Vectorpad: A Tool For Visualizing Vector Operations

Visualization of three-dimensional vector operations can be very helpful in understanding vector mathematics. However, creating these visualizations using traditional WIMP interfaces can be a troublesome exercise. In this thesis, we present VectorPad, a pen-based application for three-dimensional vector mathematics visualization. VectorPad allows users to define vectors and perform mathematical operations upon them through the recognition of handwritten mathematics. The VectorPad user interface consists of a sketching area, where the user can write vector definitions and other mathematics, and a 3D graph for visualization. After recognition, vectors are visualized dynamically on the graph, which can be manipulated by the user. A variety of mathematical operations can be performed, such as addition, subtraction, scalar multiplication, and cross product. Animations show how operations work on the vectors. We also performed a short, informal user study evaluating the user interface and visualizations of VectorPad. VectorPad\u27s visualizations were generally well liked; results from the study show a need to provide a more comprehensive set of visualization tools as well as refinement to some of the animations