Thursday, February 21st, 2008...3:58 pm - Kit Devine
Interfaces for 3d
Over the years a number of different interfaces have been developed to model and manipulate objects in 3d space.
When I started as a trainee animator at XYZAP in 1989 we had a knob box with 9 knobs hooked up to the Evans and Sutherland PS300 that allowed you view and manipulate (in real time!) a wireframe 3d object. You used the knobs to translate, rotate and scale the selected object in x, y and z. The earliest example of a 3D mouse I came across was the Australian developed SpaceBall, which I saw circa 1990 while it was under development. The SpaceNavigator is a new take on an old idea.
Digital ArtForms have developed a two handed interface which looks interesting.
However I remain to be convinced that the complexity and versatility of a modern 3d software is best supported by their interface. I personally use hotkeys extensively when I work!
2 Comments
February 21st, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I personally love the Space Navigator by 3DConnexion and use it extensively for filming around 3D worlds. One recently I did showing off some builds in Second Life uses the SpaceNav to move fluidly around (as you can in a centralised server based world!) . Seventh Heaven Windlight and another I did across multiple logged in moving avatars SkyDancers. Of course they look better at HighDef - but we will have to wait a few years before YouTube is 1080p !!!
February 21st, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Any modeling system that relies on booleans I have a healthy skepticism for. I love the idea of the interface, though.
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