WSV3 V6.0 ALPHA - Preview of new 3D perspective camera controls and 2022 GIS Vector engine
https://wsv3.com
This video depicts a very early, unpolished alpha build of WSV3 V6.0 featuring a truly "earth shattering", both literally and figuratively, new fluid 3D posturable camera control system, rewritten true-perspective 3D projection graphics math, and an all-new 2022 GIS Vector rendering engine (shapefile lines and filled polygons). V6.0 also features cinematic motion blur on camera zoom/pan operations for added graphical fidelity of presentation. Real-life operation of the new graphics engine gives smooth 60fps performance on below-average hardware, however, this recording suffers from lag due to the screen recording app in use which is not characteristic.
The new fluid, scroll-wheel/touch-zoom-gesture compatible controls radically improve the WSV3 user experience. Zoom is now no longer recommended by right button drag up/down, but rather, through vastly improved, view-distance-increment-normalized mouse scrollwheel thresholds. Touchpad users can zoom quickly and precisely using the two-finger scroll gesture on laptops.
The new camera zoom algorithm features many full-3D view/look/swivel abilities common to 3D global rendering programs such as Google Earth. Zoom no longer naively zooms to screen center, but to and from the exact point under the cursor. The same geographic point remains at the same screenspace positive before and after zoom increments. This makes scene navigation an order of magnitude faster and more nimble than in previous versions.
Proper "versor dragging" improves the map panning experience by rotating the globe along all 3 axes necessary to keep the exact dragged point under the mouse in screenspace.
Likely most significantly, 3D perspective tilt and swivel around given mouse point, held fixed too in screenspace, enables users to accomplish sweeping 3D perspective views of scenes at ease.
WSV3 V6.0 will feature much more, and this is only a current look at the development of the new camera controls.
Stay tuned to the WSV3 forum for beta release news and testing announcements.