Development of three-dimensional modeling system simulating balloon art for children education

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Modeling software simulating balloon art was developed in order to support children learning three-dimensional object modeling in virtual space. In this system, children can make various shapes by twisting, bending, and screwing a long and slender balloon. Each modeling function is displayed with a large icon which shows effect of the function. Each function has an original sound. The sound is used to identify the function and amuse children.The mechanism evaluating the shapes made by children and leading them to good shapes is necessary to use the system to modeling education. Then, we added evaluation module. The module displays the arrows which indicate differences between the shape made by the child and its reference shape. It is possible to refine the shape, by following the arrows. Score of the shape is also displayed.We also added the animation module, which creates motions of the shapes made by children. <A motion corresponding to a childs work is generated by modifying its original motion stored in the system, according to the difference of length from the reference shape. Several motions can be assigned to one shape, and one of the motions is selected by the score of the shape.By the trial experiment, it was confirmed that children can understand the usage of the system from short explanation and several illustrations in five minutes without difficulty. The animation amused children. It was observed that children changed their shapes many times in order to view the animation. However, some children do the modeling over again from the initial shape when it is difficult to return, the shape to the former. Then, we added the undo/redo function to return the modeling work to any time of the previous.Convenience has improved greatly by these improvements.