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Using the ModelBuilder of ArcGIS 9 for Landscape Modeling
Jochen MANEGOLD, ESRI-Germany
Geoprocessing in GIS
A geographic information system (GIS) provides a framework to support planning tasks
and decisions, to help managing the natural and man-made environment and the resources
of the earth. With providing tools for all kind of geoprocessing, the GIS framework allows
the user to define, manage and analyze all the information used to support planning or to
make decisions.
ESRI’s ARC/INFO was built upon such a framework, using coverages as an intelligent
data model for storing geometry, topology and attributes, and offering all tools to capture,
store, and manage as well as to analyze and present landscape data. With Arc Marco
Language (AML) a scripting language can be used to store geoprocessing workflows and
dialogs.
ArcGIS 8 marked a new milestone in ESRI’s GIS client and server architecture. On the
client side, completely new software architecture, was released, built on modern GIS and
application framework components, including new applications like ArcMap and
ArcCatalog. On the server side, the Geodatabase offers a new object-relational data model
to store intelligent geo-objects with properties and behaviour in a Relational Database
Management System (RDBMS) as well as “link” those objects and layers by flexible
topological rules, thus extending the possibilities far beyond the coverage model.
ArcGIS 9, a new geoprocessing framework which includes a model builder as a graphical
environment to create diagrams of steps for complete geoprocessing tasks will be
introduced to make geoprocessing much easier, more flexible and very user friendly.
Geoprocessing Tools with ArcGIS 9
The main concept of geoprocessing is based on a concept of data transformation. A typical
geoprocessing operation takes an input dataset, performs an operation on that input dataset
and returns the result of the operation as an output dataset. ArcGIS 9 will have hundreds of
these single geoprocessing tools for processing all types of ESRI compatible spatial and
non-spatial data formats, namely coverages, shapefiles, personal and ArcSDE geodatabase
featureclasses, with CAD and VPF files, as well as tables and text files. These tools can be
grouped into different types of operations, such as data conversion, analysis or data
management.
For convenient search and retrieving, these groups of similar tools are organized in
ToolBoxes and Toolsets, which can be stored in system files or database tables. These
ToolBoxes are presented to the user as a list of his favourites in the ArcToolbox window
for easy access in the ArcGIS applications like ArcMap and ArcCatalog. The number of
potentially available tools varies, depending on the type of product license such as
J. Manegold 2
ArcView, ArcEditor or ArcInfo and the types of ArcGIS extensions like 3D Analyst or
Spatial Analyst.
Fig. 1: ArcCatalog and the ArcToolbox window
Geoprocessing Methods in ArcGIS 9
There are four different ways to perform geoprocessing tasks in ArcGIS 9. Which method
you choose depends on which method is best suited to the particular task and your personal
preference. You can choose a dialog from the ToolBox window or use the command line
for input typing to perform a single geoprocessing task. With dialogs, the tools provide a
form, where you can specify the data and parameters for the geoprocessing operation.
Using the ModelBuilder of ArcGIS 9 for Landscape Modeling 3
Fig. 2: The command line window in ArcMap
The command line is similar to the Workstation ArcInfo command line, where you type in
the command including all input data and parameters. The command line in ArcGIS 9
prompts you with the usage of the specified command and helps you with intellisense and
dropdown lists.
For more complex tasks or workflows, involving multiple functions, choose a model tool or
create a new model and link single processes together. To perform the same function many
times on different datasets or with different parameters, you can use or create a tool derived
from a script.
Fig. 3: A geoprocessing script written in Python using the PythonWin IDE
J. Manegold 4
Scripting offers an efficient and effective way of managing geoprocessing needs. They
provide an environment, which makes it easy to process large volumes and quantities of
data. They are recyclable and easily modified. Any scripting language, which is COM
compliant, interacts well in the ArcGIS environment such as VBScript, JScript or Python.
Using ModelBuilder in ArcGIS 9
The ModelBuilder in ArcGIS 9 provides a graphical environment to create a diagram of
multiple steps to complete a complex geoprocessing task. The diagram you build represents
a model. Tools can be draggen from ToolBoxes in the ArcCatalog tree or from the
ArcToolbox window into the Model diagram to build the processes that make up the
model, then filled in the necessary input data and parameters for each tool and connect the
processes together. When the model is run, ModelBuilder processes the input data in the
order specified and creates output data. The model can be saved, modified and rerun.
Geoprocessing functions can be tied together in a model that keeps track of the datasets,
processes, parameters and assumptions that are used. This makes it easy to redo the exact
same procedure multiple times, or to alter data and parameters slightly.
Fig. 4: The ModelBuilder window with a typical model
Using the ModelBuilder of ArcGIS 9 for Landscape Modeling 5
A model contains information about data, how to process the data, and the sequence of
processing. The model can be displayed as a process flow called a model diagram or as a
tool in a toolbox. A tool exposes model parameters selected by the model author and is the
common way of executing a model. In the model diagram, there are symbols, called model
elements, which represent data and tools that operate on data. The model elements are
connected together into processes. A process is a set of input data, the tool that operates on
the input data, and the resulting output data. Connector arrows indicate the sequence of
processing. There will usually be several processes in a model, and they can be chained
together so that the derived data from one process may become the input data for another
process.
The model diagram provides a graphical way to present models to decision-makers and the
public. So the ModelBuilder can be used for cartographic modeling and analysis, such as
environmental or land use modeling.
Fig. 5: A conceptual model with different processes
Figure 5 is a conceptual overview of a model built from three processes. The processes are
built by connecting model elements representing data and functions. Each process has one
or more input datasets, a tool, and output data. Connecting the output from one process to
the input of another process chains the processes together.
In addition to the basic model elements such as input and output data, tools, and
connectors, there are text labels, which are graphical elements used to place explanatory
J. Manegold 6
text in a model. A label is not part of the processing sequence. Labels can be attached to
connectors or they can float freely in the model diagram.
Model elements have properties and connection rules that define how they behave. Data
elements have a property that describes the location of the data. Function elements have
properties that describe how to process data. For example, the Buffer function has a buffer
width property. Properties are editable through dialogs, wizards, and property sheets.
Connection rules describe what type of input each model element will accept and what type
of output it produces.
Sharing a model is as simple as sending the model file via email or publishing a ToolBox
on a server or with a web service. The receiving party simply saves the file anywhere on
their system. A user can then add the file to the ArcToolbox window for easy access. The
concept behind model sharing, or any ToolBox tool for that matter, is to maximize
resources and productivity by avoiding duplication of effort, and because it simply makes
more sense, other than from just a cost-effective point of view.
