FlowLLM: Large language model driven flow visualization

Flow visualization is an essential tool for domain experts to understand and analyze flow fields intuitively. In the past decades, various interactive techniques were developed to customize flow visualization for exploration. However, these techniques usually use specifically designed graphical interfaces, requiring considerable learning and usage effort. Recently, FlowNL Huang et al., (2023) introduces a natural language interface to reduce the effort, but it still struggles with natural language ambiguities due to the lack of domain knowledge and provides limited ability to understand the context in dialogues. To address these issues, we propose an explorative flow visualization powered by a large language model that interacts with users. Our approach leverages an extensive dataset of flow-related queries to train the model, enhancing its ability to interpret a wide range of natural language expressions and maintain context over multi-turn interactions. Additionally, we introduce an advanced dialogue management system that supports interactive continuous communication between users and the system. Our empirical evaluations demonstrate significant improvements in user engagement and accuracy of flow structure extraction. These enhancements are crucial for expanding the applicability of flow visualization systems in real-world scenarios, where effective and intuitive user interfaces are paramount.