Isocarta is an advanced isometric data visualization tool designed for complex analysis. It tracks data points across six distinct dimensions: X, Y, Z coordinates, Size, Color, and Labels. The software provides a unique faux-3D representation of your data mapped onto an isometric Cartesian grid. This versatile charting capability extends along the Z-axis, allowing for visualization across up to eight octants of data space.
The interactive canvas features a core isometric chart, defined by a square grid rotated at a precise 26.6° angle, forming diamonds.
By default, the grid resolution is 10x10 per quadrant, but this is fully customizable. Adjust the visible cell count by changing the "Grid Size" field in the "Settings" menu.
Navigation is intuitive: use the mouse scroll wheel or the "Zoom" field to zoom in or out, and simply drag-and-drop the canvas to pan across the grid.
The three-dimensionality of the chart is represented by three distinct axes: the X-axis (red), the Y-axis (green), and the Z-axis (blue, which represents verticality). The point in space where the three axes meet is known as the Origin. The space relative to the origin creates octants that are either "positive" (up and to the right of the origin), "negative" (down and to the left), or "mixed" (a combination of positive and negative space). The positive portion of the axes are represented by solid lines while the negative portions appear as dashed, semi-transparent lines.
Each axis within the chart is uniformly divided into segments that coincide with the grid's cells. When you add a data point, its location is precisely determined by its X, Y, and Z axis coordinates, which are specified relative to the origin. These coordinates directly denote the exact cell the data point occupies. For example, a coordinate of (3, 4, 5) places the data point in the third X cell, the fourth Y cell, and the fifth Z cell.
Each axis can be renamed under the "Axes / Unit Labels" section of the "Settings" menu.
By default, Isocarta utilizes arbitrary units that do not inherently represent any real-world value. This is useful when plotting abstract concepts, such as ranking systems, quality scores, or satisfaction levels, where the relative position matters more than the absolute measure. However, you have the flexibility to define the units represented by the tick marks on any axis. Within the "Unit Values" section of the "Settings" menu, you can configure the following characteristics for each unit:
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format.Unit values displayed on the axes (tick marks) are shown with up to two decimal places of precision.
⚠️ Important Note: The unit types (like dates, times, or custom labels) you define are for demonstrative purposes only—they help you interpret the chart visually. When a data point is added, its underlying location is always stored internally as arbitrary X, Y, and Z cell coordinates. Therefore, if you are transcribing real-world data from an external source (such as a scientific paper or a spreadsheet), you must first convert those real-world values into the corresponding arbitrary cell coordinates before entering them into the chart.
Data points represent the core visualization elements within Isocarta. Each individual point is plotted precisely within a cell coordinate (X, Y, Z) and carries information across the remaining three available dimensions: Size, Color, and a descriptive Label. This means every data point simultaneously visualizes up to six unique attributes, allowing for a comprehensive, multi-dimensional view of your dataset across the isometric grid.
To add a new data point, you can either double-click anywhere on the canvas or click the "Add" button located under the "Data Points" menu tab. You have the option to pre-set the X, Y, Z coordinates, Color, and the Radius (Size) of the data point before creation.
Data points offer extreme precision across all attributes: coordinate values support up to two decimal places of accuracy, ensuring pixel-perfect placement on the canvas. Furthermore, data points can be customized using any one of millions of possible colors from the full color spectrum.
To edit an existing data point, you can either single-click the point directly on the canvas or click its corresponding "Edit" button within the data points list (found in the "Data Points" menu). The edit menu allows you to modify its name, coordinates, radius, and color, or to permanently delete the point.
By default, data points are represented as spheres, reminiscent of stars or planetary bodies suspended in the cosmos. Alternatively, under the "Data Points" section within the "Settings" menu, data points may be converted into Cylinders. Cylinders are good to visually represent value ranges, or represent magnitude or frequency.
By default, simple data points are placed directly on the grid floor, corresponding to a Z-value of 0 (no elevation). However, one of the primary benefits of Isocarta is its ability to represent data points across three-dimensional space. To clearly visualize points positioned above or below the grid floor, any elevated data point features a stem that connects it vertically to a base attached directly to the grid. This visual structure instantly indicates the point's height off of the primary plane. Both the stem and base width can be customized via the "Data Points" section within the "Settings" tab.
Orbit Lines are a useful tool that visually represent the circumference of a data point's projected orbit around the origin (0, 0, 0). This is useful for comparing the magnitude or radial distance of different data points, as it provides a clear, two-dimensional projection of their reach in the X-Y plane across all four quadrants regardless of their Z-axis elevation. It allows users to quickly gauge which points share a similar radial distance, aiding in pattern recognition for clustered data or outlier detection based on distance from the center.
Orbit lines can be enabled by increasing their width to 1+ within the "Data Points" section of the "Settings" menu.
Each time you begin working with Isocarta, you start a new session.
To preserve your work and progress, you can save your current session. Simply click the "Save" button, found within the "Data Points" menu. This action creates a convenient JSON file stored locally on your workstation, containing all your current settings and data points.
To resume previous work or load a different configuration, click the "Load" button, also located in the "Data Points" menu. When you click "Load", you will be prompted to select the JSON file you wish to restore.
⚠️ Important Note: Loading a session will automatically overwrite your current session with the settings and data points contained in the selected JSON file, so please ensure you save any previous work first!
Copyright (c) 2025 Kyle Mecklem
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