Summary
The evolution of geoprocessing has shown that there is no single user experience that
satisfies all user requirements and preferences. Early packages exposed geoprocessing
operations as a set of commands while more contemporary systems have a graphical user
interface (GUI) in which the user interacts and composes the operation to be executed. A
third method exposes the systems core functions in an application programmer interface
(API) that allows a software developer to invoke geoprocessing operations outside of the
GIS systems GUI. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but when all three
are supported in a GIS package, the user gets to choose which best suits his or her needs,
thereby offering the best possible user experience for the task at hand.
References
ESRI Inc. (2002): Geoprocessing in ArcGIS 9.0, White Paper
ESRI Inc. (2002): Creating a Model in ArcGIS 9.0, White Paper
From Professional to People’s Software –
Tracing the Development of 3D GIS Software at ESRI
Jinwi MA, ESRI Environmental Systems Research Institute, USA
1 Abstract
3D Analyst is ESRI’s commercial 3D GIS software that was initially released in 1998.
Over the years, it has significantly increased its popularity, gaining a wide range of support
from GIS professionals to casual desktop users. In its development path, it has
continuously evolved with the goal to meet the needs of user communities like that of
landscape architects. This paper analyzes 3D Analyst development history in various
aspects. Three main phases of 3D Analyst development are identified: the formative age as
an extension product of ArcView 3, the architecture shift implementation for
ArcInfo/ArcView 8, and the enhancement and new establishment at ArcGIS 9. 3D
visualization and surface analysis remain as the two fundamental pillars for 3D Analyst.
After the architecture shift to COM-based implementations at version 8, 3D Analyst has re-
directed its focus on realistic visualization and high performance over large datasets.
Combining the powers of 2D GIS and 3D CAD systems, it is expected to be an effective
tool for planning and design communities. This paper, as an attempt to promote
communication between the software developer and its user communities such as that of
landscape architects, provides an overall picture to the community about the development
of 3D Analyst.
2 Introduction
Founded thirty years ago, ESRI has developed a number of sophisticated professional GIS
software. The flagship product, ArcInfo, was the first vector-based overlay and
cartographic GIS solution released commercially. Over the years, ArcInfo has evolved
from an early monolithic Unix workstation program that was used by a relatively small
circle of GIS professionals into a component-based desktop software solutions employed
by both professionals and casual users. Along the way, ESRI has expanded the core
desktop product with many value-added extensions. 3D Analyst is one such extension.
From 3D Analyst’s first release in 1998 up to now, it has been evolved and matured in its
own right. For GIS applications in landscape architecture, one cannot ignore the role of 3D
Analyst as it is continuously catering to the needs of its users. To understand its current
status, it is important to trace its development path.
3 Pre 3D Analyst Era
There were a suite of ArcInfo workstation surface functions already in use well before the
3D Analyst product was first released. Those functions mostly deal with surface analysis
J. Ma 2
with Triangulated Irregular Networks (TIN). Based on these functions, some highly
professional surface analysis custom application modules were developed. They are
distinctively non-conventional from 2D cartographic point of view and visually rich and
attractive. It tended to portray the world intuitively in a non-abstract way. This was
already a breakthrough in a cartography-oriented GIS, but seemed lacking some key
component if it were geared toward a 3D analysis environment. That key component is
real-time interactivity.
In the mid-1990s, the success of desktop product ArcView 2/3, a product designed for light
GIS users to complement the heavy end of professional ArcInfo workstation GIS,
prompted the development of various extension products. The popularization of the
Windows NT operating system, the standardization of the industry-standard OpenGL API,
and the increasing performance and the decreasing cost of personal computers all added
more fuel to the flame. As a result, a new desktop product, called 3D Analyst, went under
development.
4 Early Stages with ArcView 3
In the Summer of 1998, after two to three years of internal research and development, the
first version of 3D Analyst was released. It was released as an extension product of the
core ArcView 3 desktop GIS soon after the release of another extension product, Spatial
Analyst. It was the first major desktop GIS application software released from ESRI that
had real-time interactive 3D visualization and surface analysis capabilities.
For the first time, the data display in a GIS by ESRI was not confined to a 2D environment
(with limited zooming and panning capabilities), but in a lively, dynamic, and interactive
one not necessarily oriented toward cartographic map production. In other words, the
exploration process in the 3D environment itself IS the communication media, i.e. to
communicate virtually, rather than through hardcopy. Viewing objects in 3D perspective is
important as landscape architects recognize that “the ability to support design creativity
might be enhanced if designs could easily be viewed and evaluated in 3-D during earlier
stages of the design process” (Tai, 2002).
As an extension of the GIS core software, 3D Analyst utilizes standard GIS data formats.
To obtain maximum usability, it also supports other non-proprietary standard data formats.
For surface data types, 3D Analyst uses TIN and Grid, which are ESRI proprietary, and can
also use standard surface data such as USGS DEM. For vector data types, it uses ESRI’s
ArcInfo coverage data as well as the non-proprietary, de facto industry standard
‘shapefile’, which was initially defined by ESRI but its format had been published. It can
also directly use standard CAD data such as DWG, DXF, and DGN files. Most standard
raster image formats are supported by 3D Analyst. For 3D output, it can export to standard
VRML 2.0 format, which can be viewed in VRML browsers.
Beside 3D visualization, surface analysis is another important aspect of a 3D GIS. With
3D Analyst, users can easily perform basic surface analysis tasks such as contour, slope,
From Professional to People’s Software – Tracing the Development of 3D GIS 3
aspect, hillshade, viewshed, cut/fill analyses, and area and volume calculation, all in an
intuitive 3D environment. More visualization and analysis functionalities would be added
to the product. At this time, however, there was an industry-wide movement and a major
architecture shift was in the making.
5 3D Analyst with ArcView 8/ArcInfo 8
Even though 3D Analyst for ArcView 3 supports multiple platforms and operating systems,
it was built on an aging architecture lacking extensibility and scalability. At this time,
Microsoft has released its Component Object Model (COM) after several years of matured
implementation with its own software products. Considering this fact, and the majority of
Windows users, ESRI decided to embark on an architecture shift to the Windows-specific
COM technology, on which ArcInfo 8 and its various extension products would be built.
Substantial resources were spent on the architecture shift throughout the ESRI product line,
and for 3D Analyst, there was a completely new application under consideration, named
ArcScene.
The first release of the COM-based 3D Analyst was in the Summer of 2001 at
ArcInfo/ArcView version 8.1 (with ArcScene as its main application program) with its
main goal of a stable transition from the old architecture. Yet, along the way many new
features were added to make it quite enhanced from the old 3D Analyst for ArcView 3.
