Try the existing multitouch navigation techniques !


Navigation is one of the elementary tasks of 3d virtual environment. Despite being widely studied, there is still need for more efficient and simple techniques.
In this page, I have re-implemented some existing navigation techniques in the litterature, designed to be used with a tactile or multitouch device.

The application for Windows 7 and Android phones are available at the bottom on this page.

Launch the Unity application Launch the Unity application in a new page.



Details on the techniques
  • The first is the Drag'n Go technique, presented on this page.
    [image]

  • The second is the joysticks, very present in video game and present on Multitouch Phone (Android, iPhone,...) and touch pad (iPad, HP touch Pad,...). Usually, there are two joysticks, each controls the position camera or orientation camera.
    Here, the right joystick controls the position and the left joystick controls the orientation.
    This navigation technique allows the user to recognize a known technique present in video games: the First-Person-Shooter (FPS) navigation.

  • The third is a local navigation. Such techniques are context-insensitive (that means that inputs are not used to get informations in the scene to improve the navigation) and are controlled either by position or speed.
    Here, a vertical straight line from user moves forward/backward the camera and a horizontal straight line turns the camera on left/right.

  • The next is Navidget, presented on this page.
    Here, only gestures are implemented. A circle or point focus the camera. A caret moves the camera to the previous configuration. Straight lines change the orientation camera.
    [image]

  • The next technique is the Point-of-Interest technique (POI). With POI, the user specifies a target and selects whether the avatar is going forward or backward. A logarithmic speed function connects the camera traveling speed with its distance to the target. The result is a fast movement when far away from the target, and a slow movement when close.
    Here, we adapt POI for touch screen, that means that the camera only moves forward. More information on this page.

  • The last techique is The Dabr where the number of fingers defines the navigation mode. With a single finger, the user controls the orientation camera and with two fingers, he controls the position camera. More informations on this page.
Download the Windows application.
Download the Android application. Last update: 24/05/2012