Star Interpolator – A Novel Visualization Paradigm for Graphical Interpolators

This paper presents a new visualization paradigm for graphical interpolation systems, known as Star Interpolation, that has been specifically created for sound design applications. Through the presented investigation of previous visualizations, it becomes apparent that the existing visuals in this class of system, generally relate to the interpolation model that determines the weightings of the presets and not the sonic output. The Star Interpolator looks to resolve this deficiency by providing visual cues that relate to the parameter space. Through comparative exploration it has been found this visualization provides a number of benefits over the previous systems. It is also shown that hybrid visualization can be generated that combined benefits of the new visualization with the existing interpolation models. These can then be accessed by using an Interactive Visualization (IV) approach. The results from our exploration of these visualizations are encouraging and they appear to be advantageous when using the interpolators for sound designs tasks. Therefore, it is proposed that formal usability testing is undertaken to measure the potential value of this form of visualization.