Navigation system for a 3D virtual scene
A navigation system for navigating a three-dimensional (3D) scene that includes a model or object with which a user can interact. The system accommodates and helps both novice and advanced users. To do this, the system provides allows a user to place a point on a model surface that is used as a focus point for tool operations. The focus point is a geometry sphere that shows orientation and relative position of the view in the scene.
1. A method, comprising:
determining that a user holds a pointing device in an activated state to place a tool in an active state, wherein the pointing device controls a position of a user-controlled cursor;
determining that the user-controlled cursor is over a portion of a model within a three-dimensional (3D) scene;
in response to determining that the user-controlled cursor is over the portion of the model, automatically displaying a center point sphere that represents a point within the 3D scene that is a projection of the user-controlled cursor onto the model within the 3D scene, wherein the center point sphere comprises a 3D geometric object; and
performing one or more operations relative to the point represented by the center point sphere to change the position of a view associated with the 3D scene.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying orientation axial rings on the center point sphere.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the center point sphere as partially transparent where occluding geometry resides in between a camera associated with the 3D scene and the center point.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a text descriptor associated with the center point sphere describing a function associated with the one or more operations.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the point to a center of the view when the one or more operations are related to a centering function.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising zooming toward the point when the one or more operations are related to a zoom.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising orbiting around the point when the one or more operations are related to an orbiting function.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the view toward the point when the one or more operations are related to a forwarding function.
9. A system, comprising:
a display; and
a processor coupled to the display and configured to:
determine that a user holds a pointing device in an activated state to place a tool in an active state, wherein the pointing device controls a position of a user-controlled cursor;
determine that the user-controlled cursor is over a portion of a model within a three-dimensional (3D) scene;
in response to determining that the user-controlled cursor is over the portion of the model, automatically display a center point sphere that represents a point within the 3D scene that is a projection of the user-controlled cursor onto the model within the 3D scene, wherein the center point sphere comprises a 3D geometric object; and
perform one or more operations relative to the point represented by the center point sphere to change the position of a view associated with the 3D scene.
10. A non-transient computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to navigate a three-dimensional scene, by performing the steps of:
determining that a user holds a pointing device in an activated state to place a tool in an active state, wherein the pointing device controls a position of a user-controlled cursor;
determining that the user-controlled cursor is over a portion of a model within a three-dimensional (3D) scene;
in response to determining that the user-controlled cursor is over the portion of the model, automatically displaying a center point sphere that represents a point within the 3D scene that is a projection of the user-controlled cursor onto the model within the 3D scene, wherein the center point sphere comprises a 3D geometric object; and
performing one or more operations relative to the point represented by the center point sphere to change the orientation or position of a view associated with the 3D scene.
11. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising displaying orientation axial rings on the center point sphere.
12. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising displaying the center point sphere as partially transparent where occluding geometry resides in between a camera associated with the 3D scene and the center point.
13. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising displaying a text descriptor associated with the center point sphere describing a function associated with the one or more operations.
14. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising moving the point to a center of the view when the one or more operations are related to a centering function.
15. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising zooming toward the point when the one or more operations are related to a zoom.
16. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising orbiting around the point when the one or more operations are related to an orbiting function.
17. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising moving the view toward the point when the one or more operations are related to a forwarding function.
18. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the center point sphere is displayed at the point within the 3D scene that is a projection of the user-controlled cursor onto the model within the 3D scene.
19. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising, prior to determining that the user-controlled cursor is over the portion of the model, determining that a tool is in an active state.