Efficient Real-Time Rendering of Building Information Models

A Building Information Model (BIM) is a powerful concept, since it allows both 2D-drawings and 3D-models of buildings or facilities to be extracted from the same source of data. Compared to a general 3D-CAD model a BIM is a different kind of representation, since it defines not only geometrical data but also information regarding spatial relations and semantics. However, because of the large number of individual objects and high geometric complexity, 3D-data obtained from a BIM are not easily used for real-time rendering without further processing. In this paper we present a culling system specifically designed for efficient real-time rendering of BIM’s. By utilizing the unique properties of a BIM we can form the required data structures without manual modification or expensive preprocessing of the input data. Using hardware occlusion queries together with additional mechanisms based on specific BIM-data, the presented system achieves good culling efficiency for both indoor and outdoor cases

Virtual collaborative design environment: supporting seamless integration of multitouch table and immersive VR

Throughout the design of a new building it is essential that all involved stakeholders understand, communicate, participate, and collaborate with each other to acquire a high-quality result. To support these shared and creative design processes, this paper presents the design and evaluation of virtual collaborative design environment (ViCoDE)—a new collaborative design system. ViCoDE features seamless integration of several immersive VR systems and a multitouch table that facilitates collaborative and interactive design work with immediate feedback. The evaluation of the system has been done during two real-life collaborative design workshops in a context of designing new healthcare environments. The results show that the VR system and multitouch table complement each other very well by facilitating both collaborative, and individual design spaces—and that it fosters better understanding, participation, communication, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among the different stakeholders. The contribution is two-fold: presentation of a new collaborative design system and the evaluation of its use in a real-life design context, which demonstrate how these new technology-based workshops may facilitate design management

Development and Implementations of Virtual Reality for Urban Planning and Building Design

The use of Virtual Reality (VR) has been seen by many as holding great potential in increasing the effectiveness and improving communication in the decision making process in urban planning and building design. VR can faulitate processes so that participants can better understand, identify and analyze problems together to improve their decision making and the future urban environment. However, VR has not attained the impact and penetration that was predicted. The often mentioned barriers for implementing new technologies into the construction industry are human and cultural factors, lack of IT skills, lack of knowledge and awareness and finally the lack of the technology itself including, for example, tools. This thesis contributes knowledge that helps improve the usability and successful implementation of VR technology in the urban planning and building design process. The approach to achieve this has been to investigate both the human usability and technical aspects of VR. In the context of human usability, this thesis deals with whether and how VR can be used in decision making in the urban planning and building design process. In this context it is also important to investigate how different actors experience VR in different decision making contexts in the urban planning and building design process. The technical part of this thesis aims to improve the usability and implementation of VR by presenting new tools and methods that fit the existing planning pipeline in the urban planning and building design process. In this context it is important to create tools and methods that are cost and time effective for producing virtual worlds. The results show that VR was experienced to be useful by the participants in the investigated parts of the decision making process. The VR-model gave a broader understanding about the sizes and volumes of the new buildings and how these interact with the surrounding urban environment. This thesis also presents three enhanced technical methods that integrate VR in a time- and cost-effective way. 1. Semi-automatic creation of a 3D-City model from the City Planning Authorities’ base map 2. Creating enhanced visual quality for ground material 3. Enhanced rendering of BIM models The methods have been integrated into software called MrViz that is used at the City Planning Authorities of Göteborg and Kungsbacka

Exploring Object Representations: Virtual Reality Models for Environmental Planning Projects

Using Virtual Reality (VR) models that support planning and design has become increasingly recognized, especially for visualizing future environmental changes. When designing and communicating these changes they are sometimes simplified while at other times photorealistic representations are used. All the parties involved should trust these representations throughout the entire project. This is not the case today. Representations can be mistrusted, misleading or even misused by certain stakeholders, whilst others regard them as supportive. The overall aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of the used representations and the associated risks and benefits that influence communication. While there are several studies in this research area, there are no earlier studies that have investigated the role of representations through long-term, practical projects. Supported by examples from both practical and research studies, the results illustrate how the validity of representations depends on the major project phases. The results illustrate user demands for more supportive object representations, e.g. illustrating possible known object deviations, information on validity and reliability related to objects in context, and for additional clarifications depending on the project phase, especially regarding representations that are too photorealistic

Power plays: designers, users and interactive digital technology

The potential of emerging new digital technologies to support managing design and construction processes has been widely addressed in the literature. However, most studies stress the effect of technology on performing design activities whilst giving limited attention to the emerging new practices of designers and users engaging in these new, digitally-based work settings. We adopt a practice-based perspective to shift the focus from studying the impact of digital technologies on design work to understanding how the emerging practices of design stakeholders' engagement become configured in novel technological environments. The case examined is a ‘real-life’ design project for a new hospital in Sweden wherein a mixed digital technology environment was used to support designers' and end-users' engagement during a workshop for briefing the design of the operating theatre. The methodology draws on observation and video recordings of the design workshop performed in the VR setting. The particular environment features seamless integration of a multi-touch table and several immersive VR-systems that support interactive and collaborative design work. Analysis of interactions between designers and users in thinking about the designed space within the VR environment reveals three thematic aspects - around the intersection of design and medical practices and expertise in the VR setting, the participants' collaborative configuring of the design for the operating theatre and of the designing space encountered in the VR environment. The findings indicate distinct dynamics around the empowerment of users, enabled by the use of the interactive smart board, the negotiation and shaping of design through interaction of the two practices’ discourses, and how this relates to moving across the various representational means available- the range of technologies and bodily gestures and movement to visualise dimensions and enact the use of the space

An empowered collaborative planning method in a Swedish construction company - A case study

The construction industry has seen several takes on planning methods, both in theory and in practice. One such initiative is the planning part of the Last Planner System (LPS) of production control, which has both been theorized and implemented at various degrees. However, with new developments in e.g., Building Information Modelling (BIM), it is relevant to study how an LPS implementation can be supported and improved with help of BIM. In particular it is interesting how BIM can be used to facilitate and enhance LPS in the phase planning. Furthermore, it is relevant to explore how BIM can enhance the understanding of the project at hand. For this a study was conducted on how a method inspired by LPS planning currently is applied in one of the larger construction companies in Sweden. The aim of the research is to describe the utilized planning method and explore possibilities to enhance the method. The research was conducted through observations of three full day workshops utilizing the method, complimented with a number of interviews. Strengths and weaknesses as well as its current use were identified and analysed. The observations, interviews and literature confirmed that the method is effective as well as presented indications that the current implementation of BIM in parallel with the method leaves room for improvement