Essential Virtual Reality fast How to Understand the Techniques and Potential of Virtual Reality

Essential Virtual Reality fast tells you what is and isn VR! John Vince provides a potted history of Virtual Reality and explains in easy-to-understand terms what computer graphics are and how they are integral to VR systems. You'll see how important it is to understand the part human factors have to play in creating a good VR system (sound, sight, touch and balance) and take a look at a working VR system. You'll get the answers to questions like: - What hardware and software is used? - How does multi-user VR work? - Can you network VR? - What are the applications? - What is the future for VR? And you'll have a far better understanding of the impact these exciting techniques will have on our everyday lives.

1 What is Virtual Reality?.- What Is Virtual Reality?.- Who Should Read This Book?.- The Aims and Objectives of This Book.- Assumptions Made In This Book.- How to Use The Book.- Some VR Concepts and Terms.- Navigation and Interaction.- Immersion and Presence.- Immersive and Non-Immersive VR.- What Is Not VR?.- The Internet.- Summary.- 2 The Benefits of Virtual Reality.- 3D Visualization.- Navigation.- Immersive VR.- Desktop VR.- Interaction.- Immersive VR.- Desktop VR.- Physical Simulation.- Virtual Environments.- Libraries.- Applications.- Summary.- 3 3D Computer Graphics.- From Computer Graphics To Virtual Reality.- Computers.- Graph Plotters.- Storage Tube Displays.- Video Displays.- Frame-Stores.- Rendering.- Real-Time Graphics.- Virtual Reality.- Modeling Objects.- Dynamic Objects.- Constraints.- Collision Detection.- Perspective Views.- 3D Clipping.- Stereoscopic Vision.- Rendering The Image.- Color.- Colored Objects.- Light Sources.- Rendering Algorithms.- Painter’s Algorithm.- Scan-Line Algorithm.- Z-Buffer.- Texture Mapping.- Billboard Textures.- Dynamic Textures.- Bump Mapping.- Environment Mapping.- Shadows.- Radiosity.- Fog.- Transparency.- Other Computer Graphics Techniques.- Soft Objects.- Particle Systems.- Nurbs.- Depth of Field.- Volumetric Rendering.- Summary.- 4 Human Factors.- Vision.- The Eye.- Color Receptors.- Visual Acuity.- The Blind Spot.- Stereoscopic Vision.- Stereopsis Cues.- Motion Parallax Cues.- Perspective Depth Cues.- Binocular Visual Field.- Image Processing.- Persistence of Vision.- Flicker.- Vision and Display Technology.- Optical Distortions.- Collimation Distance.- Depth of Field.- Hearing.- The Ear.- Speed, Frequency, Wavelength and Volume.- Direction.- Sound Stage.- Tactile.- Touch Receptors.- Equilibrium.- The Vestibular Apparatus.- Motion Sickness.- Implications for VR.- Summary.- 5 VR Hardware.- Refresh Rate.- Update Rate.- Latency.- Computers.- PC.- Graphics Workstation.- Supercomputer.- Image Generator.- Tracking.- Mechanical.- Optical.- Ultrasonic.- Electromagnetic.- Inertial.- Input Devices.- 3D Mouse.- Gloves.- Output Devices.- Force Feedback Sensors.- Glasses.- Shutter Glasses.- Displays.- 3D Screen.- HMD.- BOOM.- Retinal Displays.- Panoramic Screen.- Virtual Table.- CAVE.- Augmented Reality.- Audio.- Summary.- 6 VR Software.- VR Software Features.- Importing Models.- Libraries.- Level of Detail.- Object Scaling, Rotating and Translating.- Constraints.- Articulated Features.- Animation.- Collision Detection.- Parallel Worlds.- Light Sources.- Event Handling,.- Audio.- Control Language.- Simulation.- Sensors.- Stereo Viewing.- Tracking.- Networking.- Web Based VR.- to VRML.- VRML Browsers.- VRML 1.0 Specification.- Nodes.- VRML File format.- Superscape’s VRT.- VRT Overview.- Devices.- Proportional Devices.- File formats.- Visualiser and Viscape.- World Editor.- Building Blocks.- Bounding Cubes.- Points, Facets, Shapes and Objects.- Attributes.- Dynamic Objects.- Animations.- The Visualization System.- Bounding Cubes and Volumes.- Sorting and Rendering.- Distancing.- Color.- Textures.- Lighting.- Fog.- Sound.- VRT Summary.- Division’s dVise.- Overview of dVise.- dV/Webfly.- dV/Player.- dV/Review.- dV/Mockup.- dV/Reality.- Common Components.- Optional Components.- A Virtual Product.- VDI Files.- The dVISE Geometry Tools.- Interacting with the Virtual Product.- dVISE Navigation Aids.- Navigator View.- Cameras, Flight Paths, and Landmarks.- Annotations.- Events and Actions.- Multiple Users and Roles.- The Toolbox.- Using Templates and Libraries.- Libraries.- dVise Summary.- Multigen.- Multigen II Pro.- Multigen Creator.- Multigen Smartscene.- Multigen Summary.- Summary.- 7 Vr Applications.- Industrial.- Servicing Using A Virtual Prototype.- Ergonomics.- Transom Jack.- Virtual Prototypes.- dV/Reality.- The dVise Behavior Engine.- dV/Review.- dV/Player.- dV/Manikin.- Virtual Weapons.- Visual Engineering.- Spatial Visualization.- Training Simulators.- Medicine.- Soft Body Modeling.- Minimally Invasive Surgery.- Virtual Therapy.- Civilian Flight Simulators.- Military Flight Simulators.- Entertainment.- Dream Glider and Sky Explorer.- Venturer S2i.- Human Movement Analysis.- WWW Applications.- Virtual Exhibitions.- Virtual Art Gallery.- Heritage.- Virtual Shopping.- Summary.- 8 Conclusion.- The Past.- Today.- Conclusion.- Appendix A VRML Web Sites.- Appendix B HMDs.- Appendix C Trackers.- Appendix D VRML Program.- Appendix E Web Sites for VR Products.- References.