Comparisons of Emotional Responses, Flow Experiences, and Operational Performances in Traditional Parametric Computer-Aided Design Modeling and Virtual-Reality Free-Form Modeling
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- To explore the different operational characteristics of CAD modeling and to compare the effects of parametric CAD modeling and VR free-form modeling on designers.
- To measure emotional response and flow experience and compare the emotional valence, emotional arousal, and flow experience resulting from the use of parametric CAD modeling and VR free-form modeling.
- To provide recommendations for the CAD process in industrial design and to determine the potential strengths and weaknesses of parametric CAD modeling and VR free-form modeling.
2. Literature Review
2.1. Development of VR Devices and Software
2.2. CAD, Parametric Modeling Software, and VR-Technology-Based Learning
2.3. Emotional Response and the Self-Assessment Manikin
- Regarding emotional valence (valence and level of pleasure), researchers have interpreted emotional valence as being pleasurable or unpleasurable. Lang replaced the concept of pleasure with valence and divided valence into two extreme categories, namely positive and negative [25]. In the present study, we applied the concept of Lang to estimate participants’ positive and negative emotional responses during CAD modeling.
- With respect to emotional arousal, in addition to positivity and negativity, emotion can be estimated in terms of intensity. Emotional arousal refers to the physical and mental changes caused by external stimuli. Individuals’ facial expressions and limb postures tend to change with their thoughts, and their emotional intensity changes because of different stimuli. Emotional arousal can be measured using a scale from “calm” to “excited” [26,27]. The source of emotion is generally related to individuals’ past experiences, whereas the source of emotional arousal is primarily associated with the current situations that they encounter. Therefore, the intensity of emotional arousal is usually the reaction caused by external situational stimuli.
2.4. Flow Experience
3. Materials and Methods
3.1. Research Design and Subjects
3.2. Materials
3.3. Questionnaire Design
4. Results
4.1. Analysis of Emotional Responses
4.2. Flow Experience: Level of Fun and Playfulness
4.3. Operational Performance
5. Discussion
5.1. Main Findings
5.2. Practical Implications
- After decades of interface optimization, the interfaces of current parametric modeling software programs have become graphical ones. However, the rigorous parametric logic of these programs makes learning for design beginners difficult. The enjoyment and emotional response produced by VR technology can reduce design beginners’ learning frustrations. Features such as intuitive operation and natural dialogue are recommended to be introduced into future CAD modeling software programs to increase learners’ interests and reduce the learning threshold.
- An advantage of VR interfaces is that they improve self-learning ability. However, in reality, design beginners might be unable to receive instant assistance in device adjustment or software operation. Therefore, developers of CAD modeling software are advised to provide self-learning courses to enable design beginners to familiarize themselves with VR operation without time pressure. Additional prompts and instructions should be provided in the learning process to assist design beginners.
- Developers of CAD modeling software are recommended to increase the usability of VR devices to increase the ease of learning. For example, the complicated positioning calibration and setting procedures of these devices can be simplified. Furthermore, the popularity of VR devices has increased with decreases in their component size and cost. Software developers should create solutions to increase the usability of and ease of learning with VR devices.
- The participants suggested that software developers could consider designing customized VR controllers with similar shape, weight, and operation to real pens. Such controllers could also be used to optimize parametric modeling.
- Some design beginners reported that they experienced slight dizziness after the experiment. We recommend that users should avoid making continual body movements during VR CAD modeling. To reduce dizziness, functions such as viewing angle stabilization and an interface with fixed time and fixed space can be developed.
- According to the examiners’ observations, the participants who had experience in using VR devises exhibited smooth reactions, whereas those who had never used VR devices exhibited rather unnatural reactions because they required time to familiarize themselves with the operation. The interface operation of those who had experience in 3D modeling was smoother than that of those who had no experience in 3D modeling. The semistructured interviews indicated that those with experience in 3D modeling easily understood 3D spatial concepts, whereas those without this experience required time to understand these concepts, which affected their operational performance. Although VR modeling has intuitive operation, design beginners should receive basic training on 3D spatial concepts, regardless of the modeling techniques that they adopt.
5.3. Conclusions
- The participants who used VR free-form modeling exhibited higher levels of emotional valence and emotional arousal than those who used parametric CAD modeling. The incorporation of VR into CAD modeling brought a sense of novelty and operational freedom for design beginners, which enabled them to have positive and intense emotional responses.
- VR free-form modeling was more interesting than conventional parametric CAD modeling; however, the overall flow experience produced by VR free-form modeling was not as high as expected. No significant differences were found in concentration, sense of time distortion, and sense of control between the two modeling techniques. Although VR can bring enjoyment and promote learning, in practice, designers are still faced with challenging problems, such as completing professional modeling work, to attain their goals. Under such circumstances, professional training, such as logical training in map construction and the acquisition of relevant skills, becomes the main factor influencing all operative techniques.
- We compared the performance of the participants in two modeling tasks, namely basic shape modeling (cube modeling) and free-form surface modeling (mug modeling), and found that VR free-form modeling led to higher operational performance than conventional parametric CAD modeling. The intuitive operation of VR free-form modeling enabled the participants to learn from their mistakes, and this operation was more suitable for shaping free-form surfaces than that of parametric CAD modeling. However, because VR free-form modeling lacked strict logic and precise numerical inputs, the accuracy of cube modeling was relatively low. By comparison, parametric CAD modeling enabled rapid and precise model creation, and the modeling result could easily be edited. Accordingly, in practice, VR free-form modeling is suitable for early ideation, whereas conventional parametric CAD modeling can be used for the 3D digitization of known shapes.
