Method and system for computing forces on data objects for physics-based visualization

A method for computing forces on data objects in a physics-based visualization system, comprising:

• calculating first forces using a first function, wherein said first function does not consider similarity between data objects;
• calculating second forces using a second function, wherein said second function considers similarity between data objects and wherein said second forces are calculated only for data objects having a degree of similarity to another data object;
• and
• determining a net force on a data object, said net force comprising second forces exerted on said data object by those data objects having said degree of similarity and first forces exerted on said data object by those data objects not having said degree of similarity, said net force determined without having to consider similarity between all data objects.

A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method comprising:

• computing first forces exerted on a data object by other data objects in said plurality, said first forces calculated without considering similarity between data objects;
• computing second forces exerted on said data object by a portion of said other data objects, each data object in said portion having a degree of similarity to said data object, said second forces calculated considering similarity between data objects;
• and
• calculating a net force on said data object by adjusting said first forces using said second forces, said net force determined without having to consider similarity between all data objects in said plurality.

A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method comprising:

• generating first forces using a first function, wherein said first function does not consider similarity between data objects;
• generating second forces using a second function, wherein said second function considers similarity between data objects and wherein said second forces are calculated only for data objects having a degree of similarity to another data object;
• and
• calculating a net force on a data object, said net force comprising second forces exerted on said data object by those data objects having said degree of similarity and first forces exerted on said data object by those data objects not having said degree of similarity, said net force determined without having to consider similarity between all data objects.