Among them the most prominent ones are some of the navigation tools such as the fly tool
(fly through the scene using the mouse alone as a control) and the gesture tool (rotate/spin
at either direction and with adjustable speed by mouse gestures). At the rendering side,
new features included interactive light source positioning, layer drawing priority setting,
picture fill symbols for textures with transparency, and front and back face culling. 3D
perspective view had been the default setting for the scene viewer and users can opt for
orthographic view (2D map like), if needed. For image displays, higher default texture
resolution had been achieved through internal texture tiling. For export, in addition to
VRML 2.0, GeoVRML became another supported format. Additional raster formats (such
as PNG format) were supported for scene viewer snapshot. A new, extensible ActiveX
scene viewer control was also developed so that a new, navigable 3D viewer could be
embedded into other standard Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, and Power
Point etc. Good news for third party developers, Avenue was replaced by Visual Basic or
Visual Basic for Applications as the standard customization language. Finally, by building
software based on COM, the problems associated with incompatible software versions
went away.
The subsequent release of 3D Analyst was in early April 2002 with ArcInfo 8.2. The most
prominent feature with this release was the addition of the built-in animation capability (see
Ma and Bayarri, 2001). After an animation is created, it can be exported to standard AVI
animation files for sharing with users who do not have the 3D software.
J. Ma 4
6 3D Analyst under ArcGIS 9
If the main goal of the 3D Analyst released at ArcInfo 8.1 was to migrate from the old
architecture, then the coming new release of 3D Analyst at ArcGIS 9 (Summer 2003) will
be a quantum leap in its own right. A brand new application, called ‘ArcGlobe’, brings
significant enhancement in the visualization and the performance aspects of the product.
For 3D applications, one cannot ignore the quest for realism. Even though this is almost
the first thing to have in many other 3D software, it was not in the product function list of
3D Analyst, until ArcGIS 9. There could be many factors in this delay, such as the fact
that 3D Analyst was essentially derived from a traditionally 2D cartography oriented GIS
setting, the gap between CAD and GIS worlds (see following analysis), high cost or low
performance of graphics hardware, and lack of efficient data structure/algorithms and so
on. Now we have special software dedicated to 3D applications, most of GIS data can be
managed in standard formats and stored in the GeoDatabase, graphics hardware
performance and cost ratios are historically low, and software researchers have designed
optimal algorithms using more effective data structures. The time was ripe and super-
realistic real-time navigation can be achieved, and it is being realized in 3D Analyst for
ArcGIS 9.
Unlike ArcScene, which is based on a conventional Cartesian coordinate system, ArcGlobe
is globe-centric. It employs a hierarchical structure to store data with varying levels of
detail (LOD). The hierarchy of data, representing different levels of resolutions, are either
pre-processed or processed on the fly and stored on local or remote cache. The appropriate
resolutions of data are retrieved from cache to memory for viewing based on the extent of
the viewer frustum cast on the terrain, thus the larger the scale (meaning the closer the
observer to the terrain), the smaller the extent and the more detail of the data – the memory
consumed keeps relatively constant (see Crawford et al, 2003). This is truly an elegant
solution for managing large amount of geographic data in a 3D viewing environment that
requires real-time navigation because the interaction performance will not suffer even if the
amount of raw data is extremely large (gigabytes of data is very common). Since it is a
globe-centric application, meaning the model is really a globe, there will be no ‘edge of the
world’ effect, as can be seen in some ArcScene applications. All GIS data with valid
spatial reference can be loaded into the application without the need for special treatment at
the user’s end. Since it uses a 3D globe as its core and not two dimensional, like ArcMap,
users need not worry about conventional cartographic projection issues. Considering
traditional GIS users are more or less cartographers, the elimination of map projection
requirement in ArcGlobe is significant. The implicit requirement for cartographic
knowledge on 3D GIS users is relaxed.
Plans for future ArcGlobe development also include the transition from a desktop product
to a web-based product. With data shared across the Internet, globe viewer would be more
like a web browser rather than a desktop software. We expect to see a lot more non-
professional users attracted to 3D Analyst via ArcGlobe.
From Professional to People’s Software – Tracing the Development of 3D GIS 5
The introduction of 3D symbology at ArcGIS version 9.0 makes it possible to render
realistic objects that can match those shown in popular computer gaming software. This is
realized through direct importing of some popular 3D data formats, namely 3D Studio,
OpenFlight, and VRML, into 3D symbol libraries. These 3D symbols do not only take 3D
model’s accurate geometries, they also have the original textures carried over. Before
version 9.0, 3D objects in scene look like a working model in an architecture lab for their
monotone color and lack of textures (unless textures are added by customization). Now it
can simulate the real world with rich textures. With realism handled at both the global
macro level and 3D symbols at the local micro level, a full range of 3D realism is achieved.
The built environment (or hardscape) is relatively easy to simulate. The real challenge,
however, is to simulate the natural landscape (or softscape), especially trees and shrubs.
There are various levels of vegetation models (see Ervin and Hasbrouck, 2001), but as a
first attempt to simulate realistic trees, the surface billboard implementation is adopted for
its visual effectiveness with a simple geometry that provides for efficient rendering. To
simulate natural environment effectively is always a challenge and much research needs to
be undertaken in this area.
7 3D Analyst for Landscape Architects
Landscape architects were among the earliest users of GIS (see Hanna, 1999). ESRI’s
president Jack Dangermond (himself a landscape architect) referred to landscape architects
as “geographic designers”, or “people who approach spatial problem solving holistically”
(ibid). There are many stimulating threads on the Landscape Architecture Electronic
Forum (maintained by Prof. James Palmer of Syracuse University). One of the interesting
topics is about CAD vs GIS. It is natural and efficient to use GIS as an aid to help with
landscape planning, especially natural resource planning, but is GIS suitable also for
landscape design considering the current situation of CAD domination in the field? The
emergence 3D GIS software like 3D Analyst, comfortably assures a positive answer.
However it would be beneficial for both GIS software vendors and the landscape
architecture community to understand what has been achieved in the development of 3D
GIS towards landscape architecture applications, and what has not. This will guide future
development.
CAD software (especially AutoCAD) is a mature tool in the design field and its user base is
well-established. Yet the total number of landscape architects (most of them using a CAD
package as the design aid) remains small, compared to that of architects and civil engineers.
In this smaller community, however, more and more landscape architecture firms require
CAD experience with new hires (Tai, 2002). On the other hand, GIS is still a relatively
new field and its impact is still growing. A GIS is first about geography, i.e. sensitive to
locations, and second it is an ‘information system’. A GIS user benefits from the system
by being able to efficiently retrieve and effectively display location sensitive information
about a place. Is this what a landscape architect wants? Not always but sometimes. It is a
full-time job to be a GIS professional. Is it required that landscape architects should also
be GIS professionals? Not exactly but some knowledge would definitely help. Therefore,
J. Ma 6
an ideal modern landscape architect would need to possess knowledge and expertise not
only in CAD but also in GIS, at least partially.
