The Virtual Worlds research group at Stanford University is hoping to improve the quality of the virtual experience by enabling anyone, regardless of their skill with a mouse, to take part in contributing realistic-looking content to such virtual worlds.
I have essentially no artistic ability, and I was able to create and save a reasonably attractive-looking tree without the benefits of any instruction.
Ultimately, Koltun and his fellow researchers hope to produce a number of similar tools for other objects in order to allow anyone to contribute to the look and feel of virtual worlds. "We want to ensure that users always have something in front of them and are not confronted with the daunting task of sculpting," he said. As everything from games to entire communities move into user-generated virtual worlds, these tools should help ensure that limited design skills and artistic ability don't prevent anyone from shaping those worlds.
Building the perfect tree
