HUMAN FACTORS, 1993,35(4),653-671 Effects of Three Types of Flight Simulator Visual Scene Detail on Detection of Alti tude Change

The effects of three types of flight simulator visual scene detail on detection of altitude change were evaluated in three experiments. Across all experiments and with a variety of tasks and display conditions, speed and accuracy of detecting altitude change improved with increases in the density of vertical objects in scenes. Adding detail to individual objects to increase their natural appearance produced no consistent effects on performance. In Experiment 3 complex texture distributed globally on terrain surfaces improved detection of altitude change but did not alleviate the need for high object density. These results indicate that avail-able computer image generator processing capacity would be used more effec-tively by increasing the density of objects in scenes, rather than by increasing the complexity and detail of individual objects. Complex texture is used more effec-tively when distributed globally on terrain surfaces, rather than when allocated to individual objects