TangiCAD: Tangible Interface for Manipulating Architectural 3D Models

Abstract

This paper presents an interface for interacting with tangible objects to produce and edit architectural 3D models, called TangiCAD. TangiCAD is a tangible/virtual construction kit which allows architects to manipulate virtual models using easy hand control of tangible cubes, as an alternative interface for 3D modeling. It consists of a set of tangible cubes representing architectural elements, such as walls, columns, slabs,…etc., in addition to some editing operations. With more developed versions, the paper argues that architects could use tangible interfaces to carry out 3D modeling in an intuitive way, using their "flip-the-box" hands-on movement.