Investigating user response to a hybrid sketch based interface for creating 3D virtual models in an immersive environment

Computer modelling of 2D drawings is becoming increasingly popular in modern design as can be witnessed in the shift of modern computer modelling applications from software requiring specialised training to ones targeted for the general consumer market. Despite this, traditional sketching is still prevalent in design, particularly so in the early design stages. Thus, research trends in computer-aided modelling focus on the the development of sketch based interfaces that are as natural as possible. In this paper, we present a hybrid sketch based interface which allows the user to make draw sketches using offline as well as online sketching modalities, displaying the 3D models in an immersive setup, thus linking the object interaction possible through immersive modelling to the flexibility allowed by paper-based sketching. The interface was evaluated in a user study which shows that such a hybrid system can be considered as having pragmatic and hedonic value.