Navigation Power of MaxWhere: a Unique Solution

Abstract

Precise and accurate navigation is an elementary expectation in desktop virtual realities. In this paper, the navigation method of MaxWhere VR is presented, furthermore, it is analyzed in terms of interaction fidelity and controller mapping. The MaxWhere VR platform offers different navigational operations, that are optimized for an external mouse with a scroll wheel. Besides moving forward and backward, rotating the camera view and lifting, another navigation type is available, the spherical orbit. This navigational operation is known from engineering software, and its role is to look around a selected object and observe it from each side. This function can be useful in educational and exhibition spaces where 3D models are located. These navigational operations are considered low-fidelity interactions, compared to human motions, although with the directionally mapped general control devices, such as a mouse, high perceived naturalness can be achieved that can relate to a higher sense of spatial presence.