5.4. Future Works
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Item | Parametric CAD | Free-Form VR |
---|---|---|
Operative technique | Desktop | VR devices |
Hardware | ASUS desktop computer, LED display screen, keyboard, and mouse. | HTC VIVE Pro, a handheld controller, a base station, and an Acer VR-ready laptop |
Specifications | Display: 20-inch, light-emitting-diode (LED) screen Maximum resolution: 1366 × 768 pixels Viewing angle: (horizontal and vertical) 90 × 65 degrees Graphics processing unit: The desktop computer equipped with an NVIDIA discrete graphics processing unit | Display: Dual AMOLED 3.5” screens Resolution: 1440 × 1600 pixels per eye (total 2880 × 1600 pixels) Field of View (FOV): Approximately 110 degrees Refresh Rate: 90 Hz |
Software | SolidWorks 2016 (executed on Microsoft Windows) | Gravity Sketch 3D VR (activation of SteamVR on Microsoft Windows) |
Operation site | ||
Experimental site | Computer room at a vocational high school | |
Description | A desktop computer is used to execute the parametric modeling software and complete the designated modeling tasks | VR devices are used to execute the VR free-form modeling software to complete the designated modeling tasks |
Operational task | The following tasks are completed:
| |
Screenshot of the completed product | Cube Mug | Cube Mug |
Content | Number of Items | Item Type | Purpose |
---|---|---|---|
1. SAM | 2 | 9-point Likert scale | To examine emotional valence and emotional arousal |
1.1 Emotional valence 1.2 Emotional arousal | 1.1 To determine the level of pleasure 1.2 To determine the level of emotional intensity | ||
2. Flow experience | 14 | 5-point Likert scale | To understand the sense of presence provided by the operative techniques |
2.1 Concentration 2.2 Enjoyment 2.3 Sense of time distortion 2.4 Control | 2.1 To examine focus, involvement, and the condition of not being influenced by others 2.2 To examine fun, playfulness, excitement, and a sense of novelty 2.3 To examine rapid time loss, the loss of the sense of time, and the forgetting of troubles and other matters 2.4 To examine the ability to control and cope with changes | ||
3. Operational performance | 1 | Value (s) | To understand the time required for performing different operative techniques (recorded by the examiners) |
4. Strengths and weaknesses | 2 | Short-answer questions | To understand the participants’ opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of the operative techniques |
5. Personal information | 7 | Multiple-choice questions | To understand the participants’ personal background |
6. Interview | 1 | Semistructured interview | To understand the participants’ thoughts on the operative techniques |
Emotional Response | Mean | Standard Deviation | t-Test on the Mean | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
t | Significance (Two-Tailed) | ||||
Emotional valence | Free-form VR | 7.39 | 2.15 | 2.10 | 0.04 * |
Parametric CAD | 6.10 | 1.92 | |||
Emotional arousal | Free-form VR | 7.09 | 2.02 | 2.74 | 0.01 * |
Parametric CAD | 5.62 | 1.47 |
Enjoyment | Mean | Standard Deviation | t-Test on the Mean | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
t | Significance (Two-Tailed) | ||||
Level of fun | Free-form VR | 4.00 | 1.12 | 2.07 | 0.04 * |
Parametric CAD | 3.38 | 0.80 | |||
Playfulness | Free-form VR | 3.95 | 1.06 | 2.47 | 0.01 * |
Parametric CAD | 3.19 | 0.98 |
Operational Performance | Mean | Standard Deviation | t-Test on the Mean | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
t | Significance (Two-Tailed) | ||||
Cube | Free-form VR | 8.73 | 9.21 | −2.88 | 0.006 * |
Parametric CAD | 104.40 | 181.52 | |||
Mug | Free-form VR | 33.43 | 59.60 | −9.25 | 0.00 * |
Parametric CAD | 479.43 | 257.03 |
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Fang, Y.-M.; Kao, T.-L. Comparisons of Emotional Responses, Flow Experiences, and Operational Performances in Traditional Parametric Computer-Aided Design Modeling and Virtual-Reality Free-Form Modeling. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 6568. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116568
Fang Y-M, Kao T-L. Comparisons of Emotional Responses, Flow Experiences, and Operational Performances in Traditional Parametric Computer-Aided Design Modeling and Virtual-Reality Free-Form Modeling. Applied Sciences. 2023; 13(11):6568. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116568
Chicago/Turabian StyleFang, Yu-Min, and Tzu-Lin Kao. 2023. "Comparisons of Emotional Responses, Flow Experiences, and Operational Performances in Traditional Parametric Computer-Aided Design Modeling and Virtual-Reality Free-Form Modeling" Applied Sciences 13, no. 11: 6568. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116568
APA StyleFang, Y. -M., & Kao, T. -L. (2023). Comparisons of Emotional Responses, Flow Experiences, and Operational Performances in Traditional Parametric Computer-Aided Design Modeling and Virtual-Reality Free-Form Modeling. Applied Sciences, 13(11), 6568. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116568