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The VisMap system provides for visual manipulation of arbitrary off-the-shelf applications, through an applications graphical user interface. VisMaps API-independent control has advantages for tasks that can benefit from direct access to the functions of the user interface. We describe the design goals and architecture of the system, and we discuss two applications, a user-controlled visual scripting program and an autonomous solitaire-playing program, which together demonstrate some of the capabilities and limitations of the approach.

Interactive 3D learning environments can provide rich problemsolving experiences with unparalleled visual impact. In these environments, students interactively solve problems by directing their avatars to navigate through complex worlds, transport entities from one location to another, and manipulate devices. However, realtime camera control is critical to their successful deployment. To create effective learning experiences, a virtual camera must in realtime “film” their activities in a manner that most clearly depicts the salient aspects of the tasks students are performing. To address this problem, we have developed the cinematic task modeling framework for automated realtime task-sensitive camera control in 3D environments. Cinematic task models dynamically map the intentional structure of users’ activities to visual structures that continuously depict the most relevant actions and objects in the environment. By exploiting cinematic task models, a cinematography interface to 3D learning environments can dynamically plan camera positions, view directions, and camera movements that help users perform their tasks. To investigate the effect of the cinematic task modeling framework on student-environment interactions, we have constructed a fullscale cinematography interface and a 3D learning environment testbed. Focus group studies suggest that task-sensitive camera planning significantly improves students’ interactions with complex 3D learning environments.