Drawing on Air: Input Techniques for Controlled 3D Line Illustration

• Published in: IEEE transactions on visualization and computer graphics Vol. 13; no. 5; pp. 1067 - 1081
• Main Authors: Keefe, D.F., Zeleznik, R.C., Laidlaw, D.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IEEE 01.09.2007; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Air; Algorithms; Artistic interface; bimanual interaction; Computation; Computer Graphics - instrumentation; Computer Peripherals; Control systems; Criteria; Electrical equipment industry; Feedback; Finite element method; Flattening; Friction; Haptic interfaces; haptics; Image Enhancement - instrumentation; Image Enhancement - methods; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - instrumentation; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - instrumentation; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods; Industrial training; Large-scale systems; Mathematical models; modeling; Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; Parametrization; Performance evaluation; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted - instrumentation; tape drawing; Three dimensional; Touch; User-Computer Interface; Visualization
• ISSN: 1077-2626; 1941-0506
• DOI: 10.1109/TVCG.2007.1060

We present drawing on air, a haptic-aided input technique for drawing controlled 3D curves through space. Drawing on air addresses a control problem with current 3D modeling approaches based on sweeping movement of the hands through the air. Although artists praise the immediacy and intuitiveness of these systems, a lack of control makes it nearly impossible to create 3D forms beyond quick design sketches or gesture drawings. Drawing on air introduces two new strategies for more controlled 3D drawing: one-handed drag drawing and two-handed tape drawing. Both approaches have advantages for drawing certain types of curves. We describe a tangent preserving method for transitioning between the two techniques while drawing. Haptic-aided redrawing and line weight adjustment while drawing are also supported in both approaches. In a quantitative user study evaluation by illustrators, the one and two-handed techniques performed at roughly the same level and both significantly outperformed freehand drawing and freehand drawing augmented with a haptic friction effect. We present the design and results of this experiment, as well as user feedback from artists and 3D models created in a style of line illustration for challenging artistic and scientific subjects.