User Interface for Volume Rendering in Virtual Reality Environments

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel VR-specific user interface for volume rendering that enables intuitive transfer function design and interaction using two-handed controllers, demonstrated with Sony PlayStation Move controllers.

Contribution

It introduces a VR-optimized interface for volume rendering that improves user interaction through two-handed wand-like controllers, addressing limitations of traditional 2D interfaces.

Findings

Potential of the approach demonstrated with initial results.

Supports intuitive transfer function design in VR environments.

Enables navigation and clip plane manipulation in VR.

Abstract

Volume Rendering applications require sophisticated user interaction for the definition and refinement of transfer functions. Traditional 2D desktop user interface elements have been developed to solve this task, but such concepts do not map well to the interaction devices available in Virtual Reality environments. In this paper, we propose an intuitive user interface for Volume Rendering specifically designed for Virtual Reality environments. The proposed interface allows transfer function design and refinement based on intuitive two-handed operation of Wand-like controllers. Additional interaction modes such as navigation and clip plane manipulation are supported as well. The system is implemented using the Sony PlayStation Move controller system. This choice is based on controller device capabilities as well as application and environment constraints. Initial results document the potential of our approach.