Frame of Reference Interaction.

We present a unified set of 3D interaction techniques that demonstrates an alternative way of thinking about the navigation of large virtual spaces in non-immersive environments. Our alternative conceptual framework views navigation from a cognitive perspective—as a way of facilitating changes in user attention from one reference frame to another—rather than from the mechanical perspective of moving a camera between different points of interest. All of our techniques link multiple frames of reference in some meaningful way. Some techniques link multiple windows within a zooming environment while others allow seamless changes of user attention between static objects, moving objects, and groups of moving objects. We present our techniques as they are implemented in GeoZui3D, a geographic visualization system for ocean dat

The virtual environments lighting quality assessment using the virtual reality

The computer simulation field opened up new application opportunities in architecture in the last decades. In particular, Virtual Reality (VR) and Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs) enable to study the subjective experience in-vitro. This paper investigates the ability of VR coupled with immersive devices in providing users with a better spatial lighting understanding. The goal is to reason about the potentiality of VR and IVE on the lighting quality assessment studies involving final users. The research was carried out by analysing and comparing data of the spatial and lighting perception of users using conventional devices frequently used by researchers in the lighting field for running experiments: screens, video projectors, and VR. Three different virtual lighting conditions in a virtual environment were presented, and a survey was administered to twenty-six participants. Results show that immersive VR allows obtaining more significant correlations between lightning variables than the other devices. Besides, the statistical analyses highlight that VR navigation with immersive devices is associated with an overall better lightning perception of the virtual model than the other non-immersive devices tested in the experimentation. The findings also show that users prefer the immersive environment

Usability Studies In Virtual And Traditional Computer Aided Design Environments For Navigation

A usability study was used to measure user performance and user preferences for a CAVETM immersive stereoscopic virtual environment with wand interfaces compared directly with a workstation non-stereoscopic traditional CAD interface with keyboard and mouse. In both the CAVETM and the adaptable technology environments, crystal eye glasses are used to produce a stereoscopic view. An ascension flock of birds tracking system is used for tracking the user’s head and wand pointing device positions in 3D space. It is argued that with these immersive technologies, including the use of gestures and hand movements, a more natural interface in immersive virtual environments is possible. Such an interface allows a more rapid and efficient set of actions to recognize geometry, interaction within a spatial environment, the ability to find errors, and navigate through a virtual environment. The wand interface provides a significantly improved means of interaction. This study quantitatively measures the differences in interaction when compared with traditional human computer interfaces. This paper provides analysis via usability study methods for navigation termed as Benchmark 1. During testing, testers are given some time to “play around” with the CAVETM environment for familiarity before undertaking a specific exercise. The testers are then instructed regarding tasks to be completed, and are asked to work quickly without sacrificing accuracy. The research team timed each task, and recorded activity on evaluation sheets for Navigation Test. At the completion of the testing scenario involving navigation, the subject/testers were given a survey document and asked to respond by checking boxes to communicate their subjective opinions

An Introduction to 3D User Interface Design

3D user interface design is a critical component of any virtual environment (VE) application. In this paper, we present a broad overview of three-dimensional (3D) interaction and user interfaces. We discuss the effect of common VE hardware devices on user interaction, as well as interaction techniques for generic 3D tasks and the use of traditional two-dimensional interaction styles in 3D environments. We divide most user interaction tasks into three categories: navigation, selection/manipulation, and system control. Throughout the paper, our focus is on presenting not only the available techniques, but also practical guidelines for 3D interaction design and widely held myths. Finally, we briefly discuss two approaches to 3D interaction design, and some example applications with complex 3D interaction requirements. We also present an annotated online bibliography as a reference companion to this article

Modelling virtual urban environments

In this paper, we explore the way in which virtual reality (VR) systems are being broadened to encompass a wide array of virtual worlds, many of which have immediate applicability to understanding urban issues through geocomputation. Wesketch distinctions between immersive, semi-immersive and remote environments in which single and multiple users interact in a variety of ways. We show how suchenvironments might be modelled in terms of ways of navigating within, processes of decision-making which link users to one another, analytic functions that users have to make sense of the environment, and functions through which users can manipulate, change, or design their world. We illustrate these ideas using four exemplars that we have under construction: a multi-user internet GIS for Londonwith extensive links to 3-d, video, text and related media, an exploration of optimal retail location using a semi-immersive visualisation in which experts can explore such problems, a virtual urban world in which remote users as avatars can manipulate urban designs, and an approach to simulating such virtual worlds through morphological modelling based on the digital record of the entire decision-making process through which such worlds are built

Empirical Comparisons of Virtual Environment Displays

There are many different visual display devices used in virtual environment (VE) systems. These displays vary along many dimensions, such as resolution, field of view, level of immersion, quality of stereo, and so on. In general, no guidelines exist to choose an appropriate display for a particular VE application. Our goal in this work is to develop such guidelines on the basis of empirical results. We present two initial experiments comparing head-mounted displays with a workbench display and a foursided spatially immersive display. The results indicate that the physical characteristics of the displays, users' prior experiences, and even the order in which the displays are presented can have significant effects on performance

Navigating large-scale virtual environments: what differences occur between helmet-mounted and desk-top displays?

Participants used a helmet-mounted display (HMD) and a desk-top (monitor) display to learn the layouts of two large-scale virtual environments (VEs) through repeated, direct navigational experience. Both VEs were ‘‘virtual buildings’’ containing more than seventy rooms. Participants using the HMD navigated the buildings significantly more quickly and developed a significantly more accurate sense of relative straight-line distance. There was no significant difference between the two types of display in terms of the distance that participants traveled or the mean accuracy of their direction estimates. Behavioral analyses showed that participants took advantage of the natural, head-tracked interface provided by the HMD in ways that included ‘‘looking around’’more often while traveling through the VEs, and spending less time stationary in the VEs while choosing a direction in which to travel