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I've been thinking about the 4D visualization problem and I am becoming increasingly convinced we can develop some cool tools to help wrap our mind around it us
by rotten 10y ago
I've been thinking about the 4D visualization problem and I am becoming increasingly convinced we can develop some cool tools to help wrap our mind around it using VR goggles.
There are two ways to draw a 3D object in 2D. One is to draw slices, or projections. The other is to use tricks of "perspective" (points of infinity and shading) It is very hard to visualize a 3D object simply from the slices model.
When we try to draw 4D objects in 3D, we often simply construct models that are slices of the 4D objects and then try to extrapolate back in our minds what the 4D object "looks like". This is even more difficult to wrap our brains around.
I postulate that we can develop similar tricks of perspective and shading that will help use see a 4D object if we draw on a 3D canvas. I don't think we can do so on a 2D canvas and make any sense of it. However, I'm hopeful that using VR goggles and drawing in 3D might be the trick.
I've only really just started thinking about this idea. I have a ton of books on constructing perspective for 3D objects on 2D surfaces. Much has been written about it since the Renaissance. It is only in the last couple of years that we've had an effective and accessible 3D canvas to work with. (constructing hundreds of sculptures is not really practical)
I don't think a lot of work has been done with VR goggles yet for 4D visualizations.