CS 4803/8803 3DU Assignments
1. Assignments Overview
On this page, we will summarize the range of assignments you should expect to do in the class this semester. This will be terse, as the details will be in each of the assignments themselves.
All assignments will have an entry in the Canvas section, and grades will be done there. However, some of the details will be elsewhere. In particular, we will use Github Classroom for distributing and collecting the programming assignments, at least. Other assignments may be distributed there, or in Canvas.
2. Programming Assignments
You should expect to do a series of programming assignments, using web-based technology and various libraries including three.js, Babylong.js, and possibly PlayCanvas. These assignments will be delivered on Github classroom (we will go over the specifics of setting up Github Classroom the first week; the basic requirement is an account on github.com.
Both grad and undergrad sections:
- A0: a small assignment to get the technology set up and let you self-assess if you are comfortable with these tools.
- A1: a three-part assignment exploring different 3D UI software architectures.
- A2: an assignment on selection and manipulation of objects in 3D.
Undergrad section:
- A3: an assignment on travel and navigation.
- A4: an assignment on menus and system control, exploring both desktop 3D and immersive 3D.
- A5: a self-designed assignment creating a 3D interactive application in VR.
3. Project
The grad section will do a project instead of assignments 3 to 5.
Mid-semester, the project teams will present their ideas to the class, and at the end of the semester will do project presentations.
ALL students (those in the undergraduate and graduate sections) will be expected to attend the two sets of presentations and submit brief feedback on the presentations (which will be shared with the graduate students, and graded). (Reflecting and providing critical feedback is a useful way to improve your understanding of a topic!)
4. Posters
The first month, we will be discussing the history of 3D user interfaces, as well as the human factors (perception and cognition) related to 3D UIs. We will ask you to pick one topic from each of these two sections and create two “posters” (actually, images of posters, with details that are legible at < 2048x2048 resolution). We will put these posters in a set of 3D spaces and have two poster sessions during two of the classes. The purpose of the assignment is two-fold: you will need to engage with something you find interesting in each of these sections of the class, and you will gain experience both presenting to others in a 3D environment, and visiting other students posters in these environments. We’ll reflect on the poster rooms and social VR spaces, and how they are like and unlike real spaces.
5. Other Assignments
5.1. Social VR Journal
The Social VR Journalling is a longitudinal (long-term) experiential component of the class. The premise of the assignment is very simple. At least once every two weeks you will use the VR equipment you have to stay in touch with friends or family, instead of using video or phone calls. We would like you to socialized in VR regularly, but will only require you to do it and fill out the journal on average once every two weeks (twice per month), starting the 5th week of class (six times total).
Each time you socialize with your friends or family members in VR, you will do a short journal response (mixture of short answers and some numeric answers). We ask you to submit an image or short video of the experience (you may edit out content you don’t want to submit), and optionally have those you interact with respond to the same questions (to help with the research study, below).
5.2. Conference Paper Viewing
During the fall there are three high quality academic conferences on topics related to the class, all of which will be run online:
- ACM User Interface Software and Technology (ACM UIST 2020), October 20-23.
- ACM Virtual Reality Software and Technology (ACM VRST 2020), November 1-4.
- IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR 2020), November 9-13.
Assuming these conferences make their online talks and other content free, we will ask each of you to pick a few papers or sessions that interest you at each conference, watch the talks, and write up a short summary of each. We will use some part of class time each of those weeks to discuss the work being presented at these conferences, as they relate to the class topics, or (if the schedule lines up), to watch some of the talks together.
5.3. VR Privacy Journal
Over the course of the semester, you will be using a VR display with cameras and other sensors. We will ask you to collect pictures throughout the semester of where you use the display, and some notes as to where you are and who is around. We will use this during an in-class exercise late in the semester, as part of a discussion on privacy and ethics.
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