GET3D, A Genomic Exploration Tool in 3D

John Gill1
1john.gill@monash.edu.au, Victorian Bioinformatics Consortium, Monash University

The GET3D, Genomic Exploration Tool in 3D, software is a three dimensional visualization tool, used to visualise and expand the CAS, Categorised Annotation Set, database. Through the use of conceptual item nodes, representing data attributes, and relationship lines, representing the interconnecting relationships between the different data items, the GET3D system can be used to handle a large number of nodes representing them, along with their relationships, as structural diagrams. These diagrams then form visual representations of the CAS dataset. Within the GET3D system, the user can navigate through the structure exploring relationship paths and connections, as well as creating new relationship elements. Each node of the diagram represents either a category from the CAS database or a single data instance, with its position and appearance defined by both its contents and its surrounding node items. Functionality within the system includes the ability to search and find specific nodes, create new node relationships, set importance values for certain nodes and node items, and to add new nodes. Node additions may be done via calls to the CAS system, thus facilitating the implementation of existing CAS category methods, and their accompanying data association rules. The GET3D system is fully configurable, with the colour and size of both the nodes and relationship lines being controllable through user defined rules and conditions. The GET3D tool allows for detailed exploration, manipulation and extension of the CAS dataset using interactive 3D techniques, thus complementing the data collection and integration functionality of the CAS system.