Vector graphics to improve BLAST graphic representations
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Date
2007
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Abstract
BLAST reports can be complicated. Viewing them graphically helps to understand
them better, especially when the reports are long. At present "Web BLAST" and
the stand-alone "wwwBLAST" versions, distributed by the NCBI, include graph-
ical viewers for BLAST results. An alternative approach is "BLAST Graphic
Viewer" developed by GMOD as part of the BioPerl library. It provides a more
aesthetically pleasing and informative graphical visualization to represent BLAST
results. All the strategies mentioned above are based on the use of bitmap graph-
ics and dependent on JavaScript code embedded in HTML. We present Vector
Graphic BLAST (VEGRA) a Python object orientated library based on BioPy-
thon to yield graphical visualization of results from BLAST utilizing vector graph-
ics. Graphics produced by VEGRA are better than bitmaps for illustration, more
exible because they can be resized and stretched, require less memory, and their
interactivity is more e ective as it is independent of tertiary technologies due to
its integration into the graphic. In addition, the library facilitates a de nition
of any layout for the di erent components of the graphic, as well as adjustment
of size and colour properties. This dissertation studies previous alternatives and
improves them by making use of vector graphics and thus allowing more e ective
presentation of results. VEGRA is not just an improvement for BLAST visualiza-
tion but a model that illustrates how other visualization tools could make use of
vector graphics. VEGRA currently works with BLAST, nevertheless the library
has been written to be extended to other visualization problems.
Description
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.
Keywords
Computer graphics., Vector analysis., Vector processing (Computer science)