3d data environment navigation tool

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for providing a 3D data environment navigation tool. In accordance with some concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the 3D data environment navigation tool provides a way for a user to manipulate a 3D data environment in which productivity data is rendered. The 3D data environment navigation tool may provide a user interacting with the 3D data environment the ability to manipulate the viewing angle of data rendered in a 3D data environment, thus allowing the user to “tour” or “move around” the data. The 3D data environment navigation tool may be configured to aggregate data at various zoom levels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer, comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the processor, the computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to
 detect selected data to be rendered in a 3D data environment, 
 render the selected data in the 3D data environment in a first zoom level, 
 detect an input to change the first zoom level to a second zoom level, 
 determine if the selected data is aggregated based on the input to change the first zoom level to the second zoom level by determining if the selected data is below a data aggregation level at the second zoom level,
 aggregate the selected data and render the selected data as aggregated data if the selected data is below the data aggregation level at the second zoom level, and 
 render the selected data at the second zoom level if the selected data is above the data aggregation level at the second zoom level. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer of  claim 1 , wherein the data aggregation level corresponds to a zoom region. 
     
     
         3 . The computer of  claim 2 , wherein the zoom region comprises a street level, a city level, a state level, a postal code, a county level, and a country level. 
     
     
         4 . The computer of  claim 3 , wherein data associated with the zoom region is derived from a geographic data store. 
     
     
         5 . The computer of  claim 2 , wherein the zoom region comprises a user-defined region or a geographic level corresponding to the second zoom level. 
     
     
         6 . The computer of  claim 5 , wherein the geographic level corresponding to the second zoom level is determined using a pre-existing relationship between the selected data and a geographic entity. 
     
     
         7 . The computer of  claim 5 , wherein the geographic level corresponding to the second zoom level is determined by geometric polygons. 
     
     
         8 . The computer of  claim 1 , wherein the input to change the first zoom level to the second zoom level is received by an input detected at a navigation pane, a keyboard, a mouse, or a tactile input at a touchscreen. 
     
     
         9 . A method for navigating data, the method comprising:
 detecting, at a computer executing a visualization component, selected data to be rendered in a 3D data environment;   rendering, at the computer, the 3D data environment in a first orientation;   rendering, at the computer, the selected data in the 3D data environment in a first view of the selected data;   detecting, at the computer, an input to change the first orientation; and   determining, at the computer, if the first view of the selected data is changed based on the input to change the first orientation;
 if the first view of the selected data is not changed based on the input to change the first orientation, changing, at the computer, the first orientation and maintaining the first view of the selected data; and 
 if the first view of the selected data is changed based on the input to change the first orientation, changing, at the computer, the first view of the selected data to a second view of the selected data and changing the first orientation. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein receiving the input to change the first orientation comprises receiving the input from a constrained input source. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the constrained input source comprises a keyboard or a mouse selector button. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein receiving the input to change the first orientation comprises receiving the input from an unconstrained input source. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the unconstrained input source comprises a mouse wheel or a tactile input on a touchscreen. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the input to change the first orientation comprises a zoom in input, a zoom out input, a rotate input, a pitch input, a yaw input, a pan input, or a tilt input. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising receiving a framing input to frame at least a portion of the selected data rendered in the 3D data environment, wherein the framing input comprises an input at a spreadsheet application or an input at the 3D data environment. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising changing a viewing aspect of the at least a portion of the selected data rendered in the 3D data environment to be framed. 
     
     
         17 . A computer-readable storage medium in communication with a processor, the computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 detect selected data to be rendered in a 3D data environment;   render the 3D data environment in a first orientation;   render the selected data in the 3D data environment in a first view of the selected data;   detect an input to change the first orientation; and   determine if the first view of the selected data is to be changed based on the input to change the first orientation;
 if the first view of the selected data is not to be changed based on the input to change the first orientation, change the first orientation based on the input to change the first orientation and maintain the first view of the selected data; and 
 if the first view of the selected data is to be changed based on the input to change the first orientation, change the first view of the selected data to a second view of the selected data and change the first orientation based on the input to change the first orientation. 
   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the input to change the first orientation comprises a zoom in input, a zoom out input, a rotate input, a pitch input, a yaw input, a pan input, or a tilt input. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the selected data comprises geocoding data used to render the selected data in a map. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the second view of the selected data comprises a billboard comprising a representation of at least a portion of the selected data.