According to the Fact Sheet about Landscape Architecture (see ASLA), there are basically
two kinds of activities in the profession: planning related and design related. The new 3D
Analyst, combining the best functionalities of both worlds (CAD, with 3D capability, and
conventional GIS, i.e. 2D GIS), stands as a strong contender as an effective tool for
landscape architects. It can handle landscape planning at smaller scale covering large areas
as well as landscape design at a larger scale covering small areas. Global or regional
landscape planning is about large scale design solutions that concern extensive areas of
land (ibid). This is where ArcGlobe, the new application of 3D Analyst, shines. Local area
large scale designs focus on physical dimensions and psychological impact or expressions,
and that is where 3D Analyst’s CAD-like symbology functionalities come into play. The
new 3D Analyst is not only good at 3D functions at the local scale (as a 3D CAD system
can do), it also excels in 3D operations at the global scale. In this sense, 3D Analyst
appears to have bridged the gap between planning and design fields; it is a GIS but can also
be utilized as a CAD system.
8 Summary & Outlook
Looking at the development path of the 3D Analyst, we can identify roughly three phases.
The first is the formative and exploration stage, when an extension product of ArcView 3
was produced. At this stage, the basic 3D GIS environment and functionalities were
established. The second is the transition stage, as 3D Analyst remained as an extension of
ArcView 8 or ArcInfo 8, and a new application program ArcScene was created. At this
stage, the new architecture shift was completed and some new features were added. The
third is the expansion and self-identity stage and it is where we are standing right now. On
one hand ArcScene is improving, and on the other, a brand new program, ArcGlobe, is
taking its new shape as a new 3D GIS application that is uniquely different than its
cartography counterpart, ArcMap. Through these three major stages, 3D Analyst has re-
created itself by completing an architecture shift, greatly enhancing its visualization and
significantly boosting its performance. It is not difficult to foresee its potential to emerge
from the shadow of being an extension product of ArcMap, a professional cartography-
oriented GIS software, to become a self-contained product on a par with or even surpass
ArcMap in its influence and to become a more popular, rather than professional software.
We are now at a critical point in the development of 3D Analyst as the quest for realistic
visualization and high performance takes higher priority. Another important feature with
increasing demand is 3D data interactive editing. Since the data to be edited could be the
same as those used by ArcMap, the proper execution and implementation of such an editor
needs to be resolved. Moreover, true 3D volumetric model may become the next task to
tackle. Dealing with temporal data is perhaps the most challenging job of all because to
date, all existing GIS data are virtually time ‘dumb’, meaning the temporal information, if
any, are still relegated to feature attribute status; they should be elevated to the same level
as the fundamental geometry of the data. The good news is that research has been initiated
From Professional to People’s Software – Tracing the Development of 3D GIS 7
on integrating the temporal data oriented product, Tracking Analyst, with 3D Analyst.
These two products, with much commonality especially for their animation features, were
separately developed, until today. As 3D Analyst is being developed, advanced users
would keep posing more challenging requests, and ESRI would need to carefully evaluate
various user demands/requests for future development.
Of course, the biggest help for the 3D Analyst’s development will have to come from its
user community like that of landscape architects. There are various efforts from both
inside and outside of ESRI trying to make GIS tools more effective and user friendly for
landscape architects, and 3D Analyst is proudly one of such endeavors.
9 Acknowledgements
The author appreciates the help from 3D Product Manager Clayton Crawford in reviewing
the original draft and providing constructive comments and suggestions. The author is also
grateful for the reviewing and comments from Paul Yoshitomi of ESRI’s
Internationalization Team.
10 Reference
ASLA, Fact Sheet, http://www.asla.org/nonmembers/publicrelations/preskit.pdf,
Washington DC.
Crawford C., Bayarri S., and Petrovic D (2003): Fast 3-D Visualization of Large Image
Datasets in a GIS, to be published on ASPRS Annual Conference Proceedings, May 5-
9, 2003, Anchorage, Alaska, USA.
Ervin S. & Hasbrouck H. (2001): Landscape Modeling, McGraw-Hill, USA.
Hanna K. C. (1999): GIS for Landscape Architects, ESRI Press, Redlands.
Ma J. (2003): Symbolize or Not Symbolize, to be published on ICC Bi-Annual Conference
Proceedings, August 10-16, 2003, Durban, South Africa.
Ma J. & Bayarri S. (2001): Real-Time 3D Animations in a 3D GIS, published in ICC Bi-
Annual Conference Proceedings, August 6-10, 2001, Beijing, China.
Maguire D. (2003): Improving CAD-GIS Interoperability, ArcNews Winter 2003/2003,
24(4).
Tai L. (2002): Chasing the Computer Revolution, Landscape Architecture, 5/2002: 58-103,
Washington D.C.
Zeiler M. (2001): Exploring ArcObjects: Vol. II – Geographic Data Management, ESRI
Press, Redlands.
Envision Innovations
Britta BEST, AUTODESK Deutschland GmbH
Introduction
At every stage of the lengthy approval process for civil engineering projects, engineers run
the risk of siphoning off part of the profits on the job. Every time the engineer must return
to the design to incorporate last-minute changes or to address questions in preliminary
review, more hours are spent in revisions – and deadlines must often be pushed back. In a
weak economy, these costly changes are painful, and make the difference between profit
and break-even – not only for the engineer but maybe the client as well. The inability to
visualize proposed changes on the fly and the resulting impact, coupled with the inability to
present potential design changes in a way that is understandable to all the decision makers
in that process, has made it hard for designers to speed up the approval process. For
instance, non-technical audiences – such as members of a planning commission or a town
council – can’t view designs in CAD formats and fully comprehend what they’re seeing,
nor do they feel they need to become CAD or engineering software experts in order to do
their part. Yet they also want to feel included in the process, and to understand the
technology without fearing that they need long hours of training.
The watercolors, storyboards or cardboard models that civil engineers and architects must
create to accommodate these non-technical views of a project are obviously static, and
can’t be adjusted to show proposed changes. What if a planning council member points out
that “they think” part of a subdivision is in an area that flooded the year before? How can
you easily and quickly address that concern? Or, what if a municipal water department
explains that proposed sewer lines require that the roadway design be adjusted several feet?
It hasn’t been possible for civil engineers to do “what-if” scenarios for these audiences
without a lot of manual effort in data coordination and rendering. Add to this mix the fact
that civil engineers may present multiple designs for a project, and you can see the
potential for a long and drawn-out approval process.
