Toward a language of mixed reality in the continuity style

Abstract

If mixed and augmented reality (MAR) is to one day operate as a communications medium on par with film and television, it must evolve a set of conventions that will allow for meaningful communication between its users. These sets of conventions, often referred to as media languages, bear many similarities to the pattern languages discussed in architecture, human–computer interaction, and other fields. This work introduces the possibility of building a language of MAR based on the notion of scale, which is common to both media and pattern languages. Using examples from previously published work, the idea of transitioning across different scales is posited as the mixed reality equivalent of a fundamental technique of film editing: the cut. A number of possibilities for creating meaningful scale transitions in MAR are also discussed.