Work with Computing Systems 2004. H.M. Khalid, M.G. Helander, A.W. Yeo (Editors) . Kuala Lumpur: Damai Sciences. 844 An Efficient Virtual Tour – A Merging of Path Planning and Optimization Muhammad Shafie Abd. Latiff, and Rohayanti Hassan Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia. Abstract. Users navigating in virtual environment normally suffers from getting lost and lost of interest. Furthermore in a large and complicated virtual environment, users are tending to plan their path and navigate in an automatic manner. This paper describes the result of a research project aimed to integrate a path-planning optimization-algorithm and produce an efficient tour in a virtual environment. The visitors can simply identify the locations they wish to visit and the system will automatically generate a tour plan and guide the user to walk through the desired locations. The results are presented using a 3D model of several different rooms and booths in a virtual exhibition area. This paper presents to the development of efficient virtual tour that later will contribute to an efficient design of the building or environment and also optimal solution of the path finding. We expect the result of this research project to be used as a new navigation assistance for visitors to plan their tours in a large exhibition area. Keywords. Path planning, Optimization algorithm, Virtual environment. 1. Introduction Navigating in virtual environment can either be boring or disorientating. Users are required to move around using keyboard or joystick. The whole design of the building is normally difficult to figure out and the movement control is always cumbersome. The virtual building can be so complicated that it needs not only navigating vertically but horizontally as well. In other words, an animated character is required to move up and down stairs of the building. The complexity now is not only on the environment itself but also on the movement of animated characters. One of the most relevant usability issues in Virtual Environment (VE) navigation is the navigational support provided by its user interface. In the actual world, we are guided by the sign and arrows (of direction). However, in virtual environment it is limited by its views constraint. Perhaps the visitors have a specific purpose of visits. The system that is able to recommend a tour plan saves their time and distance to travel. Furthermore, they also might accomplish the goal of visits. Path planning on the other hand provides a good solution for a visitor to plan their visit. Path planning using shortest path algorithm has been adopted in many path finding applications. The solution is that how to get from one location to another location in a shortest distance with obstacles avoidance. However, the visit is not only to go from one location to another one location, but it normally involves touring to more than one site. For this reason, optimization is required. Optimization is meant for minimizing travel time while maximizing the purpose of visit. With this requirement, users will satisfy and enjoy navigating in the virtual environment. In the next section, we will discuss a related work about guided tours in virtual environment and path planning as well as the optimization algorithm. We explain the problem in Section 3 and our solutions in Section 4. System architecture and implementation will be described in Section 5. Finally in the last section, we conclude with improvements of future research plans. 2. Related Works 2.1. Guided tours and virtual environment (VE) Surveys on the functions of current guided-touring systems in popular museums and parks show that most visitors use these systems to acquire site information such as how to visit all popular points without wasting time wandering around. Virtual Environment is a candidate technology that can add realistic visualization into such systems. VE is a virtual world that potential to immerse the user. The more a VE looks like the real world, the more immersed the user feels. Fang et al. (1998) conceived that an immerse VE needed not only lifelike static objects buildings, furniture, mountains, but vivid lives should be also provided in a VE, such as plants, animals and even humans. In the past few years, layered architecture has been presented for supporting the integration of deliberation and reaction of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Fang et al. (1998) also found out to solve planning between two and more layers. Nevertheless, new problems have appeared with the company of this architecture, such as the inconsistencies among the layers. Dijk et al. (2003) also investigate on navigation assistance in virtual environments. However, they concentrate on the development of forms of navigation assistance that enable non-professional visitors of a virtual environment to find their way without previous training. They adopted a CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Institutional Repository