In a difficult economy, civil engineers can no longer afford to have their projects go over
schedule and over budget. The pressure is on civil engineers to work efficiently with not
only the client, but with the extended project team of professionals and reviewers, and
allow all decision makers to provide timely input that can easily be incorporated into
finished designs. Fortunately, new technology applications are promising to eliminate many
of these problems, and to significantly reduce the time needed to analyze and visualize
proposed design changes. These applications bring together information that previously
had to reside in different “silos” – and couldn’t be incorporated in one application very
easily, if at all. For instance, relevant GIS environmental data can now be integrated with
other exact design information, making the process of visualizing changes a much richer
and shorter process, and ultimately, more accurate.
(J. Reimers?) 2
Bridging the Data Divide
Marrying myriad types of GIS and engineering design data has until recently been a holy
grail – something that’s need desired, but not fully achieved. “In the past, civil engineers,
surveyors and even architects had to assimilate data from many sources – but they couldn’t
necessarily assimilate the sources into a single program that understood how to pull the
data together, and more so, understand how it all fit together,” said Terry D. Bennett,
P.L.S.-L.P.F., senior manager for civil industry marketing at Autodesk, and a practicing
professional in the land development industry for over 21 years.
Autodesk Envision (previously called OnSite Desktop) is one solution that brings together
GIS data of all types, along with CAD drawing files, imagery, plus the exact engineering
design data via LandXML (www.landxml.org) into one application, allowing users to
display and manipulate that data as needed to streamline the project review and analysis
process. For instance, civil engineers are called on more and more frequently to incorporate
location services information into their design proposals. It’s become an unavoidable part
of the approval process, since everyone from attorneys, to local historical societies, to
police and fire departments need to know how your design will impact a region’s
infrastructure. Previously, if a civil engineer needed to display existing assets (such as
sewer or water lines) in the process of presenting a design, he’d have to switch over to a
different application that could interpret the GIS data.
“There’s been no way to pass information accurately among the systems,” Bennett
explained. “For example, when we design roads and parcels that abut them, we use curves
and spirals in that process. Yet when we put that exact survey information into a traditional
GIS system, the information gets degradated and lost as it’s converted to polylines or
segmented chord – purposely introducing errors in order for one system to be able to
understand it.” The even bigger downstream issue is if that system shares the information
back to another civil design system that can understand curves, the original spiral or curve
information never returns – it has been stripped out, and would need to be re-entered.
That’s obviously a problem. And of course, such swapping leads right back into the
presentation problem – i.e., the fact that a viewer might not understand how to view and
comprehend the GIS information, or that it is not exactly where it was designed.
The new integrated solutions solve this problem by making it easy to assimilate GIS data
into the design – without the need to exit one application and enter another. Someone
who’s viewing a design can see a 3-D rendering of a subdivision, for example, with
attributes relating to infrastructure. That in itself is not new – but what is new is the ability
to immediately layer the design itself onto the GIS view – with the GIS data now an
integral part of the presentation. This is accomplished without modifying the accuracy or
integrity of that engineering design or surveying information –in other words, there are no
tradeoffs between accuracy and intelligence.
If one of the decision makers pointed out that a low spot in the subdivision experienced
flooding recently, the engineer could immediately access GIS flood data – or better yet,
even a surveyed high water mark at the same time – and display its impact on the design. If
it does appear that the low-lying area might be prone to flooding, the engineer can
immediately test options for changing the design. In fact, the engineer can do a preliminary
Envision Innovations 3
estimate for cut-and-fill volumes, since the software understands terrain models and the
differences between existing surfaces and proposed surfaces, providing some intelligence
for later calculations regarding materials to be added or removed. Without this capability –
it’s back to the drawing board, with more time needed for new designs to be created, new
approval meetings to be scheduled, and so on.
The value of visualization goes even farther when an engineer or project manager can
“place” the viewer into a design. For instance, with Autodesk Envision, a design decision
maker can “stand into” the design – obviously, a tremendous boon for someone who
doesn’t know how to read a complex CAD-based design but understands what it could look
like standing on the corner of a street intersection, or in someone’s front yard. With the
ability to easily drape aerial photographs on the terrain model, the civil engineer can select
a point in the design, and show a viewer how the project would look from that standpoint
reference, both existing features and proposed features – certainly much easier than
squinting at a cardboard model and trying to imagine how the site would look from a view
that was not considered.
Design decision makers can even “drive” along proposed roadways, literally along the
engineered roadway alignment. This enables them to view based on the finished ground
terrain model, the vertical alignment of the road, including crest and sag curves that aide in
safety concerns for passing and stopping sight distance. (It’s an issue that comes up
constantly in planning meetings, and is one of the most difficult concepts to articulate.) A
planning board or building inspector that has some concern about buildings blocking a
view, for example, can “see” how a proposed subdivision will change the perspective. If
someone suggests an alteration to the design to preserve a view, the engineer can test it out
on the spot – without having to create another cardboard model, which is then brought back
to the council for another look.
Reducing Errors Saves Time and Costs
This easy visualization also helps reduce the likelihood of errors in designs – something
that’s been a very real problem with previous-generation design tools. “It sounds simple –
doing an analysis of existing GIS information, getting the aerial photograph and then
putting a design concept on top of it all,” Bennett said. “But let’s say you needed to change
the roadway curve in your design to reduce the speed. The GIS system uses polylines or
segmented chords, and doesn’t recognize a curve as such – or even something as complex
as a spiral. When passed out to the GIS system, it is converted – a drawback of the GIS
system. Now, you have a roadway curve that isn’t precisely correct, or even a curve
anymore– and you’ve introduced errors into your design. What we need is a system with
engineering accuracy and GIS intelligence and analytical capability. That is now possible.”
Several years ago, designers had some leeway to allow for small positional inaccuracies,
Bennett explained. But today, when buried fiber optic cables and other crucial
infrastructure utilities are crowding the developed area and roadway beds, a two-foot
mistake in planning could cause an embarrassing (not to mention costly) problem for an
engineer or contractor. Incidents like fiber optic directional boring rigs impacting and
rupturing a 48-inch water main do occur. “Systems today are too mission-critical to allow
(J. Reimers?) 4
that two-foot error,” Bennett said. The newest solutions marry GIS analysis tools to CAD
design engineering accuracy, which means engineers don’t have to compromise their
designs. Since these new solutions integrate data from a wide variety of sources, and allow
the engineer to query and analyze that data, engineers can also perform functions that were
previously impossible – or simply took too long to do.
“With new solutions, engineers who present local planners with a buffer of 300 feet – when
a 600-foot buffer is what the council says it wants – can easily make that change right in
the presentation,” said Ron Bisio, senior product manager for Autodesk Envision, with a
background in regional planning. “The engineer can also generate a report showing which
parcels are within the buffering zone, and can quickly access the database with the owner
names and addresses, and who’ll need to be notified about the project.” With the old
system of showing a printed map or a PowerPoint presentation to a council, a change in
buffering meant – you guessed it – a return to the design process for the creation of a new
presentation and augmenting the mailing list of notifications.
