Tactical Routing Using Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Views of Terrain

When and how should 3-D views be used? We report the results of two experiments in which participants had to plan a route across terrain shown in a 3-D perspective view or in a 2-D (top-down) plan view. We used a non-stereoscopic 3-D perspective view that displayed terrain from 45 degrees above the ground plane onto a flat screen, and a 2-D plan view that displayed the same terrain as a topographic map. The task was to create a chain of antennas across the map so that consecutive antennas could “see” each other. We found that antenna placement was performed better with the 2-D plan view, but that initial planning of the antenna route was performed better with the 3-D perspective view. We introduce the concept of “orient and operate” to explain the findings.