Physically-based Interactive Camera Motion Control Using 3D Input Devices
Turner R, Balaguer JF, Gobbetti E, Thalmann D
Proc. Computer Graphics International, 1991
Keywords
3D Interaction, Motion Control, Dynamics, Virtual Cameras
Abstract
The newest three-dimensional input devices, together with high speed graphics
workstations, make it possible to interactively specify virtual camera
motions for animation in real time. In this paper, we describe how naturalistic
interaction and realistic-looking motion can be achieved by using a physically-based
model of the camera's behavior. Our approach is to create an abstract physical
model of the camera, using the laws of classical mechanics, which is used
to simulate the virtual camera motion in real time in response to force
data from the various 3D input devices (e.g. the Spaceball, Polhemus and
DataGlove). The behavior of the model is determined by several physical
parameters such as mass, moment of inertia, and various friction coefficients
which can all be varied interactively, and by constraints on the camera's
degrees of freedom which can be simulated by setting certain friction parameters
to very high values. This allows us to explore a continuous range of physically-based
metaphors for controlling the camera motion. We present the results of
experiments with several of these metaphors and contrast them with existing
ones.
[PostScript]