3D User Interfaces: Introduction, Design, and Applications Report

This report provides a comprehensive overview of 3D User Interfaces (3D UI), examining their introduction, technological components, design elements, and practical applications. It delves into the relationship between 3D UI and various fields like human-computer interaction, space sensing, and cognitive psychology, highlighting the use of 3D UI in video gaming and other industries. The report outlines the two main categories of 3D UI study: technology and design components, detailing the input/output devices, interaction proficiency, and design elements like 3D widgets and scenarios. It explores practical applications in areas such as real-world metaphors, information visualization, simulation shows, and 2.5D UI, including potential applications in the healthcare sector. The report also discusses the benefits of 3D UI, such as improved information visualization, scenario context, and interactive experiences, while acknowledging potential drawbacks and risks. The report concludes by emphasizing the potential of 3D UI to revolutionize various sectors and the importance of understanding its complexities for future development.

Running Head: 3-D USER INTERFACES 1
3-D User Interfaces
Institution
Name
Date

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Introduction
3D interface is a user interface that calls for interaction in three dimensions (3D) where
human being interact with computers by carrying out activities directly in a 3D spatial setting
which can be virtual, physical or both [1]. A human being is the users of this interface
technology to input data directly onto the computer. It is called directly since the users have to
interact with a physical or virtual object directly. It may be used in future to 3D printing
processes, video gaming, and mobile applications. However, the limitation of this particular type
of technology most specifically when using a 3D printer is that it is very expensive and relies so
much on plastics.
Background Research
3D UI is closely related to human-computer biotechnology, space sensing, cognitive
psychology and many other fields. It is a contribution of numerous research fields which
includes entertainment, information visualization, and technological education among others.
Video Gaming, for instance, is one of the technologies that has utilized the 3D user interface.
The 3D user interface has already enjoyed substantial prosperity in the gaming industry with
systems such as Microsoft Kinect, Sony Move and Nintendo Wii being developed with this
technology [2]. This gaming system makes use of the 3D spatial exploration which enables users
to play computer games by gesturing, pointing or physical movement which is the most
significant activity instead of using joysticks and buttons.

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Proposed Design
The study of 3D User Interface can be done in two categories, that is, Technology
components and Design components.
The first aspect emphasizes Technology which includes 3D Interaction, Design and
Technology components.
Human elements mainly deal with exploring about the visual sensing and three-
dimensional depth reminders, 3D knowledge of structure spatial, space sound sensing, spatial
capabilities of a human being and the diversities in personal capabilities, the study of behavior
and on-site among other human elements. On-site is an aspect that has been widely studied by
most of the technological scholars but it has not yet been fully comprehended. It remains one of
the most sophisticated elements in studying of human factors in 3D User Interface however it is
shallowly perceived as an element that directly impacts on studies pertaining to space. On-site
can be used to determine the depth of knowledge that someone has studied in relation to space
sensing and it is affected by factors such as perception of immersion as far as on-site feeling is
concerned.
3D input and output devices used to enter data can be electronic, mechanical, omnibus,
inertial, and optical and voice input devices [3]. Input devices have six functionality aspects
which such as accuracy of the device, speed of operation, cooperation, compatibility, fatigue and
ease of learning of the input devices. The output devices are an image, visual and audio-visual
output devices.

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Fig. 1 Graphical representation of Technological aspect in 3D UI
3D Interaction proficiency
This technological element of 3D user interface normally studies on choosing, operation,
control of the system and navigation. Navigation deals majorly of the planning of the path and
route choice, the physical change of direction and position, driving techniques, and advanced
skills considering the destination, procedural, spatial and universal knowledge, searching for the
environment centralized path [4]. The choosing and operation have been studied in fields of
virtual hand research, pointing technology, engineering of miniaturizing the world and 3D
operation of the desktop.
The 3D user interfaces Design elements.
These are the elements that determine the appearances of 3D UI such as Interaction devices,
3D widget, and 3D scenario.

