Abstract: The system displays an image portraying a virtual space as viewed by a virtual camera at a first location on a spatially navigable camera surface within the virtual space. A user begins a drag operation. Based on the dragging, the virtual camera is spatially translated from the first location on the spatially navigable region to a second location on the spatially navigable region. The orientation of the virtual camera at the second location may be automatically set to either point towards the pre-defined look-at point or to point in a direction normal to the spatially navigable region at the second location. The system then displays an image portraying the virtual space in accordance with the location and orientation of the virtual camera at the second location in the spatially navigable camera surface. While the drag operation continues, the system determines that further translating the virtual camera would place the virtual camera beyond the spatially navigable region.

Abstract: An interactive 3D presentation system that utilizes a collection of shots or motion views where each shot can include a combination of a camera view and camera action. A visual transition, such as a fade, can be presented at the end and beginning of sequential shots. Between the end point of a first shot and the beginning of a sequential shot, the scene is not shown. The system allows interactive authoring and/or viewing a 3D visual experience composed by defining a collection of shots where each shot is a combination of a camera view point of interest (POI) plus a camera motion path. The POI is placed on the path in a variety of ways where it can be at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the path. A collection of predefined, cinematically styled camera motion paths, such as a crane and track shots, can be made available to the author. The pacing and duration of each shot can be adjusted.