Leap Motion

Post by **Simon** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:50 am

I've been approached to try the Leap Motion Controller with Curvy 3D. In effect this lets you control the PC by moving your fingers in front of your screen - giving full 3D motion in space.

https://www.leapmotion.com/

Feels pretty natural so far - I've got movement working. Needs more thought on how to make rotate and scale work correctly.

Post by **Mr.Nemo** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 12:25 am

I have looked into this. I believe I want to pick one up once they're released. The price is perfect and the technology seems to be pretty effective. Seeing this work with Curvy sounds promising. What type of movements have you experimented with Curvy for the movement? That will help us more understand where you can go from there.

Post by **Simon** » Wed Mar 27, 2013 7:15 pm

So far I've been using a finger like a stylus and using QWE keys like mouse buttons with the other hand.

The only particularly useful 3D input is for Moving objects around. I've not got a good rotation or scale input yet.

They suggested using movement of the hand as a whole to rotate the view, and proximity of a finger to sculpt with... but I'm not sure that offers much new compared to just using a tablet or mouse.

I think it might make a good 3D sculpting toy - but I'd revert to mouse/tablet for more accurate modelling.

The.Great.ESCape · Post by **The.Great.ESCape** » Sat Jul 20, 2013 2:28 pm

It could be useful for navigation, but sculpting is still better done on a tablet I believe... the total lack of resistance with hands floating in the air makes it difficult to do precision work. If the thing is programmed and set up to do it... it could somewhat mimic a tablet given the minute changes it can detect. So it might be a viable alternative as it matures and leap tablet-esque accessories to make it easy are released either by leap or other's looking to make products to use with it. Perhaps someone will rig it to detect and replicate on screen what you do with real clay. It's hard to know what might be successful... It's really just too new right now.

Want to see something even more trippy? Try searching out info on displair. It's like leap with a display in the air... not as slick as in some sci-fi, but considering it was thought to be impossible in the first place...

Post by **Simon** » Sat Jul 20, 2013 2:48 pm

displair looks like fun!

Leap is soon to go public. However it has been sitting unused on my desk for months while I get on with using tablet + mouse.

mariasam · Post by **mariasam** » Tue Sep 10, 2013 5:05 am

Thanks Ill take a peek at it

vrdate · Post by **vrdate** » Thu Oct 24, 2013 3:19 pm

The.Great.ESCape wrote:It could be useful for navigation, but sculpting is still better done on a tablet I believe... the total lack of resistance with hands floating in the air makes it difficult to do precision work. If the thing is programmed and set up to do it... it could somewhat mimic a tablet given the minute changes it can detect. So it might be a viable alternative as it matures and leap tablet-esque accessories to make it easy are released either by leap or other's looking to make products to use with it. Perhaps someone will rig it to detect and replicate on screen what you do with real clay. It's hard to know what might be successful... It's really just too new right now.

Want to see something even more trippy? Try searching out info on displair. It's like leap with a display in the air... not as slick as in some sci-fi, but considering it was thought to be impossible in the first place...

Actually manipulating 3D Space on top of a 2D surface id harder with a tablet and my SpacePilot Pro is more suitable to controlling the camera than drawing in 3D so Curvy 3D is one of the most promising solution once Leap Motion API is implemented...

Post by **Mr.Nemo** » Thu Oct 24, 2013 11:25 pm

I'm going to be getting the Leap Motion next month, and saving to get the Space Glasses. I'm also picking up a Connexion SpaceNavigator next month. With the advent of my 3d Printer, I'm going to be doing a lot of modeling. Simon, you'll be happy to know I'm using Curvy to make vase bases to sculpt on and add detail later in Sculptris, and some in Curvy, in order to print.

Leopoly has just gotten the Leap Motion to work with its web based sculpting program located here. http://leopoly.com/

One video demonstrating it here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF9kj9Mcbcw

And one here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li3pmeWGjyw