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Physically-based Interactive Camera Motion Control using 3D Input Devices

Russell Turner, Jean-Francis Balaguer, Enrico Gobbetti, and Daniel Thalmann

1991

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.

Reference and download information

Russell Turner, Jean-Francis Balaguer, Enrico Gobbetti, and Daniel Thalmann. Physically-based Interactive Camera Motion Control using 3D Input Devices. In N. M. Patrikalakis, editor, Scientific Visualization of Physical Phenomena: Proceedings of CG International Tokyo. Pages 135-145. Springer Verlag, 1991.

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Bibtex citation record

@InProceedings{Turner:1991:PIC,
    author = {Russell Turner and Jean-Francis Balaguer and Enrico Gobbetti and Daniel Thalmann},
    editor = {N. M. Patrikalakis},
    title = {Physically-based Interactive Camera Motion Control using {3D} Input Devices},
    booktitle = {Scientific Visualization of Physical Phenomena: Proceedings of CG International Tokyo},
    pages = {135--145},
    publisher = {Springer Verlag},
    address = {Conference held in Tokyo, Japan},
    year = {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.},
    url = {http://vic.crs4.it/vic/cgi-bin/bib-page.cgi?id='Turner:1991:PIC'},
}