From: Marc Bernatchez
<marc.bernatchez@polymtl.ca>
Date:
To: Lorenzo Pastrana <pastrana@ultraflat.net>
Cc: 3DUI <3d-ui@hitl.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Is there any standard in VR?
Thanks Lorenzo!
What an interesting discussion you just pointed out. I was saying the exact
same thing about the translucent interfaces in movies like Matrix 2.
Regarding your remarks. I understand what you mean
when you say "
I don't think we really can get a standard emerging since
3dUI has sutch a
narrow audience; in the contrary I believe it's time to get working on the
'ability' to grow sutch standards, using adapted diffusion tools."
Nevertheless, I tend to prefer a more direct attitude. I've read some
general HCI literature and it seems clear that the safest way to test /
validate a new user interface design is to use it in a concrete application,
with its target audience. It is true that we could build "fake" 3D
VR/VE
applications that would have as their only purpose to let people "play"
with
the built-in user interface. But I'm questioning if 1) people would
participate since the application does nothing for them 2) it would really
provide a valid test of the UI as it has no concrete purpose.
I prefer to begin right away to implement new UI concepts in real
applications that I can then submit to a test group.
I disagree with you that 3DUI has a narrow audience. Given what Ben Delaney
kindly and vigorously reminded me, there is a big market out there that is
just waiting for this 3D UI breakthrough to pop. Maybe by 3DUI audience, you
were referring to us, people that do research on the subject, then I could
agree it is a small crowd, at least, compared to the market crowd.
An other very interesting point to note is, taken from your ACM listserv
post:
" [...] On the contrary in sci-fi movies like Matrix2 or Final Fantasy
(was
not cited but has nice translucent/holo haptic interfaces) the main
visualisation is very stylish and 'invented' by artists with emphasis on
aestetics, witch can in turn make the actual effectiveness questionnable (as
Livia did). This (Seductive/Usable) is one of the axis of balance in CHI
(between many others) especially when a product is intended for market.
[...]"
Absolutely! Purely academic research often suffers from a poor visual
artistic look. The interfaces look "naïve" in lack of a better term.
The
better the UI we design looks, the most chances people
outside the research
circle will listen and get interested in what we are doing. Many do not
share our technical interests, but everybody likes to look at nice looking
graphics. That is on step to bring together the new UI technologies we
develop with the VR/VE global market.
Thanks again for this great pointer.
==============================
Marc Bernatchez
Ph.D. candidate
Ecole Polytechnique de
marc.bernatchez@polymtl.ca