Another business benefit for the new solutions: bringing non-traditional data into the
engineering process. Population statistics, local demographics, and tax records, when
available, are an integral part of the design, and can help engineers make better decisions
about customer needs in relation to a project. “For example, you’ll have the tools needed if
you or a key decision maker needs to know how many people are currently being serviced
by a single sewer line, or how many parcels over 70 acres with water systems exist in the
planning area,” Bennett said.
Engineers can also use the new solutions to improve work in the field. Field technology
based on the Windows CE platform has been limited to working with total stations and
GPS; such technology is now ready to evolve into more advanced applications supported
by the new Tablet PC platform. With Tablet PCs popping up at more engineering sites,
there’s a corollary need for robust technology that helps engineers use these portable
computers more effectively. Because they bring together the same GIS data, design data,
and visualization abilities available for the desktop, solutions like Envision are adaptable to
the mobile PC environment. With a Tablet PC, engineers can mark up and make changes to
designs just as they would on a desktop computer, or as easily as redlining on a set of paper
plans.
Improved Visualization Speeds Approval Process
The time-consuming process of creating separate designs – and submitting them to various
audiences for approval – forces engineers to pay considerable sums of money for
presentations, and for design changes. Designs meant for viewing by non-technical
audiences must be created separately from designs that highlight GIS information, for
example. Any changes suggested by various audiences throughout the creation and
approval process require costly work for the engineer. “Some people understand blueprints
– other people understand watercolors and storyboards,” Bennett said. “All of those people
are capable of having a veto vote in the process, and deservedly so. We need to
communicate in a way they understand so we all make the correct informed decision. That
is what everyone is after, from engineer to client to the public.”
Envision Innovations 5
For instance, to present designs to non-technical people – such as members of a planning
council, or to members of the public at a local planning meeting – designers have had to
rely on static drawings, which of course couldn’t be altered in a flash to show a proposed
change. Now, engineers can easily create a “public-friendly” design that is understood by
all audiences. “Now, you can scale the design to the proficiency of the people that need to
review it,” Bennett said. “You want everyone who is looking at the design to understand
the financial or civic impact of the project – and you want them to understand it
immediately.”
While paper maps will most likely always be a part of the engineering process, solutions
such as Envision can be a valuable supplemental tool. The goal of integrated solutions like
Envision is to spend the early part of the design-approval process on making decisions,
instead of spending money to re-do designs. In fact, such visualization tools can even help
civil engineers decide whether it is worthwhile or cost-effective to even proceed with a bid.
By using analysis and visualization tools to determine the scope of a project, the feasibility
of designs, and the costs involved, engineers can draw on valuable intelligence regarding
the length of a project, and its profit margin.
“Engineering companies typically have to front-load their costs into their designs, for
which they may or may not get a return,” said Bennett. “We’ve moved the decision points
to an earlier part of the process, which can help eliminate much of these costs. And,
engineers can now spend more of their time satisfying the clients’ needs while addressing
the public’s concerns.”
Using AutoRoad for Landscape Virtual Reality Visualization
Moh SABEUR and Nicholas REICHELT, Princess Interactive – Magdeburg (Germany)
Princess Interactive has developed a tool called AutoRoad® to generate automatically
roads in respect to the rules of civil engineering for virtual reality visualization.
The strength of AutoRoad® is efficiency and ease of use by generating roads network,
which are essential for urban landscapes simulation.
Virtual Reality is a technology which can represent digitally landscape worlds with a high
level of realism and human interaction. AutoRoad® delivers optimized roads including
level of details and textures and which can be used directly by standard virtual reality
systems. In this paper the background of this approach will be presented by showing details
about the roads representation and the modeling techniques which are being used.
1 Introduction
The simulation of urban architectural landscapes has to be based on virtual but realistic 3D
models. This is only the case if the model is using digital elevation data in conjunction with
roads of roads networks which have been built in respect to the rules of roads construction.
In Germany roads are being constructed by using the RAS rules (RAS = Richtlinie für die
Anlage von Straßen). Today there are many tools for civil engineering related to road
construction. Although this tools can proceed many technical functions they are very
cumbersome in their usage and therefore very user unfriendly.
Concept architects want to design very rapidly their concepts without taking care of the
details civil engineering aspects. Specially for this purpose Princess Interactive has
developed a Software tool called AutoRoad ® to generate automatically real roads for
urban landscape simulation.
The main features of this tool are:
• generate geometry and roads information
• 2D and 3D capabilities
• open format to interface with other software packages
• full compatibility with standard formats for modeling and simulation like 3D Studio,
OpenFlight and VRML
• conform to German and European rules of roads construction
• run on any Wintel graphical workstation. (Wintel=Windows+Intel)
M. Sabeur and N. Reichelt 2
2 Fundamentals
One of the most important criteria to build virtual reality simulation is to have a good
looking and optimized database in respect to human perception. This requires a 30 Hz to
60 Hz frame rate depending on the application. Virtual Reality databases consist of two
main parts:
• geometrical representation
• texture data to reach a good photo realism
The virtual reality database for urban simulation is represented as polygons and textures
with several level of details. In general OpenFlight ™ from Multigen-Paradigm Inc. is used
as the de facto standard geometry format.
The roads logical data (also called scenario data) comprise all the information needed to
simulate e.g. the driving of the car as well the whole traffic of other cars in real time.
From the roads logical data one can derive information like "on what type of roads the car
is moving, or where the drivers car is located at certain time and how it has to turn off
when it is approaching a road intersection etc."
The Princess Interactive own format called YA-® contains the logical roads data. Since it
has been used successfully in different projects, we encourage databases builders to use it
as a common platform.
3 What is AutoRoad®
?
AutoRoad® is an authoring tool for roads networks for visual databases. It generates the
geometry and the logical data for roads.
AutoRoad® will be extended in the near future as a complete Database generation system
including terrain and building construction.
4 The Basic Elements
Roads are being built as series of several sections which are
• Line
• Arc
• Euler spirale (Clothoide)
• Combined elements with Arc, Line and Euler Spirale
Using AutoRoad for Landscape Virtual Reality Visualization 3
Figure 1
Especially in Europe, roads are built as clothoids to ensure a smooth steering along curved
sections. Clothoids are basically described as follows:
(1) A2=r × l
A = Parameter in m which corresponds to the speed of the curvature change
r = Circle radius
l = Length of the transition arc
5 High Level Elements
High level elements can be e.g. complex roads intersection or other geometry with special
items and which do not fit into the category roads segments.
Roads intersection can be generated using the Road intersection editor within AutoRoad®
in respect to the rules of road construction (e.g. in Germany the RAS).
