Essential Virtual Reality fast How to Understand the Techniques and Potential of Virtual Reality

Essential Virtual Reality fast tells you what is and isn VR! John Vince provides a potted history of Virtual Reality and explains in easy-to-understand terms what computer graphics are and how they are integral to VR systems. You'll see how important it is to understand the part human factors have to play in creating a good VR system (sound, sight, touch and balance) and take a look at a working VR system. You'll get the answers to questions like: - What hardware and software is used? - How does multi-user VR work? - Can you network VR? - What are the applications? - What is the future for VR? And you'll have a far better understanding of the impact these exciting techniques will have on our everyday lives.

1 What is Virtual Reality?.- What Is Virtual Reality?.- Who Should Read This Book?.- The Aims and Objectives of This Book.- Assumptions Made In This Book.- How to Use The Book.- Some VR Concepts and Terms.- Navigation and Interaction.- Immersion and Presence.- What Is Not VR?.- The Internet.- Summary.- 2 The Benefits of Virtual Reality.- 3D Visualization.- Navigation.- Interaction.- Physical Simulation.- Virtual Environments.- Applications.- Summary.- 3 3D Computer Graphics.- From Computer Graphics To Virtual Reality.- Modeling Objects.- Dynamic Objects.- Constraints.- Collision Detection.- Perspective Views.- 3D Clipping.- Stereoscopic Vision.- Rendering The Image.- Color.- Colored Objects.- Light Sources.- Rendering Algorithms.- Texture Mapping.- Bump Mapping.- Environment Mapping.- Shadows.- Radiosity.- Fog.- Transparency.- Other Computer Graphics Techniques.- Summary.- 4 Human Factors.- Vision.- Vision and Display Technology.- Hearing.- Tactile.- Equilibrium.- Summary.- 5 VR Hardware.- Computers.- Tracking.- Input Devices.- Output Devices.- Glasses.- Displays.- Audio.- Summary.- 6 VR Software.- VR Software Features.- Web Based VR.- Superscape’s VRT.- The Visualization System.- VRT Summary.- Division’s dVise.- A Virtual Product.- dVise Summary.- Multigen.- Summary.- 7 Vr Applications.- Industrial.- Training Simulators.- Entertainment.- Human Movement Analysis.- WWW Applications.- 8 Conclusion.- The Past.- Today.- Conclusion.- Appendix A VRML Web Sites.- Appendix B HMDs.- Appendix C Trackers.- Appendix D VRML Program.- Appendix E Web Sites for VR Products.- References.