Virtual object specification for usable virtual environments

Abstract

The specification of virtual world objects is an important part of virtual environment design. However, identifying the required level of behaviour and geometric decomposition for virtual objects in a particular application is difficult and error-prone. This has implications for usability as the behaviour of objects gives strong cues to potential interaction. A fundamental step in tackling usability problems is the specification of virtual world objects early in the design phase. This paper presents a method for virtual object specification using task-based scenarios.