Context in 3D planar navigation

One of the most frustrating barriers to the widespread use of 3D visualisation is the additional complexity in navigating 3D data. This paper details a new approach to improving navigation in 3D environments where the navigation is mainly planar. Data at a distance from the viewpoint is distorted as if projected onto a partial cylinder to approximate a plan view, thereby exposing information that may have been obscured. Previous approaches are compared with this new technique and screenshots presented. Implementation details of the technique are discussed as well as possible performance and useability issues.