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Interactive
Devices
3-D USER INTERFACES
Figure 2. The Design Elements of the 3D user interface.
The 3D interface makes use of 3D scenarios which closely resembles the initial two
dimension system, this enables users to live in an apportioned environment that appears as if it is
real while it is just an interface [5]. 3D scenes also facilitate the understanding among the users
3D Scenes
3D Widgets
3D
User Interface

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who are in a communication system it also renders a conducive environment for of information
packages.
3D Widget of 3D user interface.
This is the extension of a 2D graphical user interface with a lot of common features to the
icons and buttons in Windows, Icon, Menu, and Pointer (WIMP). The fundamental reason of this
is to allow users to accomplish more sophisticated functions in the efficient and simple way. The
mouse at this point will be used by the user to transform objects with ease by indirect operations
of the widget. This 3D widget is mostly used to approach an object by either rotating it, zooming
of changing its shape or size by stretching it including other operations. Initially, this was
recognized as limited handling techniques because of the degree of freedom of one widget was
limited [6]. Overusing widgets occupies more space on the screen thus the user must clearly
understand the mapping relations between widgets simultaneously. The 3D widget is majorly
used the 3D interaction of desktop environment.
Practical applications of 3D User Interface
3D user interface grows step by step to numerous fields with the immense demand of
intelligent machines and with affordable hardware. This areas of applications can be grouped
into the development of visualization information, 2.5D User Interface which the improvement
of 2D, real-world metaphors and simulation exhibitions. Below is a vivid explanation of this
area of applications of 3D User Interface;

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Real-world Metaphors
Distinctive practical application of 3D user interface is a 3D desktop management scheme,
its primary characteristic is that complete region of human activity has got the ability to
revolutionize and lead the planning of 3D user interface [7]. The real-world metaphor is only the
beginning of a lot of things, in readiness to cope with the application requirements and the
constraints of the interactive proficiencies the interactive techniques dependent top metaphor
should be carefully designed. For instance, virtual world and structural construction both
happened considering the shape and how space is arranged and coordinated therefore laws of
structural design can be replicated in 3D user interface designing. Some features of architectural
design such as desktop and the wall which enable users to effectively comprehend operation
skills are in the 3D desktop management system.
Generation of visualized information
At the moment there are several complicated ways of locating the sound, however, the
knowledge on visualizations on a high note strongly supports the thermo-graphic shapes. The
acoustic images have a different contour of the evaluated object when compared to thermo-
graphic shapes [8]. The difficulty in reading and analysis of the outcomes is dues to the
overlaying of images. Photographic and acoustic images are examined by processing them. To
obtain the three-dimension appearance, the distortion matrix from the color of the acoustic
images is used. Therefore, the photographic data obtained substitutes the color code.

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Simulation Shows
The application of 3D user interface in simulation shows has slightly been explored and
gradually develops to the different field which has a distinctive application in areas such as
simulation schemes, virtual construction, video games including others. The time used to learn
3D interface by the users is fairly small since users are people who spent most of their lives
interacting with objects which are in 3D. Simulation shows will be used in the field designing
products which will enable the multiple designers to do the product designing by itself, do the
virtual test on the product and virtually assemble the products [9]. The main aim of this
particular application of 3D UI is to encourage the joint activity in production. By all this
cooperating together, it promotes the smooth flow of work, maximum achievement of resource
information, the advanced arrangement of human resources.
2.5D User Interface Idea Improvement
This application of 3D UI is an advancement of 2D which is already in a practice in
developing and running of real-time video games. The principal characteristic of this field is to
ensure that the most interactive mode has been created which had been slightly developed in the
2D interface. The will enable the designer of the 3D interface to easily do the designing using the
most effective technology, in this way the process of learning will also be simple. In 2D
interactive users can do the activities such as operation and selection with a lot of accuracies
because they are operating 2 degrees of freedom compared to 6 which a difficult to achieve
accuracy this makes the interactive in 2D more easier [10]. However, the 2.5D user interface is
seen as a 3D user interface which has been subjected to limitation because the object by 2.5D is
in three-dimensional but all of the lies in a single plane. The intersection of the 2D graphics user
interface and 3D user interface produces a 2.5D user interface which is an improved 2D GUI and

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a copy of 3D desktop interface mode which has an advanced three-dimensional gaming feature.
In 2.5D, the visual angle fixes the view of the user at a given angle in space which will appear as
if it was a 3D. In contrary to the 2D user point of view where it is a side-view.
In the Health sector, the medical practitioners still have not utilized technology to the level
of perfection. The Introduction of 3D technology for this sector is inevitable. 3D technology can
be well utilized by surgeons in an effort to prevent unnecessary errors during surgery. This well
applies when the use of three dimension technology is utilized in conducting simulation surgeries
way before conducting the real surgery. 3D visual angels as mentioned above will clearly
provide a perfect view of the surgery region as compared to just using the normal eye. This
simulation technique nevertheless can be improved by using the same technology in conducting
the actual surgery. This will improve the usual side view by the surgeons into three visual angles
which will improve the process of operations. This will be possible when all the actual surgical
equipment are made into a rapid visual representation which will allow the doctors to act on any
equipment anytime. As illustrated in the movie “The Good Doctor”, this is the technology to be
implemented in the next 5 or 7 years to come. The health sector, in the end, will be transformed
and have better services just as it is in the cinemas and 3D games.
Benefits of 3D User Interface
Visualization of Information
With the introduction of 3D User Interface, users will be able to see information clearly and
as direct as possible, to vividly understand it. The users will easily comprehend and distinguish
the information with help of graphics.
Scenario context

