> -----Original Message----- > From: Dana [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 4:19 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: 3-D User Interface Design? > > I actually took a drafting class once and don't remember much either. > What I was boggling at was how exactly you would implement such an > interface...
There have actually been a lot of work in this area - although the job posting isn't clear if the interface is supposed to be 3D or if the interface controls 3D elements. For example "Google Earth" has a "3D Interface" in the sense that it provides control over a 3D map. But true 3D interfaces and OSes have been played with for a very long time - the only release product that I recall was actually "Microsoft Bob". It used a physical metaphor (a house with rooms) as its primary interaction layer - you "walked" between rooms, took programs "off the desk" or "down from the shelf" and so on. It's rightly mocked but it was also pretty neat in a lot of academic ways. Lately a lot of work has been done on "data-scapes" - file systems represented as 3D objects. In these models you "fly" throught files: bigger files are bigger than smaller ones, protected files might sprout spikes as you approach, etc. The Unix in "Jurassic Park" was actually a real product): http://www.sgi.com/fun/freeware/3d_navigator.html Size, distance, position, etc are all possible indicators of file properties, status, etc. Another (only semi-serious) attempt hooked Unix admin functions into "Doom". I always thought this was SOOOO neat - programs are represented as monsters - the more important the process the more powerful the monster. This would link game skills directly with the ability to manage your system. http://www.cs.unm.edu/~dlchao/flake/doom/ Windows Vista is actually a "3D Interface" - each program actually exists on a 3D plane that can be moved around, stacked, etc (prior systems used a simpler "2.5D" method where each pane could be given a z-order but didn't really exist in 3D space). MS has been playing with this for years. Here's an early (1999) attempt: http://research.microsoft.com/adapt/TaskGallery/ In Vista however things are more subtle. Vista looks and acts almost exactly like a 2.5D interface, but since the panes are actually true 3D objects some nice touches can be added. For example the new "alt-tab" in Vista shows your Windows from the side like a "riffle bar": http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&arti cleId=9004929 Here's a (rather silly) 3D RSS reader using the same tech: http://www.microsoft.com/emea/msdn/thepanel/featured/universs.aspx My guess is that Google's posting is (at least partly) in reaction to all of this new stuff in Windows - building any Windows UI in Vista is essentially building a 3D interface. I expect to see a lot of "because it's there" application (like that silly RSS reader) but I also think that once things die down and get serious it will be one of the most important interface shifts since multi-tasking. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Create robust enterprise, web RIAs. Upgrade & integrate Adobe Coldfusion MX7 with Flex 2 http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;56760587;14748456;a?http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/flex2/?sdid=LVNU Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:222376 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
