All figures generated in Visage.

Consider an Army analyst who needs to explore the supply needs of a particular group in an Army organization and uses an outliner table (above) that shows information hierarchically. The goal is to learn which units need the most supplies and how to deliver them. The analyst starts from a single point in a data network, in this case an object pointing to an entire database of Army supply requirements. The first menu consists of alternative dimensions or relations along which an analyst may drill down.

In this figure, the analyst has selected the Subordinate Units dimension, which reveals that the Army data object consisted of 5 military groups. The analyst has also selected several attributes to display by clicking on a column heading in the table. In column 2 the analyst has chosen to display the total tons of supplies that units require, which is crucial for estimating transportation needs. Column 3 displays echelon, which is a unit's organizational level (e.g., brigade or battalion).

Finally, the analyst has chosen to select a unit (the 53rd Mechanized) and drill down further in the hierarchy toadditional subordinate units. This drilldown navigation process can alsooccur across different relations. For example, the analyst can drilldown into one of the brigades to show the types of supplies it requires,thereby switching from an organizational hierarchy to a supply breakdown.

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