Interactive visualizer for the extended perspective system as support for architectural design

The flexibility of free-hand drawing perspectives denotes the dynamic nature of human sight and no single perspective system, linear or curvilinear, can translate human vision with such agility. For instance, linear perspective cannot deal with large fields of view, and curvilinear perspectives introduce curvature in lines. But together, complementing each other, they can overcome many of their limitations. This paper describes an interactive computational tool for architectural visualization — a digital perspectograph that implements a new theoretical and operative hybrid solution to perspective, the Extended Perspective System (EPS) — and presents a user evaluation carried out to determine its usability, perceived usefulness, satisfaction and ease of use, as an interactive tool to support the design process in architecture. It also aimed to learn about the most effective and appreciated features and interface design options to support the EPS perspective, and identify potential directions for improvement. The user study involved participants with different backgrounds — students and experts, in the target audience of architects and informatics engineers with experience in using and developing interactive tools, HCI and computer graphics. The visualizer was highly appreciated, in terms of layout, available features, produced images and flexibility, and the most effective design options were identified, mainly for their simplicity, visibility, and familiarity. It was considered advantageous compared to conventional perspective visualizers, and users would like to see it integrated into 3D modelling tools.