User manual

3 Related work
This project is in many respects unique – hence finding related work to use as
a reference was difficult. The primary idea of the system – to allow light programming
through an online interface, to a multitude of users, with special focus to inherit the
look and feel of a 3D game (so as to cater to the age of the primary target group), and
end purpose to reproduce the saved programs in the real world, with an actual light
projector set-up (which had been simulated in the interface) – does not seem to have
been explored previously. Internal research at BB&S couldn’t identify similar projects.
That is why a lot of research presented in this document is quite basic – looking at
similar 3D interfaces for light programming on one hand, and looking for GUI
solutions for sequencing and playback tools on the other, for instance; so as to provide
a basis for development.
A simple way to describe the system could be as a 3D display system, within an
online multi-user collaborative environment. This setting has been a topic of academic
research: Naemura et al discuss a multi-user immersive stereo system, which is a
proposal for “a multi-user system, in which several users can feel the adequate depth
sensation simultaneously [33]”, where the users are supposed to share the same multi-
screen system and view panoramic stereoscopic images. Broll et al work in an
augmented reality environment and propose “The Virtual Round Table”, where
augmentation is realized using semi-transparent stereo projection glasses [34]” and the
users can collaborate within an environment composed of both actual visual data and
computer generated visual cues. Common for these two projects is that they work
with more or less custom display hardware (like multi-screen environments or semi-
transparent projection glasses), and most likely custom communication solutions
within the system – in that sense, they are experimental, as deployment of technology
to a user base is nowhere an issue. On the contrary, this is one of the first problems in
this project – how to distribute the program to the school classes, and ensure hassle
free experience; which also includes some considerations about what machines might
be available to the schools.
Leung et al work in an environment technologically much closer to the level in
this project – they develop a “multi-user 3-D virtual environment called NetICE,
"DMX Director" - Architecture of a 3D light-programming application, in a multi-user Internet environment
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