Grand Perspective 0.99: Mac Disk Space Visualization
Submitted by todd on Fri, 2007-08-31 20:53
Since Roshambo commented that WinStatDir for Windows looks a lot like Grand Perspective 0.99 for Mac OS X, I figured I might as well post a link to it here. The graphical interpretation sure looks similar to me too. But, it is a common way of visualizing multiple volumes of something. I like the way WinStatDir presents the detailed information in a list that refocuses as you point to a different part of the graph. If WinStatDir got its inspiration from Grand Perspective, I hope the author of Grand Perspective returns the favor and adds the detailed information list :-)
So far, I only knew Sequoia
So far, I only knew Sequoia View on Windows (first) and (later) Disk Inventory X... Actually, the Treemap principle seems to be quite well-known.
It's also listed in the "Periodic Table of Visualization Methods" (http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html), under the "Tp" symbol.
FAYI (For All Yall
FAYI (For All Yall Information):
The first time I saw this type of visualisation was in a linux app for KDE, it's actually a bit disappointing to me to see you both arguing attribution for _either_ Mac or Windows to what I recon is pretty likely a rip off of a good idea in Linux.
Um, yeah. See, there's this
Um, yeah. See, there's this thing called google, and you can use it to learn all about interesting things. Like, maybe, treemaps.
They were invented in the early 90's at the University of Maryland's human-computer interaction lab (HCIL) by Ben Shneiderman. The algorithm and samples of the first implementation were published in March of '91. That implementation happened to be done on a mac, though at the time the HCIL was also doing a lot of work with sun boxen and some windows machines. They were also playing with Neuron Data's cross-platform window toolbox.
I was never a part of the HCIL, but I was a grad student at UMd in the early to mid 90s and my department/advisor had close ties to Shneiderman's department. We had a number of fieldtrips over to the HCIL to see their work and exchange ideas, and I presented at the HCIL's 13th annual symposium.
I had nothing to do with treemaps, other than being a big fan of the concept.
But the point is...reckon all you like, but you're just being a fanboi if you insist that the treemap was "ripped off of a good idea in linux"
Oops, sorry, its open
Oops, sorry, its open source, not shareware. But hey, toss the dog a bone, its pretty good stuff.
Well, I don't know about
Well, I don't know about Grand Perspective (none of your links actually took me to a page for it, it just re-drew the plog page), but I do know that I like
Disk Inventory X - Also shareware, and with a ton of info associated with the files.
http://www.derlien.com/
Okay, okay; so WinStatDir
Okay, okay; so WinStatDir does have a thing or two up on Grand Perspective. I'll give ya that :)
Hey, Roshambo: Just an FYI
Hey, Roshambo: Just an FYI that no jab was intended on my part. I didn't know about Grand Perspective (or forgot that I did) and figured it was good idea to take a look at it since you mentioned it and it sounded useful for Mac users. :-)
Disk Inventory X <- This is
Disk Inventory X <- This is the one I've used before. I'll have to take a look at GP.
No offense taken at all :).
No offense taken at all :). Actually, I was glad to see that you featured the application.