Eroglu, Sevinc; Kuhlen, Torsten (Thesis advisor); Weyers, Benjamin (Thesis advisor)
Aachen : RWTH Aachen University (2026)
Dissertation / PhD Thesis
Dissertation, RWTH Aachen University, 2026
Abstract
Despite the growing adoption of Virtual Reality (VR) across various fields, the complexity of creating interactive virtual environments limits its wider use and impact. Traditional content creation workflows often require technical expertise in desktop-based tools, which poses a barrier for many potential users. Even with expertise, switching between VR and desktop environments disrupts immersion and workflow. This challenge has motivated the development of immersive authoring systems that enable users to create and modify virtual environments directly within VR. However, due to diverse use cases and application domains, no single authoring technique can meet all requirements; while some require speed and accuracy, others might prioritize expressive capabilities. In this thesis, we therefore investigate and propose user-friendly immersive authoring techniques that simplify the creation of interactive virtual environments across various use cases. Creating such environments involves two main challenges: creation of content and definition of its behavior. Thus, our contributions are divided into two parts. In the first part, we focus on immersive content authoring, i.e., the creation and arrangement of 3D scene elements. We present three novel authoring approaches at increasing levels of abstraction, each tailored to different use cases and interaction modalities. First, we present an artistic workflow that enables users to transform 2D paintings into expressive 3D artworks through a novel sculpting technique that enables intuitive shape manipulation with minimal effort. Second, we introduce a sketching-based procedural method for creating fluid-like 3D content, allowing manipulation via mid-air gestures and a novel blowing-based interaction to support expressive creation. Third, we propose a high-level scene authoring technique in a simulation context, enabling fast and precise object placement for road network creation via novel indirect free-hand interactions. In the second part, we focus on authoring interactivity, i.e., defining how virtual objects respond to user actions or environmental triggers. We introduce simplified visual programming approaches designed for immersive use and further investigate the positioning of the interface elements to improve user experience. In this context, we present a block-based visual programming approach where users define behavior by combining conditions and actions via drag-and-drop interactions. We further introduce a behavior authoring technique inspired by dataflow programming, in which users visually connect input sources to object parameters. In addition, we show how the spatial positioning of the interface elements affects usability and performance. In summary, this research contributes valuable insights into the design of user-friendly immersive authoring techniques and VR interfaces that facilitate the effective creation of interactive virtual environments for a broad range of users.
Institutions
- Virtual Reality & Immersive Visualization Group [124620]