Another kind of 3D space is one that is used to present data in an effort to provide greater understanding of the data involved. This can be viewed as an extension of procedural modelling, where data is read and a 3D representation is created and presented to the user. The methods/algorithms for presenting and interacting with data vary greatly but the common goal is to provide accesibility to data with an intuitive interface. Succesfull systems offer the user greater insight into the data set presented than using other visualisation methods.

Information visualisation systems may be static or dynamic. In a static system, a set of data is read and a static virtual world is generated which visualises those values only. Dynamic systems are virtual worlds that respond to user actions and to data changing value.

A large number of information visualisation techniques have been devised. Examples include:

• Surface plots
• Cityscapes
• Fish-eye views
• Benediktine space
• Cone trees
• Sphere visualisation
• Rooms
• Self-organising graphs