Models for design, implementation and deployment of 3D Collaborative Virtual Environments

This work aims at providing some cues in order to address the essential requirements about the design of 3D Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVE). We have identified six essential topics that must be addressed when designing a CVE. For each of them, we present a state of the art about the solutions that can address this topic, then we show our own contributions: how we improve existing solutions and what are our new propositions. 1 - Choosing a model for the distribution of a CVE We need a distribution model to distribute as efficiently as possible the content of a CVE among all the nodes involved in its execution, including the machines of the distant users. Our proposition is to allow CVE designers to mix in a same CVE the three main distribution models usually encountered: centralized on a server, totally replicated on each site, or distributed according to a hybrid distribution model. 2 - Choosing a model for the synchronization of these nodes To maintain consistency between all the nodes involved in the execution of a CVE, we must choose between a strong synchronization or a relaxed one, or an in-between solution. Our proposition is to manage some temporary relaxation of the synchronization due to network breakdowns, with several synchronization groups of users, making them aware of these network breakdowns, and to allow some shared objects to migrate from one site to another. 3 - Adapting the Virtual Environment to various hardware systems VR applications must be adapted to the software and to the hardware input and output devices that are available at run-time, in order to be able to deploy a CVE onto di fferent kinds of hardware and software. Our solution is the PAC-C3D software architectural model which is able to deal with the three main distribution modes encountered in CVE. 4 - Designing interaction and collaboration in the VE Expressing the interactive and collaborative capabilities of the content of a CVE goes one step beyond geometric modeling, by adding interactive and collaborative features to virtual objects. We propose a unified model of dialog between interactive objects and interaction tools, with an extension to Collada in order to describe interactive and collaborative properties of these interactive objects and interaction tools. 5 - Choosing the best metaphors for collaborative interactions Most of the time single-user interaction tools and metaphors are not adapted to off er effi cient collaboration between users of a CVE. We adapt some of these tools and metaphors to collaborative interactions, and we propose new really collaborative metaphors to enhance real multi-user collaborative interactions, with dedicated collaborative feedback. 6 - Embedding the users' physical workspaces within the CVE Taking into account users' physical workspaces makes it possible to adapt a CVE to the hardware input and output devices of the users, and to make them aware of their physical limitations and of those of the other users, for better interaction and collaboration. We propose the Immersive Interactive Virtual Cabin (IIVC) concept to embed such 3D representations in CVE