The biggest difficulty by designing road intersection is to ensure a logical connection and
coherency of several roads together. The algorithm used in AutoRoad® for constructing
roads Intersection is based on building and controlling roads width enlargement or
diminution.
6 The Road Side Editor
To manage traffic, a variety of special devices are needed to guide drivers. This devices are
implemented on the road side. Using the road side editor within AutoRoad® elements like
M. Sabeur and N. Reichelt 4
traffic signs and lights or reflectors can be interactively positioned where they are needed.
Furthermore any geometrical entity which is stored as OpenFlight or 3D Studio can be
imported into the Road side editor and place on the road side.
The road side editor can be used to populate the road side with pre built objects like trees,
electrical pylons, pre modeled buildings (houses etc.), telephone cells or others 3D models.
7 The Road Cross Section Editor
They are many types of roads (small roads, multi-lane roads, highways, etc.) which have
different cross section and where each cross section is a collection of several tracks or
lanes. AutoRoad® comes with a series of predefined cross section roads which correspond
to common roads. In general, each country has its own roads specification. Therefore, it is
possible that the user can define himself any kind of roads he needs and/or in respect to any
specification.
Furthermore, the road cross section editor gives the user the possibility to define rails
tracks. So AutoRoad® can be used for building rails sections.
8 Roads Properties
Properties like roughness, wetness, friction and others are defined as attributes to complete
roads or only a special section of the roads. This information is being stored in to the
database of logical road data as YA-Format. They can be than used e.g. by simulation
codes.
9 3D Roads
3D roads are created by editing the heights and the pitch angle of the cross sections.
The use of terrain data will be realized in the near future by importing standard data (e.g
DEM - digital elevation map- or DTED - digital terrain elevation data-). In this case an
algorithm is being developed to project and integrate automatically roads geometry into the
terrain.
10 Graphical User Interface / Editing Tools
AutoRoad® offers all the necessary construction tools for editing any kind of roads
network . This editing tools have been realized by using all the standards within Microsoft
Windows. So the Graphical User Interface has the look and feel of any Microsoft
Windows application. This facilitates the starting and learning as well as the productivity
and helps to lower the costs and shorten the development cycle.
Using AutoRoad for Landscape Virtual Reality Visualization 5
Roads elements can be defined graphically in a drag and drop modus or by giving in
numerical data.
Figure 2
11 Road Network
Generating single road elements such as lines, arcs or clothoids is just the first step in the
database generation process. The challenge is to connect these elements in a very efficient
manner. In AutoRoad®, one can generate a complete network interactively by
automatically creating single elements and connecting them together.
12 Geometry Interfaces
AutoRoad® has interfaces to standard 3D modelers. The following data formats are
supported:
Import Export
3D Studio® OpenFlight®
OpenFlight®
M. Sabeur and N. Reichelt 6
13 Examples
Figure 3
14 Future Developments and Conclusion
Our objective is to develop AutoRoad® into a complete "Virtual World Builder" in general
and specifically for generating database for urban landscape simulation. The goal is to
build urban databases completely within AutoRoad® and without the need of using other
3D modelers. This will optimize dramatically the workflow and help to lower the costs.
The automatic generation of buildings and landscape on the road side by involving digital
elevation maps is for example one of the research aspects we are working on.
AutoRoad® is a straightforward approach of how to build efficiently and cost effectively
roads networks for urban landscape virtual reality visualization. AutoRoad® covers many
topics needed by urban landscapes models builders. We believe that with AutoRoad® we
have made our contribution for helping urban landscape architects to use virtual reality to
represent, review and communicate their projects.
15 References
Richtlinie für die Anlage von Straßen (RAS, Forschungsgesellschaft für Straßen- und
Verkehrswesen Ausgabe 1995
Natzschka, Henning, Straßenbau, Teubner Verlag 1997
Osterloh, Horst, Straßenplannung mit Klothoiden, Bauverlag GmbH 1991
Interdisciplinary Cooperation in the Development of
Customer-Oriented Brand Architecture
Johannes DROSDOL, Joachim KIEFERLE, Andreas WIERSE and Uwe WÖSSNER
Abstract
At DaimlerChrysler innovative technologies such as Mixed Reality (MR) and interdisciplinary cooperation technologies are not just applied to vehicle design engineering, they are also tested in marketing to ensure consistent and continued development for customer-oriented brand architecture. Under the draft title of ‘BrandStudio’, all brand experts will initially be provided with a laboratory where realistic simulations of architectural elements, exhibition concepts and theatrical presentation processes can be generated, new potential approaches can be discussed and prepared without the constraints of a hierarchy and customer-interaction processes can be researched and scientifically evaluated.
This concept was applied during the development of the Group’s new BrandCenter and used as the basis for the ‘MB Center Milan’ pilot project.
The knowledge gained from this project is described below.
1 The Task
A brand is the discriminator that forges the purchasing decision.
Customers no longer purchase the pure product – they purchase a brand promise and a brand style – a range of items that offer personal distinction and image.
Purchasing preference is based on trust
Customer perception relies on all instruments of communication, from conventional advertising at trade fairs, exhibitions, the Internet, right through to brand architecture, working in synergy to create an intrinsically coherent brand world.
Architecture can’t not communicate
The architectural image of a brand is part of its brand world. It is this image that communicates with the (potential) customer. The selective development of a brand architecture contributes towards images being implanted in customers’ minds and therefore to the brand character itself.
J. Drosdol, J. Kieferle, A. Wierse and U. Wössner 2
Brand architecture development is a never-ending task for
interdisciplinary experts.
To keep step with the spirit of the age and exceed customer expectations at any time, architectural development must continue to evolve. The Group’s products are sold world-
wide. Brand spirit and local involvement should emanate from every point of sale. To round out the list of requirements, the architecture should also consider the various aspects of multiple brand management.
The function of DaimlerChrysler’s Architect-Center is the continued development of the customer-oriented brand architecture.
The sum total of the issues described here reflect the complexity of this function and demands an effective collaboration between many experts – brand managers, architects, artists, media designers, suppliers, distribution network planners, communication strategists, dramatists and many others – right from the initial planning stages.
2 The Initial Solution
The initial solution for this function is a method developed to both facilitate and foster a trusting collaboration between experts from different disciplines. The fundamental concept is to replicate the company’s knowledge of the brand, architecture and presentation etc. using network communication, thereby activating the implied knowledge of the Group. The draft title for this human-machine interface for the development of brand worlds is ‘BrandStudio’. It ideally combines the confidence-building face-to-face communication with the virtual and digital worlds of simulations. The immersive design environment enables all participants, from the uninitiated to the expert, to find their solution faster as they understand more clearly and earlier what their conversation partner is actually thinking.
