The authoring tools in Human Studio empower you to design customized learning experiences that align with your audience's unique needs and objectives. To make the most of these tools, adhering to a few core guidelines—not just during the customization process but also when integrating your 3D models into learning materials—can help ensure your content is engaging, effective, and optimized for your learners.
This article highlights five best practices for maximizing the educational value of your 3D models, along with actionable tips and resources to help you succeed:
- Emphasize key details to focus attention on essential structures.
- Segment complex concepts into digestible units to aid retention.
- Align text with corresponding visuals for seamless integration of information.
- Encourage interactivity to deepen engagement and understanding.
- Optimize performance to deliver a smooth experience across devices.
Best Practice #1: Emphasize key details in your 3D model
1. Use the Anatomy Tree to focus on essential anatomy.
Isolate key structures and remove unnecessary anatomy to reduce visual clutter and emphasize the most relevant details.
2. Use Paint colors and effects to highlight primary and secondary structures.
Apply colors to draw attention to essential structures, while using effects to de-emphasize secondary structures.
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3. Add labels and descriptions to key structures.
Use label titles and descriptions to identify or explain important anatomical details in your model.
For tips on effective label use, Best Practice #3: Align text with corresponding visuals.
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Best Practice #2: Segment complex concepts into digestible units
1. Divide large models into multi-chapter tours.
For anatomy, dedicate one chapter to each region, system, or group of key concepts.
For pathology, use chapters to compare normal anatomy with disease states or to illustrate disease progression.
Regardless your tour's subject matter, limit the number of chapters it contains to prevent cognitive overload and optimize performance across devices (see Best Practice #5 for tour length guidelines).
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2. Minimize the number of labels in each chapter.
Aim for five or fewer labels per chapter to focus the learner's attention on key concepts; any more will negatively impact knowledge retention.
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3. Start tours with an overview chapter.
Include an overview chapter at the beginning of your tour to introduce key structures, provide context for subsequent chapters, and set learning expectations.
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Best Practice #3: Align text with corresponding visuals
1. Place labels close to the structures they identify.
Position labels as close as possible to the anatomical structures they identify or describe to help the learner connect the text with the visuals and reduce unnecessary scanning.
Note: There is no need to worry about your labels overlapping the model. Unlike 2D images, learners can rotate the 3D model to adjust their view and move labels as needed!
Do:Do not:
2. Embed models close to related text.
Position your model inline or alongside related text to support comprehension and retention. Avoid layouts in which the model obscures or is distant from related text.
3. Link text to corresponding structures.
To help learners make connections between your text and the anatomy in your model, consider hyperlinking key terms to relevant structures in the model.
Note: Requires the Human Viewer API and developer support.
Best Practice #4: Prompt the learner to interact in 3D
1. Enable an interaction prompt on load.
When publishing your model, activate one of the four available interaction prompts, which serve two purposes for the learner:
- Signal interactivity by providing a visual response when the learner hovers over the model.
- Explicitly instruct the learner to interact with the model.
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2. Incorporate interactive labels with Plus/Minus pins.
Interactive labels enhance the learning experience by encouraging interaction and offering additional context.
By default, all new labels added in Studio are interactive, meaning:
- Clicking the label tag or pin zooms in on the labeled structure for a closer view.
- The pin uses a "Plus/Minus" style (+ switches to – when clicked), prompting interaction.
In addition to preserving this default behavior in new labels, you can also enable it in existing labels to guide learners toward key details.
Below are a few additional tips for maximizing the educational value of your interactive labels:
- Make select pins glow. Enable the "Make Pin Glow" setting in the Style tab to make the interactivity of the most important labels more noticeable.
- Expand descriptions on click. Set the label description to "expand on click" in the Actions tab and reveal additional information about a structure on demand.
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Adjust zoom settings. Use the Zoom Label options in the Actions tab to direct the learner to the best viewing angle. Switch from "Zoom to label structure" (default) to "Zoom to fixed position," and customize your viewing angle, and "mark" your position to save.
Tip: Test your new zoom setting by unchecking "Disable label zoom while editing" and clicking the updated label to preview its functionality.
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3. Set the 3D navigation tutorial to launch on load.
When publishing your model, activate the "Launch tutorial on load" setting to help learners who are new to BioDigital quickly understand how to interact with your model in 3D.
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Best Practice #5: Build for a variety of screen sizes and device types
1. Optimize model and tour size for performance.
Minimize the size of your models and tours to reduce loading times for learners on mobile devices or slower internet connections.
Here are some tips to reduce model and tour sizes:
- Avoid embedding the Male or Female Complete Anatomy unless the models will only be viewed on high-powered devices. On mobile devices or lower-powered laptops, these large models can cause performance issues and overwhelm learners. Focus instead on one or a few regions or systems at a time.
- Limit the number of chapters in your tours:
- 5 chapters for high-complexity content.
- 10 chapters for medium-complexity content.
- 15 chapters for very low-complexity content.
- Hide non-essential anatomy, which will also help learners stay focused.
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2. Use the Preview and Publish tools to preview your model's placement.
The Human Viewer is responsive by default, so your model’s appearance in Studio may differ from how it appears in its final published and embedded state. Preview your model in Studio and/or before publishing so you can identify and fix any issues ahead of time. There are two places to do this in the app:
- Preview: Quickly see how your model will appear on different devices using our default publishing settings (available in Studio).
- Publish: See how your model will appear on different devices with your customized publishing settings (available in Studio, Explore, and My Library).
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3. Test across devices and screen sizes.
Evaluate your models on various browsers, devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, wide-screen monitors), and screen sizes to ensure the loading time, performance, and positioning are acceptable for your learners and integration needs.