From: Niklas Elmqvist [d97elm@dtek.chalmers.se]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 1999 5:28 PM
To: 3d-ui@hitl.washington.edu
Subject: RE: 3D window management

On Mon, 4 Oct 1999, Pablo Figueroa wrote:

[snip]

> I see you are doing a lot of work, but...  I've not totally understand
> this idea... Why is important to see 2D applications in a 3D environment?
> As you say is more difficult to interact with them, so... why I can't go
> to my desktop and use a calculator or netscape? If the problem is task
> integration I think we can solve the problem by communication mechanisms
> between the 3D world (running in a place with 3D input devices) and a
> desktop (with the standard 2D interface).

Well, it is true that many of the standard productivity applications may
not be suited for immersive 3D environments. However, normal 2D window
environments actually simulate 3D in many ways -- they have layered
windows (pretending that there is a depth coordinate involved on the
two-dimensional screen) and some use virtual workspaces to allow for more
than one screen in which to arrange the applications. Just having 2D
applications in a 3D space allows the user to arrange the windows in a 
much more intuitive fashion than would be possible in a standard 2D-system
where windows end up occluding each other and much work is spent arranging
them in special ways.

In addition, as I see it, the 2D-application-support in a 3D environment
is not the main issue, but rather an important backwards-compatibility
feature to allow users to remain productive when moving to a 3D user
environment. Let's face it, before HMDs become commonplace, software
companies like Microsoft will not start to develop 3D-versions of their
office and development packages. 

Of course, let's not forget that many "normal" 2D programs may be extended
to three dimensions to great effect. Remember fsn, the three-dimensional
file manager which was showed off in Jurassic Park? How about a
3D-debugger which gives useful information on the spatial relationships of
program components? A VRML-browser that lets you actually enter the
VRML-world instead of viewing it through a viewport? The possibilities are
endless and, IMHO, very interesting from a user interface perspective. 

Oops, sorry for the rant back there... :)

[snip]

> -------------------------------------------
> Pablo Figueroa              pfiguero@cs.ualberta.ca
> PhD Student                 http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~pfiguero
> University of Alberta
> 
> Relax ... God is in charge  
> -------------------------------------------

-- Niklas Elmqvist (d97elm@dtek.chalmers.se) ----------------------
  "One of the universal rules of happiness is: always be wary of any
   helpful item that weighs less than its operating manual."
           -- Terry Pratchett, Jingo