Moderated meetings in this studio serve to improve the quality of the architectural design process, because all issues ‘are on the table’ quickly and clearly.
Development of Customer-Oriented Brand Architecture 3
Each of the participating experts is given the opportunity to be the co-author of the future. Each expert with his specialist knowledge is involved and heard. This is how the implied knowledge of the Group is activated.
Crucial elements of this working environment are:
• consistent visualization of all designs
• intermediary support for the collaboration
• complex process simulation, also with future users.
Digital mock-ups of the proposed architecture projects reduce costs through being able to make an early, holistic and interactive assessment of the building design and all its variants in their real scale. Expensive follow-up work on the real building is largely eliminated.
3 Project History
Initially, existing architectural designs were visualized in Mixed Reality (MR) in order to test the potentials of the VR laboratory. The dialogue process was then incorporated as a structured procedure and a communication between experts was established.
These activities were implemented in the DaimlerChrysler Virtual Reality Center (VRC) in Sindelfingen. The VR environment (3 CAVEs and more than 15 different powerwalls, high-performance computers and PC clusters) already in use for efficient vehicle design engineering was for the first time applied to building development.
Various VR software products were tested for their applicability to architecture development and the working methods of the various brand experts were also observed, controlled and optimized.
This highlighted a number of interesting facts.
COVISE proved its flexibility as the VR software extremely suitable for being adopted into the VR environment unfamiliar to architects and brand creators. Operation through mike and keyboard, movement modes even on steps and location-related simulated noises were of prime importance, all this, of course, was reliant upon good team interaction and an approach backed by equal understanding and absolute commitment.
Other important observations: by presenting designs in any scale, even to a model scale of 1:100, many newcomers got the hang of the new medium faster. For important discussions and the issue regarding the best arrangement of architectural elements, the 1:1 presentation
J. Drosdol, J. Kieferle, A. Wierse and U. Wössner 4
in the confined CAVE was preferred even over the generous powerwall (7.5 x 2.5 m). The interactions and real-time simulations were crucial.
The activities focused on 3 essential aspects:
• A new concept for the Mercedes-Benz BrandCenter was developed as a result of the distribution process restructuring. Then came the prominent BrandGallery, an eccentric frustum that houses changing brand exhibitions and will soon be on show in some important European capitals.
• Work on the ‘MB Center Milan’ project, which also represents the prototype for the new BrandCenter. Priority was given to refining concrete and creative issues in this project. Also the experimental illustration of potential planning and design alternatives, color variations and much more.
• The software required to depict the MB Center in Mixed Reality was further adapted to meet architectural demands. Many functions have emerged through observing the actions of all participants and as a result of requirements from working with architects and exhibition designers.
The following illustration contains several examples that are possible in a VR environment with COVISE and that represent added value during the development of brand architecture:
COVISE and Architectural Visualization
COVISE was developed initially at the High Performance Computing Center at the University of Stuttgart. Even back in the 90s, architectural and planning applications were utilizing the Virtual Reality functionality of COVISE; the collaboration with University institutes guaranteed that the needs of these applications would be considered during development of the software framework.
The advantage of COVISE lies in the flexibility of its modular approach. It is not only possible to visualize geometric data (such as CAD or landscape data), the visualization of physical properties can also be performed simultaneously. This allows the user to go beyond the simple visualization of “visible” entities, such as the photo-like rendering of buildings. COVISE enables standard visible geometries to be combined and what are normally invisible entities to be displayed: the flow of the air around a building, the flow of water in a river, the temperature in an air-conditioned environment.
Development of Customer-Oriented Brand Architecture 5
Although it is possible to display high-quality, photo-like scenarios in COVISE, its focus during the development has been on providing a useful tool for the day-to-day tasks of the architects.
Exhibition Generator
The use of an “exhibition generator” allows any number of elements to be interactively and freely integrated into the scene. It is possible to create, vary and assess exhibitions from dramaturgy to arranging individual elements – right through to the ultimate decision. And all that can be done in
just one meeting within the interdisciplinary team.
The result of the discussion can be visually reported and means that the imminent decision can be taken from a mature perspective.
Models and Sectional Planes
The representation of a complex design to any scale (from 1:500 to 1:1), variable sectional planes through these virtual models, the online separation of individual components and entire assemblies, the visualization of the air flow through or in the building and the representation of the temperature flow creates new opportunities for architects, energy experts, brand managers and exhibition designers alike.
Any necessary changes can be reviewed and initial solutions discussed and implemented within the team.
Augmented Tool for Input∗
The elements – in the picture 3 vehicles and a plasma screen – of a still fictitious exhibition can be positioned using an additional intuitive input tool. At the same time, all participants in the CAVE can visually assess this position change immediately, they can move between the vehicles and the plasma screen and assess the influence of the anticipating audience much more
quickly and clearly, thereby adopting the design of such an exhibition more quickly and with a higher quality.
The figure below shows the model vehicles and corresponding markers loaded into the virtual scene by video camera.
The combination of virtual scene and reality (of the model) affords the observer an intuitive interaction, especially with complex scenes.
∗ This Augmented input device is a research project with the University of Stuttgart
J. Drosdol, J. Kieferle, A. Wierse and U. Wössner 6
4 What are the Highlights?
The ‘BrandStudio’ - a meeting
point for experts and decision
makers.
This design immediately generates ‘spatial’ objects which can be portrayed and observed in human proportions; to a ratio of 1:1 and in real time.
This means that building owners and architects have before their eyes the designed building in its real size and perspective and can even walk inside the building (CAVE). The figures merge to form a continuous 3-D impression, whereby the user is no longer just the ‘external’ observer, he becomes a part of the virtual environment.
All those involved in a design process – brand managers, brand strategists, sales planners, designers, architects and building owners and decision makers can walk through the virtual BrandCenter, interact with the model, move components such as walls, staircases, projection elements and much more, vary light sources and therefore, in this simulated reality, hold a clear dialogue regarding requirements and their realization.
Creating real added value in the design process:
• Decisions are taken from a mature perspective • Variants can be discussed in the VR meeting in a timely fashion • Real discussions that result in new knowledge even among experts are possible
5 The Future
Look the customer in the eye and know the market.
In the ‘BrandStudio’, we will be offering architects and planners another unique opportunity.
We plan to guide test customers through the virtual car showroom. The reactions of these customers will reveal whether the planned room dramaturgy and the presentation concept are appropriate. Applying special interview techniques, indicators will be determined that allow conclusions to be drawn on the purchasing decision process. The brand researchers have what is referred to as a ‘showroom clinic’ for this purpose. Because only those who really understand their customers can make customer-oriented presentations. That’s why it’s important to be able to test and simulate the selection and purchasing process under laboratory conditions.