Conceptual modeling is an actively creative stage in a design process. Through hand modeling and manipulation of different kinds of modeling tool kits for specific materials, designers are able to generate forms. This article presents a tangible human-computer interface of a C-StressBall for form manipulation and a CBenchWhirler for visual control. They create a new way of interaction between the virtual world and the physical space. They are aimed to ease the operation in design process by using CAD.
A test drawing a strong man.
A test drawing an elephant.
1. Introduction
1.1. Conceptual modeling in architecture design
• Tangible sense is help designer to express more creative ideas by the senses of solidness and transform the spatial ideas into design models.
• CAD contains high capacity computing power. It can overcome the constraints of gravity and generate with higher degree of form. But, it in deed takes extra efforts in process planning rather than form generation.
• Ubiquitous Computing pushes computers into background and leave only the valuable information opposed to user.
• Tangible User Interface bridge the gap between virtual world and the physical environment.
1.2. Objective
• Use TUI to redesign CAD’s operation in terms of HCI, fits in the early phase of design process.
• Traditional modeling tool go through human civilization and evolved for a long time, user could have ease understand of characteristic through practicing the sense of touch.
• Construct a working prototype which is suitable for a design environment.
• Two physical tangible tools: C-StressBall and C-BenchWhirler are established to contact with the tangible’s features and the modeling behaviors in the COMOEN.
2. System Design
2.1. System outline• Traditional modeling tool go through human civilization and evolved for a long time to develop the detail functions in the model-shaping process.
• Users could understand their characteristic easily through practicing the sense of touch.
• Two physical tangible tools: C-StressBall and C-BenchWhirler are established to contact with the tangible’s features and the modeling behaviors in the COMOEN.
2.2. C-StressBall
• The actual feeling from C-StressBall is the objects crowd out from hands.
• C-StressBall hold with the fingers and extruding the substance for design.
• It reflects the pressure level in creating different size of ink dots.
• Following gesture location from COMOEN to display the outcome in virtual world.
• The IR distance sensor inside in C-StressBall connect to microcontroller offer the sense of pressure level of touch.
2.3. C-BenchWhirler
• It provides a way of revolving the turntable with hand, which can rotating the objects in the virtual environment.
• Providing designer switches the forms with different angles intuitively while rotating the C-BenchWhirler.
• C-BenchWhirler is a circular turntable to make fast and ease adjustments of view.
The optics mouse has repacked into C-BenchWhirler under table to detect turning actions.
2.4. Image capturing system
• Image capturing board is used for real time retrieving visual data from two CCD cameras.
• By LED light on C-StressBall, Image recognition is used to track lighting in the space.
• Two CCD camera are placed on the (x, y) plane and (y, z) plane separately in order to obtain actual position from C-StressBall.
2.5. Output to the Virtual Environment
• In order to obtain the spatial coordinate and pressure information. A text file format is used to save (x, y, z) position and pressure strength from IRX board.
• C++ language is used to program new functions in MAYA, so that it can use the information from the txt file to display 3D animation.
3. Design outcome
• COMOEN only utilizing the “sphere” function reaches a good sense to present concept.
• Strength of using touches succeed in impelling design detail more thoroughly.
• In few minutes, designer achieve a proper model through the consideration of volume and size.
The process of implementation
Use C-StressBall to Detect Different level from the pressure.
COMOEN in CAADFutures 2007 presentation slides (PDF)
Publication
Huang, C.C. (2007). Conceptual Modeling Environment (COMOEN), Computer-Aided Architectural Design Futures 2007. Netherlands: Springer Press. Sydney, Australia. pp.31-43. (Full-text PDF)
Huang, C.C. (2006). An Approach to 3D Conceptual Modeling: Using Spatial Input Device. In the Proceedings of ASCAAD 2006 Conference. Sharjah, UAE.
Huang, C.C. (2006). A Gestural Spatial Interface for Conceptual Modeling. In the Proceedings of APCHI 2006 Conference. Taipei, Taiwan.
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