Simultaneous view and point navigation

A simultaneous view and point navigation data processing system comprising:

• a host computing platform including memory and configured to support interactions within a virtual environment;
• first and second input devices each coupled to the single host computing platform;
• and
• simultaneous viewpoint control logic disposed in the single host computing platform, the logic comprising program code configured to perform the operations of
• simultaneously maintain first and second independent views in the memory, the first and second independent views corresponding to respectively different geometric planes in a single virtual environment,
• independently change the first view responsive to a first input directive from the first input device while concurrently changing the second view responsive to a second input directive from the second input device, and
• modify a focal point of interest in one of the views responsive to a third input directive from one of the first and second input devices, wherein
• a first geometric plane corresponds to the first view,
• a second geometric plane corresponds to the second view, and
• the independent changing of the first and second views changes the relative orientation of the first geometric plane to the second geometric plane.

A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein computer usable program code for simultaneous view and point navigation in a virtual environment, the computer usable program code, which when executed by a computer hardware system, causes the computer hardware system to perform:

• simultaneously maintaining first and second independent views corresponding to respectively different geometric planes in a single virtual environment;
• independently changing the first view responsive to a first input directive from a first input device while concurrently changing the second view responsive to a second input directive from a second input device;
• modifying a focal point of interest in one of the views responsive to a third input directive from one of the first and second input devices, wherein
• a first geometric plane corresponds to the first view,
• a second geometric plane corresponds to the second view, and
• the independent changing of the first and second views changes the relative orientation of the first geometric plane to the second geometric plane.