ABSTRACT
This chapter covers 3D navigation, which includes travel (motion) and wayfinding. It is important to make certain distinctions about navigation, travel, and wayfinding. Travel is the engine component of navigation, which is the motion from one location to another. Darken and Peterson call this component of the navigational system motion [Darken and Peterson 15]. Wayfinding is the "cognitive process of defining a path through an environment" [Bowman et al. 04]. This cognitive process is aided by different cues, which allow the user to utilize the cues to create a path (or mental map) as well as acquire new cues. Some of these cues were discussed in Chapter 3. Therefore, navigation is composed of travel and wayfinding components. 3D navigation concentrates on the actions of a 3D VE. Both components of navigation are important when dealing with input devices. It is a driving force for many of the types of interaction needed. Finally, it is important to note that while travel and wayfinding are part of navigation, if someone is working on the travel engine, the user will still be performing both tasks. The difference is that the objective of the researcher or practitioner may have been one of the two components of navigation but the line between both becomes blurry once they are being used. This chapter will expand on travel and wayfinding. In particular, the definition just offered for wayfinding is not complete without expanding it.
