Visual spatial learning of complex object morphologies through the interaction with virtual and real-world data

Conceptual design relies on extensive manipulation of the morphological properties of real or virtual objects. This study aims to investigate the nature of the perceptual information that could be retrieved in different representation modalities to learn a complex structure. An abstract and complex object was presented to two study populations, experts and non-experts, in three different representation modalities: 2D view; digital 3D model; real object. After viewing, observers had to draw some parts of the structure into a 2D reference frame. The results reveal a considerable performance advantage of digital 3D compared with real 3D, especially in the expert population. The results are discussed in terms of the nature of the morphological cues made available in the different representation modalities.