Creating interactive pplets from R Output

Question

Currently, I generate results from statistical analyses (e.g., a three dimensional plot) and then "manually" move it to processing - a graphics programming language) where I can (with some simple coding) export an interactive java applet (e.g., allow the person viewing the plot to move in, out and around the data points). Can I keep this whole process within R? Specifically, I want to create an applet (doesn't have to be Java but would need to be web embeddable, interactive (so not a movie) and not require the user to work in R or have to download things) that can be passed on. Thanks.

Answer 1

Not totally clear on your requirements: can you be sure that the user will have R installed (e.g. can you run a script on their desktops to install everything first)? Does it have to run over the web?

• The animation package (http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/animation/) isn't interactive, but it can create moving images.
• The iplots package is useful, although it requires R: http://rosuda.org/iPlots/iplots.html
• Similarly, rggobi is extremely useful for interactive graphics, but it also requires R. You can read more http://www.jstatsoft.org/v30/b07/paper and http://www.ggobi.org/rggobi/.
• A last example is biplotgui: http://r-forge.r-project.org/projects/biplotgui/

I heard that there's a project in development to create Flash output from R, but I can't find anything about it.

Answer 2

Can I keep this whole process within R?

Check out GGobi:

GGobi is an open source visualization program for exploring high-dimensional data. It provides highly dynamic and interactive graphics such as tours, as well as familiar graphics such as the scatterplot, barchart and parallel coordinates plots. Plots are interactive and linked with brushing and identification.