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From: yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: Musical Virtual Worlds
Message-ID: <11369@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 19 Nov 90 00:54:09 GMT
References: <1990Nov13.213038.27046@cpsc.ucalgary.ca>
Sender: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Rochester
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In article <1990Nov13.213038.27046@cpsc.ucalgary.ca> garry@cs-sun-fsc.cpsc.ucalg
ary.ca (Garry Beirne) writes:

   The are several features of these MVWs that we in the 'visual' worlds 
   might learn from.  

   First, it is assumed that the occupant/participant/user/performer in a 
   MVW is a 'virtuoso';  they are experts in communicating via very 
   specific musical gestures (bowing the violin, playing the piano, etc.) 
   and there is a well established vocabulary within the range of gestures 
   they use.  In VR we almost always assume a naive user.  Why not follow 
   the model of the instrument builder, and develop a set of gestures that 
   are 'appropriate' to the task of communicating to and from the visual 
   virtual world?

There is a place for both types of systems.  Consider the difference
in user interface between a CD player, a digital FM synthesizer, and a
MIDI sequencer.  All three are examples digital music technology, but
the first is designed to be used by a listener, and the second by a
performer, and the third by a composer.  In VR likewise, different
systems are suitable for the world user and the world builder.

Your suggestions are interesting, since they suggest a third class of
VR person -- the real-time VR artist.  Just as the world user is
analogous to the music listener, and the world builder is analogous to
the music composer, the real-time artist could be analogous to the
music performer.
--
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Brian Yamauchi                          University of Rochester
yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu               Computer Science Department
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