Enhanced 3D Object Snap for CAD Modelling on Large Stereo Displays

Large stereo displays and 3D input devices have proved significant productivity benefits in CAD, but they have also shown interaction weaknesses. We present a novel approach for pointing CAD entities with a 3D cursor on a wall-like stereoscopic display. We proved that the user error is affected by anisotropy, hence we present an enhanced snap tool called eSnap. This tool uses an elliptic metric for 3D cursor proximity. The provided results demonstrate a significant improvement in user performances and can be used as a guide for the development of user interfaces in emerging 3D displays. Keywords: LSDs; large stereo displays; 3D input; CAD interaction; HCI; human-computer interaction; CAD modelling; anisotropy; snap tools; user interfaces; 3D displays.