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The 3D user interface enables 3D scenes to improve the users’ understanding abilities on
issues to do with information such as sense, consciousness, discovery, and memory.
Architecture and layout of Information
The 3D user interface will provide the best ways to organize and retrieval of sophisticated
pieces of information. A new way of information presentation is required by a future
organization such as industries to present their information, compare them in a form of a
relationship, and to exchange of information [11]. This interface presentation should be able to
meet the complex needs of the industrial information.
Interactive experience
The 3D user interface is able to bring the physical and natural activities to a virtual
environment through the 3D interaction. It can also display various more pleasing new
interactive methods by breaking the real world constraints [12].
Development of new structures
With 3D abilities, the 3D user interface is expected to develop other new structures.
Different dimensions can still be represented and meta-information in a collective manner.
Drawbacks of 3D User Interface/Risks
However much important this user interface system will be, still, it will have some
shortcomings which may or cannot be avoided [13].
The 3D user interface, when used to design sophisticated 3D maps the user may get lost.
Moreover, it takes a considerate amount of time to complete the learning process. The 3D
designing of complex structures makes it difficult to achieve the wishes and desires of the user.

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3D user interface research is inconvenienced by the inability to satisfy human feeling with the
3D, space arrangement, natural limits among others.
The cost incurred by the developer is high dues to the expensive software, hardware, and
human resource.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the introduction of 3D User Interface will not take a lot of years from now. It
may still take the technologist 5 years to come to realize this idea because it has already been
stated in related fields of study such as 2D and 3D views. In the entertainment industry, video
games use 3D capabilities which will usher in the introduction of 3D UI. As explained earlier it
will be important to introduce this type of user interface in order to visualize information,
scenario context, and interactive experience among others.
References
[1] Jankowski, J., & Hachet, M. (2015, February). Advances in interaction with 3D
environments. In Computer Graphics Forum (Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 152-190).
[2] Kotseruba, I., & Tsotsos, J. K. (2016). A Review of 40 Years of Cognitive Architecture
Research: Core Cognitive Abilities and Practical Applications. arXiv preprint
arXiv:1610.08602.

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[3] Guimaraes, J. P. (2017). Lifelines: Post-sixties American poetry and the concept of living
form (Doctoral dissertation, State University of New York at Buffalo).
[4] Ayoade, A. A. (2015). Navigation and control of a mobile manipulator for inspection.
Colorado School of Mines.
[5] Perlman, S. G., & Peltier, E. (2017). U.S. Patent No. 9,756,349. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office.
[6] Mendes, D., Caputo, F. M., Giachetti, A., Ferreira, A., & Jorge, J. A Survey on 3D Virtual
Object Manipulation: From the Desktop to Immersive Virtual Environments. In Computer
Graphics Forum.
[7] Van Riel, S. (2016). Exploring the use of 3D GIS as an analytical tool in archaeological
excavation practice.
[8] Hay, J. R., & Johns, J. L. (2016). U.S. Patent Application No. 14/757,256.
[9] Eastman, C. M. (2018). Building product models: computer environments, supporting design
and construction. CRC press.
[10] McQuilkin, K. (2015). Cinema 4D apprentice: real-world skills for the aspiring motion
graphics artist. CRC Press.
[11] Hakansson, H. (Ed.). (2015). Industrial Technological Development (Routledge Revivals):
A Network Approach. Routledge.
[12] Jankowski, J., & Hachet, M. (2015, February). Advances in interaction with 3D
environments. In Computer Graphics Forum (Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 152-190).

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[13] Freina, L., & Ott, M. (2015, January). A literature review on immersive virtual reality in
education: state of the art and perspectives. In The International Scientific Conference
eLearning and Software for Education (Vol. 1, p. 133). " Carol I" National Defence
University.