BALANCING FREEDOM AND CONTROL FOR WALKTHROUGH IN VIRTUAL ARCHITECTURE: A Smart and Comprehensive Navigation System
Wei Yan · Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia · 2006
This paper presents a new navigation system that integrates a perspective view for walkthrough and an interactive map for path planning. The interactive map allows users to draw paths and improves path planning by employing either a 3D aerial view that enables users to zoom and examine or a 2D smart map that possesses knowledge about the usability of design elements in the environments. Path control is merged into users' interactive walkthrough seamlessly and intuitively to achieve a balance of freedom and control. Further more, the paths with all related information can be saved in real-time over the Internet by a user and can be loaded and replayed later by other users. Two case studies demonstrate the application of this system in Virtual Architecture.