SUBTLE CAMERA MOTIONS IN A 3D SCENE TO ANTICIPATE THE ACTION OF A USER

• Main Author: OFSTAD ANDREW
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.04.2015
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL; PHYSICS

A technique for providing an animated preview of a transition between two points of view can be implemented in a software application, such as a mapping application, that displays an interactive 3D representation of a geographical area and allows users to hover, hold, or otherwise indicate, without confirming a selection, a desired destination location of a viewport within the displayed 3D representation to generate the animated preview. An animated preview may include travelling a portion of a trajectory that runs between an initial position of the viewport and the desired destination position of the viewport. The mapping application temporarily moves the viewport toward the destination position of the viewport along the trajectory and then moves the viewport back to its original position. In this manner, the mapping application provides a subtle but clear indication toward the direction and orientation of the destination location of the viewport. The overall visual effect of animating the transition to the destination location of the viewport can be conceptualized as the viewport attempting to move to the destination location but restrained by an attached elastic band.