3D Sphere
Variants
Handling Population Outliers
The baseline 3D sphere visualization has a massive visual outlier: China's Han Chinese population (913M) appears 2.07× larger than the USA (198M), and 8.91× larger by volume. This gallery compares 5 different approaches to handling this extreme outlier while preserving data integrity and visual clarity.
Interactive Variants
Baseline
Square root scaling - shows true population outlier with disclaimer. Fixed asm.js warning and added context about China's size.
China Size
31.22 units
USA Size
15.06 units
Ratio
2.07:1
Coverage
100%
Open Full View
Exclusion Strategy
Removes all Han Chinese groups (157 groups) for balanced visual hierarchy. USA becomes largest at 15.06 units.
Groups Shown
16,225
Excluded
157
Largest
USA (15.06)
Coverage
99.0%
Open Full View
Logarithmic Compression ⭐
Uses log₁₀ scaling to compress extreme values. Mathematically sound and common practice in data visualization. Recommended default.
China Size
9.86 units
USA Size
8.62 units
Ratio
1.14:1
Coverage
100%
Open Full View
Orbital Layers
Separates mega-populations (100M+) onto outer orbit, regular groups on inner orbit. Clear categorical distinction with intuitive spatial metaphor.
Outer Orbit
10 mega groups
Inner Orbit
16,372 groups
Ratio
~1.18:1
Coverage
100%
Open Full View
Dramatic Emphasis
Preserves outlier but adds theatrical treatment: 2.5s delayed entrance, warm white glow, and continuous breathing pulse. Turns outlier into narrative moment.
China Size
31.22 units
Special FX
✓ Animated
Ratio
2.07:1
Coverage
100%
Open Full View
Technical Comparison
| Variant |
China Size (units) |
USA Size (units) |
Visual Ratio |
Groups Shown |
Approach |
| Baseline |
31.22 |
15.06 |
2.07:1 |
16,382 (100%) |
Square root scaling |
| Exclusion |
— |
15.06 |
— |
16,225 (99.0%) |
Filter out Han Chinese |
| Log Scale |
9.86 |
8.62 |
1.14:1 |
16,382 (100%) |
log₁₀ compression |
| Orbits |
~8.5 (outer) |
~7.2 (outer) |
1.18:1 |
16,382 (100%) |
Dual-radius separation |
| Special Glow |
31.22* |
15.06 |
2.07:1 |
16,382 (100%) |
Theatrical animation |
Recommendation
Primary: Logarithmic Scale — Mathematically sound, preserves all data, achieves visual balance (1.14:1 ratio vs 2.07:1 baseline). Common practice in data visualization for handling extreme outliers.
Secondary: Orbital Layers — Visually striking alternative with clear categorical distinction. Creates intuitive spatial metaphor (mega-populations on outer orbit) while maintaining data integrity.
Narrative: Special Glow — Best for storytelling contexts where you want to highlight China's massive population as a key insight rather than a visual problem.