ProGenVR: Natural Interactions for Procedural Content Generation in VR

Abstract

3D content creation for virtual worlds is a difficult task, requiring specialized tools based typically on a WIMP interface for modelling, composition and animation. But these interfaces pose several limitations, namely regarding the 2D-3D mapping required both for input and output. To overcome such limitations, VR modelling approaches have been proposed. However, translating relevant tools for creating large 3D scenes to VR settings is not trivial. Procedural content generation (PCG) is one such tool that allows content to be automatically generated following a set of parameterized rules. In this work, we propose a novel approach for immersive 3D modelling based on a set of procedural rules for content generation and natural interactions to bridge the gap between immersive content creation and PCG. We developed a prototype implementing our approach and conducted a user evaluation to assess its applicability. Results suggest that the cost of time and mental effort associated with the rules' definition can be compensated by the saved time and physical effort when creating complex scenes.