.C. Dill. Explanation in Concurrent Design. Chapter in book 'Concurrent Engineering', Eds. P. Gu and A. Kuziak, Elsevier, 1993, pp. 315-330.
• Schaffer, D., Z. Zuo, J. Dill, L. Bartram, S. Dubs, S. Greenberg and D. Roseman. An experiment comparing variable zoom to standard methods. Proc. Graphic Interface '93, pp. 87-96, Toronto, May, 1
• Encarnacao, J. and J.C. Dill, eds. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications Special Issue on Graphics for Telecommunications, September, 1993.
• Dill, J.C. Analysis of Curved Surfaces. Invited seminar, University of Aizu, Japan, November, 1993.
• Dill, J.C. Exploring Hierarchical Networks. Invited seminar, University of Aizu, Japan, November, 1993.
• Dill, J.C. and L. Bartram. Graphic Technique Design. Tech. Rept. MPR Teltech IGI92-0106, November 1992.
• Zuo, Z. and J.C. Dill. Variable Zoom: A new method for representing large hierarchical information spaces. Tech. Rept. MPR Teltech, IGI92-0068, 21 June 1992.
• Dill, J.C. Knowledge-Based Engineering Systems. Invited presentation at the National Computer Graphics Associsation conference, March 1992.

Patents

Continuous Zoom and CZWeb software licenced to ThoughtShare Communications Inc. through SFU's University Industry Liaison Office. June 1999.
Partners and Lab Affiliations

HRL Laboratories, Electronic Arts, ThoughtShare Communications Inc.
Support / Funding

NSERC Research, NSERC Strategic, IRIS Network of Centres of Excellence, Telelearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Theme 5), HRL Laboratories (with B. Fisher), NRC-NSERC Research Partnership Program