1. A method including: representing a chart in a scene data object that divides a scene into cell quadrants, the scene data object including at least four cells: a plot cell, a pair of axis cells adjoining the plot cell and a fourth cell adjoining the axis cells and diagonally opposed from the plot cell; wherein data in the scene data object is represented in key-value pairs; wherein the scene data object represents the chart by a nested object hierarchy that includes at least one scene, multiple cells per scene, one or more layers per cell and shapes in the cells, wherein the cells subdivide the scene into areas holding different components of a data visualization to be animated cell-wise and the shapes that represent data regions in the plot cell and other chart components; transforming selected data into a data visualization by running a script against the selected data, wherein the script implements a chart type, identifies the chart type for animation purposes, and translates the selected data into shapes in the plot cell and lines, text and other annotations in one or more of the four cells of the scene data object; processing data in first and second scene data objects and automatically selecting a transition path and tweening parameters based on the first and second chart types of the first and second scene data objects; and further processing the first and second scene data objects and the tweening parameters to cause display of a first data visualization and an animated transition from the first data visualization to a second data visualization.