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This thesis develops a novel strategy for accessing Hypertextualized Virtual Environments (HiVEs), integrated information spaces where symbolic (hypertext) and visual (3D graphics) data are simultaneously available and linked (e.g., 3D content on the Web). The work focuses on user interface design. It begins with the introduction of hypertext and the Web as well as 3D computer graphics and virtual environments; we present arguments for combining these mediums and outline our research and design approach to this topic. As a prerequisite to the effective user interface design is an understanding of the users and their tasks, we then focus on an understanding of the fundamental tasks users may engage in while exploring Web-based 3D virtual environments. We introduce a "taskonomy of 3D Web use", a simple taxonomy we use later to identify the tasks that the user interface for HiVEs must support. We then introduce a Dual-Mode user interface, an interface that has two modes between which a user can switch anytime: the driven by simple hypertext-based interactions hypertext "don't-make-me-think" mode, where a 3D scene is embedded in hypertext and the more immersive 3D "take-me-to-the-Wonderland" mode, which immerses the hypertextual annotations into the 3D scene; we also describe the interface's support for hypermedia and virtual environment tasks described in our taskonomy. Furthermore, we describe Copernicus, a wiki-type authoring environment allowing the rapid development of HiVEs, a testbed allowing for the experimentation and for the assessment of both hypertext and 3D modes of the Dual-Mode user interface. Our Dual-Mode user interface, implemented in Copernicus, was evaluated iteratively using several methods for usability studies. The evaluations illustrated that people like to use Copernicus and appreciate the interactive possibilities offered by its user interface. The results from the competitive user study suggest users performed better with the Dual-Mode user interface over alternatives.

The paper presents the different steps of a virtual archaeology project, where different data are produced using separate pipelines, and are optimized and integrated in a real time environment, accessible on line by specialists (restricted access to a back end section) and by a wider public (open access to a front end section). The work is based on an open source tool previously developed by the team, OSG4WEB, recently optimized, adding new features and functionalities to enable the final publication of massive landscape reconstructions and virtual environments. The case study, Aquae Patavinae project, was chosen in order to explain the problematic aspects of a typical virtual archaeology work, where the main goal is to reconstruct ancient potential contexts and landscapes, thus supporting the choices made in the development of the software. The paper will underline how large reconstructed worlds and virtual environments within real-time 3D applications via web is still a challenge., L'articolo presenta le diverse fasi di un progetto di archeologia virtuale, nel quale i diversi tipi di dati vengono acquisiti e realizzati utilizzando approcci metodologici diversi, per poi essere integrati all'interno di un unico ambiente interattivo. Tale ambiente è costituito da una parte accessibile solo da utenti “esperti” (tramite accesso ristretto ad una sezione beck-end in cui è possibile comporre la scena 3d ed esporla) e da una parte 3d esplorabile interattivamente da un pubblico più ampio. Viene dunque descritto il software open source realizzato, OSG4WEB, recentemente ottimizzato tramite l'aggiunta di nuove funzionalità che consentono di pubblicare on line ampi paesaggi 3d ricostruiti. Viene quindi analizzato un caso di studio, Aquae Patavinae VR, su cui si sono testati gli approcci metodologici e le funzionalità del software di visualizzazione e interazione on line. Vengono infine sottolineate le problematiche ancora aperte nel settore della creazione di paesaggi archeologici e nella loro esplorazione all'interno di ambienti di realtà virtuale.

International audience

National audience; Nowadays, 3D on the Web is limited to 3D worlds that require a standalone software independent of the Web content, or uses Web browser's add-ons. New standards, such as HTML 5 or WebGL, are in a specification phase and will soon be available, allowing the integration on the Web of 2D content with 3D content. A major challenge will then be to be able to create 3D worlds for the visualization and browsing of multimedia content, without needing to master professional 3D authoring tools, which do not allow the computation of 3D worlds evolving automatically with the information or data to be visualized. In this article, we present a software environment for the definition of information's display metaphors, taking both the structuring of data (how the user explores and discover data) and the visual aspect of the computed environment (the geometry and data representation) into account.

In this article we present a novel approach, the 2-Layer Interface Paradigm (2LIP), for designing simple yet interactive 3D web applications, an attempt to marry advantages of 3D experience with the advantages of the narrative structure of hypertext. The hyper-text information, together with graphics, and multimedia, is presented semi-transparently on the foreground layer. It overlays the 3D representation of the information displayed in the background f the interface. Hyperlinks are used for navigation in the 3D scenes(in both layers).We introduce a reference implementation of 2LIP: Copernicus - The Virtual 3D Encyclopedia, which can become a model for building 3D Wikipedia. Based on the evaluation of Copernicus we show that designing web interfaces according to 2LIP provides users with a better experience during browsing the Web, has a positive effect on the visual and associative memory, improves spatial cognition of presented information, and increases overall user's satisfaction without harming the interaction. peer-reviewed

5 págs, 5 figs.-- Publicado en 'El Profesional de la Información', vol. 17, n. 6, nov-dic 2008: "Redes sociales". [ES] Second Life es un entorno virtual en tres dimensiones que muchos consideran simplemente un juego pero que tiene enormes posibilidades para la enseñanza a distancia y la comunicación. Hay bibliotecas universitarias que están intentando aprovecharlo en este sentido; la de la Universidad Carlos III es una de ellas. En este artículo se presenta su proyecto, en el que pretende anticiparse a lo que muy probablemente sea la forma de presentación futura de la informaciónen internet: la Web 3D. [EN] Second Life is a three-dimensional virtual environment that many consider merely a game but it has enormous possibilities for e-learning and communication. There are academic libraries that are trying to take advantage of it; the Universidad Carlos III Library is one of them. This paper presents its project, with which it expects to anticipate that which very probably will be the future way of displaying information on the internet: 3D web. Publicado

International audience; All along history, humans have always invented, created to improve their standard of living. Many machines have been built, sometimes simple and others very complex. In order to achieve the best results for customers, machines, industrial plants and humans are moved, displaced and replaced. It is the global humanity technical knowledge that disappears. Indeed, there is a lack in the actually conservation methods: sciences and technologies have to be considered and not only architecture. Our heritage research focuses on the mechanical and technical point of view. For instance, in a factory, there is the building but also actuators, motors and machines that produce product: taking into account the technical point of view can reach to a better understanding of the past. That's why preserving the national technical patrimony has now become the priority of governments and world organizations. Our approach proposes a new kind of finality: as saving and maintaining physical object cost a lot for museums, and sometimes dismantling is impossible as the machine falls in ruin, we propose to preserve it as a numerical object. The aim of this research is to define the global process and technologies used for implementing a numerical model of old machines. All along the global numerical chain, we will present the different technologies used illustrating them by examples we performed; those examples were experiences realized in France with museums and students in order to sensitize them to a new approach for old technical objects and machines. The global aim is to constitute a new reference for museologic actors, using actual techniques and methods for putting old machines and technical means in “virtual use”, taking into account the working situation including human being at work. From the digitalization of the physical object to its valorization with virtual reality technologies, we present a state of the art of the possibilities offered for creating digital products in a context of technical history and patrimony. According to this inventory, we give the methodology we are developing for preserving technical heritage in a virtual way. This process is illustrated by an example we performed: a steam engine.