Tools for interacting with virtual environments

摘要

The tools include components which are images produced by the system (103) that creates the virtual environment in response to inputs specifying the tool's location and the point of view of the tool's user. One class of the tools includes transparent components (121, 123); the image component of the tool is produced at a location in the virtual environment determined by the transparent component's location and the point of view of the tool's user. Tools in this class include a transparent pad (121) and a transparent stylus (123). The transparent pad (121) has an image component that may be used as a palette, as a magic lens, and as a device for selecting and transporting components of the virtual environment or even a portion of the virtual environment itself.