> Personally, I'm very interested and still waiting to hear what the
> Escherists have to say about sustaining perspective illusions in
> projected 3d space.
The illusions are created when a 3D object is translated into 2D, and
some of the rules are broken. Because of this, Escher's basic 3D illusions
(as well as a few of Dali's) cannot work in 3D. We have to come up with
something based on his ideas, but new, for the new medium.
The reason Escher is interesting to me is because some of his work uses
different methods to break the rules of 2D vision which do not have
anything to do with 3D representation in 2D. Such works tend to be ones
which seem to have three or four planes of reference, and don't have any
correct "up" or "down". Since VR is free of many of the real world
constraints of context, such environments can be created.
Another area we may want to think about is architecture. (And please
don't tell me architecture isn't art. Frank Lloyd Wright was an artist.)
Since there is no gravity in VR, and since a building isn't going to fall
down and cause people to sue, the constraints that keep normal
architecture from becoming more of an art form are removed.
Now, combine the above two ideas: Escher spaces, and architecture. You
could spend a lifetime building and exploring structures that go in all
different directions, with no regard to distance, orientation, or form.
Thay don't even have to be physically correct. (Like Dr. Who's Tardis; as
big as a policeman's callbox on the outside, as big as a house on the
inside.
That's where Escher's style of 3D-to-2D illusions come into play, except
that you're working entirely in 3D. You could build a spiral staircase
with no stairs, so that it is just a circular track. Each time around the
track takes you up or down a level, depending on which way you go.
Doorways in the outside walls let you out into the room of your choice.
Doorways which you approach by going around the left side of the center
pillar are always higher in number, and occur once every 90 degrees. Going
around the right side of the pillar, the doorways are lower in number.
How's that for an Escher? I think he'd appreciate it.
--- Andrew C. Esh mailto:andrew_esh@cnt.com Computer Network Technology andrewes@mtn.org (finger for PGP key) 6500 Wedgwood Road 612.550.8000 (main) Maple Grove MN 55311 612.550.8229 (direct) <A HREF="http://www.mtn.org/~andrewes">ACE Home Page</A>