Patent ID: 9329750
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a virtual camera in a three-dimensional environment, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by one or more computing devices, data describing a drag gesture performed by a user, wherein the drag gesture comprises a single user input that selects and then holds and drags a portion of the three-dimensional environment in a linear direction; and in response to the drag gesture: after the tilt angle of the virtual camera has been incrementally adjusted until the tilt angle equals one of the maximum tilt angle or the minimum tilt angle, panning, by the one or more computing devices, the virtual camera with respect to a rendering of a three-dimensional model included in the three-dimensional environment based at least in part on the data describing the drag gesture performed by the user, such that the virtual camera is sequentially tilted and then panned in response to the drag gesture; wherein incrementally adjusting the tilt angle comprises pivoting the viewpoint of the three-dimensional rendering about a pivot point located beneath a surface of the three-dimensional rendering; wherein panning the viewpoint with respect to the three-dimensional rendering comprises adjusting the location of the viewpoint in a direction parallel to the surface of the three-dimensional rendering while holding the tilt angle constant; and wherein the tilt angle is defined with respect to the rendering of the three-dimensional model.