Interactive 3D Geometrical Modelers for Virtual Reality and Design

Most geometrical modelers for 3D objects use 2D interaction techniques and make little use of 3D display techniques. This interaction style forces the user to decompose 3D design operations into sequences of 2D interface operations, and there is an extra cognitive load of interpreting the 2D displays as a 3D object. While this may be acceptable for drafting applications, it has a significant negative effects on design applications. The recent interest in 3D graphics and Virtual Reality suggests that 3D interaction techniques and displays will provide a better environment for 3D geometrical design. This paper explores this idea by briefly discussing the requirements for geometrical modelers for VR and design, presenting some of the new 3D interaction techniques that we have developed, and briefly describing some of our geometrical modelers.