BridgeVis: Linking quantitative analysis and qualitative experience for data visualization in virtual reality

Virtual Reality (VR) can enhance qualitative understanding of data by making measures and scales experiential, but often sacrifices quantitative precision. Conversely, conventional 2D visualizations support accurate quantitative analysis but offer limited embodied understanding. We present BridgeVis, a hybrid visualization approach that links interactive 2D charts with immersive 3D environments to support both quantitative analysis and qualitative understanding. We define a three-dimensional design space comprising interaction mode, linking mechanism, and mapping direction, and demonstrate it through four prototypes using physical and abstract datasets. An exploratory user study (N = 12) showed that adding interactive 2D charts did not significantly increase cognitive workload. Participants viewed the charts as analytical anchors for comparison, filtering, and navigation, while the 3D environments supported experiential understanding of scale, movement, and context. These findings demonstrate the potential of coordinated 2D–3D representations and inform the design of future immersive data visualization systems.