VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT NAVIGATION AID

摘要

A virtual environment browser ( 64 ) holds a number of clip-in files ( 70, 72, 74 ) defining guide characters-locally generated visual aids to navigation that appear within a generated image of a virtual environment and follow a user's input ( 80 ) navigational commands to provide an advance cue as to the effects of an input command. Where the virtual environment data is supplied from a remote source ( 62 ) and includes ( 78 ) an indication of a preferred mode for navigating that environment, for example, flying or walking, the browser ( 64 ) detects this indication and automatically selects the appropriate guide character. Scaling ( 84 ) of the guide character to match the scale of the virtual environment, or such as to render the guide character unobtrusive, may also be provided.