Widgets displayed and operable on a surface of a volumetric display enclosure

A process, comprising;

• producing a volumetric display;
• and
• producing a two-dimensional graphical user interface within the volumetric display and positioning the user interface on an outside surface of the display responsive to a users focus of attention, comprising:
• mapping a two-dimensional interface representation to voxels in the volumetric display where the widget has a thickness of more than one voxel;
• assigning 2D texture of the interface to each voxel, assigning comprising:
• determining whether a voxel intersects a 3D interface surface;
• and
• mapping the 2D texture when an intersection occurs comprising:
• mapping the intersecting voxel to a user interface texture map local surface position;
• sampling texture of the texture map at the local surface position;
• and
• assigning the texture of the sample to the voxel;
• and
• mapping control inputs of the volumetric display to controls of the representation.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a volumetric display system for displaying a three-dimensional scene;
• an input system inputting a three-dimensional control input for a user interface;
• and
• a computer system receiving the control input for the user interface, mapping a two-dimensional representation of the interface to voxels within the display system and mapping the three-dimensional control input to the two-dimensional representation.

An apparatus comprising:

• a volumetric display system for displaying a three dimensional scene;
• a two-dimensional display system having a two-dimensional display positioned as a floor at the scene and comprising a two-dimensional graphical user interface;
• an input system inputting a control input for the user interface;
• and
• a computer system receiving the control input, activating a control of the interface and performing a display function within the volumetric display system.