GPU implementation of 3D object selection by conic volume techniques in virtual environments

Abstract

In this paper we present a GPU implementation to accurately select 3D objects based on their silhouettes by a pointing device with six degrees of freedom (6DOF) in a virtual environment (VE). We adapt a 2D picking metaphor to 3D selection in VE's by changing the projection and view matrices according to the position and orientation of a 6DOF pointing device and rendering a conic selection volume to an off-screen pixel buffer. This method works for triangulated as well as volume rendered objects, no explicit geometric representation is required.