The widespread use of interactive 3D multimedia technologies, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), has been recently enabled by significant progress in computing hardware performance, increasing availability of versatile input-output devices, as well as rapid growth in the available network bandwidth. Remote access to 3D/VR/AR content, enabled by development of 3D content representation standards, allows users to experience distant virtual worlds in the same way as they can experience local 3D/VR/AR applications.§The popularity of 3D computer games, 3D on-line communities, and 3D movies based on computer graphics shows that users are also well prepared for the shift from 2D to 3D user interfaces. Thus, these new interactive 3D multimedia technologies could become common also in other application domains, such as cultural heritage, education, training, tourism, and e-commerce. The application of 3D technologies can advance these domains by providing enhanced user experiences. §However, the potential of 3D/VR/AR technologies in everyday applications can be fully exploited only if accompanied by the development of efficient and easy-to-use methods of creation, management, search, and presentation of interactive 3D multimedia content, which could be used by both expert and non-expert users.§Presenting the results of research in the domain of interactive 3D multimedia content technologies, this book focuses on two broad areas: 3D content creation and management, and 3D search and presentation. In the area of 3D content creation and management, issues related to dynamic database modelling of interactive 3D content, creation of 3D/VR and AR content by both expert and non-expert users, as well as secure collaborative creation of 3D content are covered. In the field of 3D search and presentation, issues related to describing 3D content interactivity, searching content related by semantics, space and time, and 3D interactive visualization of search results are also covered in this comprehensive book.The book describes recent research results in the areas of modelling, creation, management and presentation of interactive 3D multimedia content. The book describes the current state of the art in the field and identifies the most important research and design issues. Consecutive chapters address these issues. These are: database modelling of 3D content, security in 3D environments, describing interactivity of content, searching content, visualization of search results, modelling mixed reality content, and efficient creation of interactive 3D content. Each chapter is illustrated with example applications based on the proposed approach. The final chapter discusses some important ethical issues related to the widespread use of virtual environments in everyday life. The book provides ready to use solutions for many important problems related to the creation of interactive 3D multimedia applications and will be a primary reading for researchers and developers working in this domain.
