Dynamic node grouping in grid-based visualizations

A method for manipulating a grid visualization in a computing system including a processor coupled to a user input and to a display, the method comprising operations performed by the processor as follows:

• receiving content assets for display in the computing system, the content assets including definitions for data entities from a data set;
• displaying the grid visualization including at least a first axis associated with a first attribute and one or more attribute values, a second axis associated with a second attribute and one or more attribute values, a first grid cell representing a first attribute value related to the first axis and a second attribute value related to the second axis and a second grid cell representing a third attribute value related to the first axis and a fourth attribute value related to the second axis;
• populating the first grid cell with a first set of one or more individual icons representing data entities from the data set, wherein each data entity is associated with the first attribute value, the second attribute value, and a fifth attribute value for a third attribute, and wherein the one or more individual icons in the first set are equally sized and as large as possible given a size of the first grid cell;
• populating the second grid cell with a second set of one or more individual icons representing data entities from the data set, wherein each data entity is associated with the third attribute value, the fourth attribute value, and a sixth attribute value for the third attribute, and wherein the second set of one or more individual icons are equally sized and as large as possible given a size of the second grid cell;
• displaying an overflow indicator within the first grid cell when one or more of the individual icons of the first set cannot be displayed within the size of the first grid cell;
• receiving a first user input from a user input device to initiate a grouping of the first set and the second set;
• upon receiving the first user input, assigning the first set and the second set to groups based on their attribute values for the third attribute, wherein each group is associated with an attribute value for the third attribute;
• replacing the first set and the second set with a display of at least one chart including icons from at least one of the groups, wherein the at least one chart includes one or more of a bar chart, pie chart or treemap;
• and
• positioning the at least one chart over parts of both the first grid cell and the second grid cell.

A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium including instructions adapted to direct a processor coupled to a user input and to a display to perform operations comprising:

• receiving content assets for display in a computing system, the content assets including definitions for data entities from a data set;
• displaying a grid visualization including at least a first axis associated with a first attribute and one or more attribute values, a second axis associated with a second attribute and one or more attribute values, and a first grid cell representing a first attribute value related to the first axis and a second attribute value related to the second axis;
• populating the first grid cell with one or more individual icons representing data entities from a data set, wherein each data entity is associated with the first attribute value, the second attribute value, and a third attribute value for a third attribute and a fourth attribute value for a fourth attribute, and wherein the one or more individual icons are equally sized and as large as possible given a size of a first grid cell;
• displaying an overflow indicator within the first grid cell when a part of the one or more of the individual icons cannot be displayed within the size of the first grid cell;
• receiving a first user input from a user input device to drag and drop an icon from the first grid cell to a second grid cell;
• upon receiving the first user input updating at least one attribute of the icon from a value associated with the first grid cell to a value associated with the second grid cell;
• receiving a second user input from the user input device to perform initiating a grouping of the one or more individual icons;
• upon receiving the second user input, assigning the one or more individual icons to groups based on their attribute values for the third attribute and the fourth attribute;
• and
• replacing the one or more individual icons with a display of at least one chart including icons from at least one of the groups, wherein one of the at least one chart includes one or more of a bar chart, pie chart or treemap.