Interactive Visualization of Software Components with Virtual Reality Headsets

In large software projects, it can be hard to understand the actual architecture of the implemented software systems if current design documents are outdated or do not exist at all. For systems based on the OSGi component specification, which are used to build quite large applications with back-end and front-end services, tools for visualizing the actual architecture can help to understand the system. We provide an interactive tool that visualizes OSGi-based systems with their components, packages, services, and dependencies in 3D using Virtual Reality headsets. It uses the metaphor of modular electronic systems. The tool allows software engineers, project managers, or clients to explore the architecture and get a first impression about component sizes and their dependencies.