alt Hacker NewsThe problem with these attempts always seems to be that you can see in dimensions 1-3, but never in dimension 4, so any movement or exploration along that axis is always just blind fumbling. The extra dimension is not equivalent to the others
The only answer would seem to be an extra axis of rotation, but (a) doesnt work well with existing input methods, and (b) would be even more of a brain-breaker
Replies
no, you do see along the fourth dimension when you're pointing that way. i think you have a deep confusion here actually, but i can't really help because i don't actually understand your confusion. but, for whatever help it will be:
- all the dimensions are treated the same
- you only actually see two dimensions.
(it goes without saying that it's actually me who's confused.)
I think you could approximate a 4d projection onto a 3d display, much like we approximate a 3d projection onto a 2d display. So perhaps one could enjoy a fun and intuitive game of 4d doom if you have an appropriately fancy volumetric display. Pity they're so rare/expensive.
Feels like in 3D you can move continuously and build intuition.
But in 4D there isn’t really an equivalent control, so it ends up feeling more like toggling something you don’t fully understand.
Could transparency help?
Ordinarily, a 3D scene rendered in 2D only allows you to see a cone from your eye up to the first surface the ray encounters, thus defining the 2D projection which you see.
But you can make the surfaces transparent so the ray continues, and each additional surface adds a bit to the final pixel. This can look like a mess if you stand still but if you wiggle your movement left and right (or any other direction), your brain suddenly manages to process it into the full 3D structure.
Can something like this be done in 4D?
You may need more than 1 extra axis of rotations, unfortunately. https://youtu.be/tKDMcLW9OnI?t=309