Immersive 3D modeling with Blender and off-the-shelf hardware

We present an immersive 3D modeling application with stereoscopic graphics, head tracking, and 3D input devices. The application was built in three weeks on top of Blender, an open source 3D modeling software, and relies solely on affordable, off-the-shelf hardware like PlayStation Move controllers. Our goal was to create an easy to use 3D modeling environment that employs both 2D and 3D interaction techniques and contains several modeling tools. We conducted a basic user study where novice and professional 3D artists created 3D models with our application. The study participants thought that the application was fun and intuitive to use, but accurate posing of objects was difficult. We also examined the participants' beliefs about future use of immersive technology in 3D modeling. The short implementation time of the application, its many features, and the 3D models created by the study participants set an example of what can be achieved with open source software and off-the-shelf hardware.