Scope
Three-dimensional visualizations are often very helpful when two-dimensional representations of complex systems become too cluttered or when domain specific diagrams are already using three-dimensional notations. On the other hand, 3D visualizers are often developed separately from existing development tools or IDEs, such as Eclipse. These special solutions are created using 3D frameworks such as OpenGL, Java3D or VRML/X3D. These frameworks are very different from the ones used for implementing 2D visualizations in the Eclipse environment, such as GEF. Thus, when existing 2D solutions should be extended to 3D, e.g. because the models represented become more and more complex, completely new solutions have to be implemented; switching from 2D to 3D requires completely new programming skills as well as new tools -- eventhough in many cases the models are not that different (or should even be the same) and many graphical properties are quite similar.
