3D User Interfaces: Theory and Practice

by Ernst Kruijff

Here’s what three pioneers in computer graphics and human-computer interaction have to say about this “What a tour de force—everything one would want—comprehensive, encyclopedic, and authoritative.”

— Jim Foley “At last, a book on this important, emerging area. It will be an indispensable reference for the practitioner, researcher, and student interested in 3D user interfaces.”

— Andy van Dam “Finally, the book we need to bridge the dream of 3D graphics with the user-centered reality of interface design. A thoughtful and practical guide for researchers and product developers. Thorough review, great examples.”

— Ben Shneiderman As 3D technology becomes available for a wide range of applications, its successful deployment will require well-designed user interfaces (UIs). Specifically, software and hardware developers will need to understand the interaction principles and techniques peculiar to a 3D environment. This understanding, of course, builds on usability experience with 2D UIs. But it also involves new and unique challenges and opportunities. Discussing all relevant aspects of interaction, enhanced by instructive examples and guidelines, 3D User Interfaces comprises a single source for the latest theory and practice of 3D UIs. Many people already have seen 3D UIs in computer-aided design, radiation therapy, surgical simulation, data visualization, and virtual-reality entertainment. The next generation of computer games, mobile devices, and desktop applications also will feature 3D interaction. The authors of this book, each at the forefront of research and development in the young and dynamic field of 3D UIs, show how to produce usable 3D applications that deliver on their enormous promise. Coverage To help you keep pace with this fast-evolving field, the book’s Web site, www.3dui.org, will offer information and links to the latest 3D UI research and applications.

Genres: Design

478 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2004

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anybody who is seriously developing interfaces for Kinect must read this book. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the mountain of work in 3D interaction techniques that occurred years before project Natal (which later became Kinect)was even an idea to be approved or rejected on some executive's desk at Microsoft. It summarizes design recommendations for system commands, navigation techniques, and even methods of evaluation based on the body of work done by researchers in the mid-90s, when virtual reality was all the rave.

There are of course some differences between the mocap-style tracking used for these interaction techniques and the 3d mesh + skeletal tracking provided by the Kinect, so these recommendations should all be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, the book provides a great foundation and seeds for ideas that are essential for any researcher or developer designing interaction techniques, games, or user interfaces for the Kinect.

[Laurian · Rating 5 out of 5]

At my company we are thinking about doing some 3D visualization work. Sadly, this was the one course that I didn’t take while completing my PhD. So, I decided to pick up the seminal book on the topic that was on the desk of almost all the other HCI students in my department.

Luckily, there is a reason why the book is *the* seminal book on 3D interfaces even many years later. The book is well written, comprehensive, and backed by foundational research from some of the best people in the field.

The only thing I found lacking was a comparison between 2D and 3D interfaces for basic tasks or a sample study design. The topics were mentioned, but I would have liked to see something more in depth on both of those topics .