Design and evaluation of 3D cursors and motion parallax for the exploration of desktop virtual environments

Abstract

The selection and manipulation of 3D content in desktop virtual environments is commonly achieved with 2D mouse cursor-based interaction. However, by interacting with image-based techniques we introduce a conflict between the 2D space in which the 2D cursor lays and the 3D content. For example, the 2D mouse cursor does not provide any information about the depth of the selected objects. In this situation, the user has to rely on the depth cues provided by the virtual environment, such as perspective deformation, shading and shadows.In this paper, we explore new metaphors to improve the depth perception when interacting with 3D content. Our approach focus on the usage of 3D cursors controlled with 2D input devices (the Hand Avatar and the Torch) and a pseudo-motion parallax effect. The additional depth cues provided by the visual feedback of the 3D cursors and the motion parallax are expected to increase the users' depth perception of the environment. The evaluation of proposed techniques showed that users' depth perception was significantly increased. Users were able to better judge the depth ordering of virtual environment. Although 3D cursors showed a decrease of selection performance, it is compensated by the increased depth perception.

Design and evaluation of mouse cursors in a stereoscopic desktop environment

“…3D Occluded Circle (3D OC): an extension to the 2D circle cursor [9]. While mouse cursor shape and orientation influences interaction in 2D or 3D [7,9,6], the arrow-shaped cursor is quite efficient [14,2,3]. However, for stereo the aforementioned problems arise, so, we also integrated circular ones.…”

The use of surrounding visual context in handheld AR

“…Contrary to diplopia (discussed in the following section), depth-perception is not expected to have an effect on the use of the surrounding visual context. Additionally, more important depth cues such as depth ordering and motion parallax [1,14] can be used to correctly interpret scene depth.…”

Advances in Interaction with 3D Environments

“…Jáuregui et al . [JAL12] focused on improving users’ depth perception when interacting with 3D content in desktop virtual environments. The authors proposed and evaluated two interesting techniques: (1) Torch that combines the spot light and the specular highlight which provide additional depth cues, with a 2D cursor (the target point) to increase accuracy and an avatar of a lantern to reinforce the metaphor; and (2) Hand Avatar that displays a hand avatar placed and rotated according to the surface of the intersected 3D object, creating a pseudo‐illusion of touch; the size of the projected hand avatar also provide additional depth cues.…”