Realistic vs. Magic Interaction Metaphors in Virtual Environments

Virtual Reality (VR) technologies make it possible to reproduce faithfully real life events in computer-generated scenarios. This approach has the potential to simplify the way people solve problems, since they can take advantage of their real life experiences while interacting in synthetic worlds. In order to convey the users' knowledge to the VR context, interaction metaphors are used. They can be either realistic, i.e. based on real world rules, or magic. In this paper we discuss the subject of interaction metaphors and outline the pros and cons of realistic vs. magic approaches. We also present our experience in the development of interaction techniques in a practical scenario, and suggest an approach to design effective 3D interaction metaphors.