November 2002
Intermediate to advanced
848 pages
19h 59m
English
The use of sensors is a fairly advanced topic in 3D graphics and generally refers to detecting or sensing some signal in the environment. In 3D graphics, it is usually some movement of the user that we want to sense. Common forms of motion sensing are those involving joysticks, head tracking, motion suits, and hand/arm movements.
Developing a sensor requires some knowledge of how device drivers work. A device driver is software that helps a computer communicate with a hardware device. To fully explore this topic, you should have access to an input device such as a head tracker or special mouse (for example, the Magellan Space Mouse). However, we are able to approximate the workings of special devices using a simulated ...