COMS W4172 3D User Interfaces
Syllabus and Assignments

Spring 2009, Tu/Th 1:10–2:25pm, 415 Schapiro CEPSR

Prof. Steven Feiner 
feiner [AT] cs [DOT] columbia [DOT] edu 
212-939-7083


Schedule is subject to change.  (B n = Bowman et al. Chapter n)

 
  Date    Topics/chapters covered    Assignment  Due date 
  Tue Jan 20   Introduction (B 1–2, 12.1)
 

 
 
  Thu Jan 22   Introduction 2; Design principles (B 10, except 10.2.3)
 

 
 
  Tue Jan 27    Design principles 2; 3D window managers (Microsoft Task Gallery website and paper (video); Sun Project Looking Glass (video); BumpTop)
 

 
   
  Thu Jan 29   3D math
 

 
     
  Tue Feb 3    3d window managers 2; Development tools: Goblin XNA
 

 
     
  Thu Feb 5    Development tools: Goblin XNA 2 (Using the Nate Robins OpenGL Tutors with Goblin XNA)
 

 
  Assignment 1 Feb 17
  Tue Feb 10   3D perception, displays, and devices (B 3)
 

 

  Thu Feb 12   3D perception, displays, and devices 2
 

 
     
9     Tue Feb 17    3D perception, displays, and devices 3
 

 
     
10    Thu Feb 19    3D perception, displays, and devices 4 (hear NASA Ames 3D audio spatialization demo [if your browser doesn't have a plug-in for .mp3 files, you may need to right-click and save this file to play it]) (B 5)
 

 
  Assignment 2 Mar 5
11    Tue Feb 24   3D perception, displays, and devices 5; Selection and manipulation
 

 
     
12    Thu Feb 26
 
  Selection and manipulation 2
 

 
 
13    Tue Mar 3    Selection and manipulation 3; Optical marker-based tracking
 

 
     
14    Thu Mar 5    Optical marker-based tracking 2
 

 
  Assignment 3 Mar 26
15    Tue Mar 10   Midterm exam (Will cover all material discussed in class and assigned up to this point, including B 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 [except 10.2.3], and 12.1.) Reference material mentioned only in the slides, but not in the syllabus, are not required reading; however, you may find a reference helpful to review if you do not remember or understand the material covered on the slide that includes the reference. The exam will be closed book, closed notes, with essay questions instead of true/false or multiple choice questions. All answers will be written on the exam itself, where the space provided will give an idea of the length expected.)
 

 
16    Thu Mar 12   Travel (B6)
 


 
     
  Tue Mar 17
Thu Mar 19
  No class: SPRING BREAK
 

 
     
17    Tue Mar 24    Travel 2
     
18    Thu Mar 26    The Manhattanville Project (Formation of project groups); Guest Lecture: Site Visit by Situated Visualization: Prof. Petia Morozov (Urban Design, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation), Sarah Williams (Spatial Information Design Lab, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation), and Sean White (Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab)
 

 
  Final project May 12
19    Tue Mar 31    Travel 3; Wayfinding (B 7)
  Tips for working outdoors  
20    Thu Apr 2   Wayfinding 2; Control (B 8)
     
21    Tue Apr 7
 
  Development tools: Goblin XNA advanced features (including physics)
 
     
22    Thu Apr 9
 
  Final project proposal (Each team will give an overview of their proposed project, addressing the issues posed in the assignment: What questions will your user be able to "ask" using your system?  What data will you use?  How will  the data be presented?  How will users be able to interact with the data?)
 
     

23 

  Tue Apr 14    Control 2; Symbolic input (B 9); Bimanual interaction (B 10.2.3)
     
24    Thu Apr 16    Final project progress report 1 (Each team will give a brief overview of their progress using the site plan and virtual 3D models); Evaluation (B11)
 
   
25    Tue Apr 21    Evaluation 2
 
26    Thu Apr 23    Final project progress report 2 (Each team will give a brief overview of their progress, including work at the physical site); Alternative tracking technologies (B 12, 34)
 
 
27   Tue Apr 28   Case study: Situated visualization
 
     
28   Thu Apr 30   Final project progress report 3 (Each team will give a brief overview of their progress, including work at the physical site); 
 
     
  Tue May 12 1:10pm–4pm  (Scheduled final exam time)   Final project presentations (Held in 415 Schapiro CEPSR during the scheduled final exam time. Each team will give a presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session.)