3D User Interfaces: Theory and Practice addresses the critical area of 3D user interface design – a field that seeks to answer detailed questions that make the difference between a 3D system that is usable and efficient and one that causes user frustration, errors, and even physical discomfort. The authors present practical information for developers, the latest research results, easy-to-follow guidelines for the UI designer, and relevant application examples. While there are quite a few books devoted to user interfaces in general and to 2D user interface design in particular, 3D user interfaces have received significantly less attention. The results of work in the field are scattered throughout numerous conference proceedings, journal articles, single book chapters, and websites. This field deserves a reference and educational text that integrates the best practices and state-of-the-art research, and that's why this book was created.

 

Here's what three pioneers in computer graphics and human-computer interaction have to say about this book:

"What a tour de force—everything one would want—comprehensive, encyclopedic, and authoritative."

 —Jim Foley, Georgia Institute of Technology

"At last, a book on this important, emerging area. It will be an indispensable reference for the practitioner, researcher, and student interested in 3D user interfaces."

 —Andy van Dam, Brown University

"Finally, the book we need to bridge the dream of 3D graphics with the user-centered reality of interface design. A thoughtful and practical guide for researchers and product developers. Thorough review, great examples."

 —Ben Shneiderman, University of Maryland

 

Doug A. Bowman is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. He works in the Center for Human-Computer Interaction and the University Visualization and Animation Group. 

 

Ernst Kruijff is a research scientist at the VE group of the Fraunhofer Institute for Media Communication.

 

Joseph J. LaViola, Jr. is currently a Ph.D candidate in the computer science department at Brown University. He works under the direction of Andries van Dam in the Computer Graphics Group.

 

Ivan Poupyrev is a Researcher at the Sony Computer Science Laboratories in Tokyo.