Constrained virtual camera control

A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform operations comprising:

• displaying, on a display, a computer-generated interactive virtual environment that includes at least first and second three-dimensional objects, wherein the first and second objects each comprise a scene element in the computer-generated interactive virtual environment, the scene element comprising a computer-generated rendering of a physical object;
• receiving, from a first device, first input corresponding to selection of the first three-dimensional object in the computer-generated interactive virtual environment and translating the first three-dimensional object to a new location within the virtual environment;
• defining, based at least in part on the selection of the first three-dimensional object, a constraint on manipulation of the second three-dimensional object in the computer-generated interactive virtual environment, wherein the constraint is defined relative to the first object;
• receiving second input, from a second device that is a 3D motion controller and separate from the first device and configured for manipulation of the second three-dimensional object according to multiple degrees of freedom, wherein the constraint restrains the manipulation of the second three-dimensional object with regard to at least one of the degrees of freedom, wherein each degree of freedom is limited to a subset of possible displacements along an axis relative to the first object;
• updating the computer-generated interactive virtual environment based on the second input, including manipulating the second three-dimensional object consistent with the constraint while the first object is translated;
• displaying, on a display, the updated computer-generated interactive virtual environment including the first and second three-dimensional objects;
• and
• regaining the at least one degree of freedom removed from the second device when the first device deselects the first object.

A computing device for manipulating a three dimensional object displayed in a computer-generated environment under a constraint defined relative to a different selected three-dimensional object, the device comprising:

• one or more memories;
• and
• one or more processors in communication with the one or more memories and configured to execute instructions stored in the one or more memories to performing operations comprising:
• displaying, on the display, a computer-generated interactive virtual environment that includes at least a first three-dimensional object defined by a first set of coordinates and a second three-dimensional object defined by a second set of coordinates, wherein the first and second objects each comprise a scene element in the computer-generated interactive virtual environment, the scene element comprising a computer-generated rendering of a physical object;
• receiving, from a first device, a first user input corresponding to selection of the first three-dimensional object in the computer-generated interactive virtual environment and translating the first three-dimensional object to a new location within the virtual environment;
• defining, based at least in part on the selection of the first three-dimensional object, a constraint on manipulation of the second three-dimensional object in the computer-generated interactive virtual environment, wherein the constraint is defined relative to the first object;
• receiving second input, from a second device that is a 3D motion controller and separate from the first device and configured for manipulation of the second three-dimensional object according to multiple degrees of freedom, wherein the constraint restrains a manipulation with regard to at least one of the degrees of freedom, wherein each degree of freedom is limited to a subset of possible displacements along an axis;
• updating the computer-generated interactive virtual environment based on the second input, including manipulating the second three-dimensional object consistent with the constraint while the first object is translated;
• displaying, on the display, the updated computer-generated interactive virtual environment including the first three-dimensional object and the second three-dimensional object;
• and
• regaining the at least one degree of freedom removed from the second device wherein the first device deselects the first object.