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Facetons: Face primitives for building 3D architectural models in virtual environments
Abstract
We present faceton, a geometric modeling primitive designed for building architectural models, using a six degrees of freedom (DoF) input device in a virtual environment (VE). A faceton is given as an oriented point floating in the air and defines a plane of infinite extent passing through the point. The polygonal mesh model is constructed by taking the intersection of the planes associated with the facetons. With the simple drag-and-drop and group interaction of faceton, users can easily create 3D architecture models in the VE. The faceton primitive and its interaction reduce the overhead associated with standard polygonal mesh modeling in VE, where users have to manually specify vertexes and edges which could be far away. The faceton representation is inspired by the research on boundary representations (B-rep) and constructive solid geometry (CSG), but it is driven by a novel adaptive bounding algorithm and is specifically designed for the 3D modeling activities in an immersive virtual environment.
... It is more common to find in the market examples of the application of VR in architecture directed towards the presentation of finished works (Schnabel et al. 2001, Klerk et al. 2019, and although there is no consensus on the most efficient method or software to develop the architectural modelling within VR (Klerk et al. 2019), existing research from the 1990s to the recently points to the positive and promising results of their experiments, for example (Jackson and Keefe 2016, Rahimian and Ibrahim 2011, De Vries and Achten 2002, Schnabel 2011, Sasaki et al. 2013, Butterworth et al. 1992, Donath et al. 1999, Donath and Regenbrecht 1996, Hill II et al. 1999, Klerk et al. 2019. Even so, in general, the use of VR for this purpose can still be considered experimental. ...
... However, this system could only offer a single scale (1,1) user experience and an unstable tracking system due to the technical limitations at that time. Despite that, this proposed voxel-based approach still inspired a significant number of related works on virtual system maquettes [51,52]. In fact, recent advancements in immersive display and spatial tracking technologies have led to a new spur in research over the associated area. ...
With its advanced capabilities of immersive and interactive visualization, virtual reality (VR) has been advocated to facilitate design, engineering, construction, and management for the built environment. Substantial efforts have thus been devoted to VR-related applications in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry over the last decades, resulting in a vast, diverse, and fragmented body of knowledge. The objective of this research is to systematically gain an in-depth understanding of research trends as well as reveal challenges and opportunities for future research in the area. To achieve this objective, this research explores the state-of-the-art in VR applications for the built environment by a mixed quantitative-qualitative review method. A total of 229 journal articles are collected using a structured data acquisition approach from Scopus and then fed into a bibliometric analysis to construct science maps. By doing so, the main research outlets, articles, and themes of this research field are quantitatively identified. Subsequently, an in-depth qualitative discussion is presented to provide deeper insights into the challenges and opportunities of main research topics. Furthermore, future research directions are proposed as follows: 1) user-centered adaptive design, 2) attention-driven virtual reality information systems, 3) construction training systems incorporating human factors, 4) occupant-centered facility management, and 5) industry adoption. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by synthesizing the state of the art of VR technology for the built environment and exposing its research needs, which can serve both academia and industry in terms of promoting VR applications for the built environment.
... Recently, the development of early stage maquettes in VR environments has received a renewed attention. Sasaki et al. [40] introduced facetons, a geometric modeling primitive for easy and fast prototyping of architectural buildings in virtual reality. Essentially, a faceton was an oriented point in mid-air that defined an infinite plane passing through that point. ...
Despite its marked success in recent years, it is still not clear how Virtual Reality (VR) can assist architects at the early stages of ideation and design. In this paper, we approach VR to build and explore maquettes at different scales in early design stages. To this end we developed a VR environment where user interactions are supported by untethered, easy to operate, peripherals, using a mobile virtual reality headset to provide virtual immersion and simplified geometric information to create voxel-based maquettes. Usability studies with laypeople suggest that the proposed system is both easier to use and more effective [better suited] than current CAD software to rapidly create simplified models. Additionally, tests with architects have shown the system's potential to improve their toolset. This is partly due to VR combining real-time performance with immersive exploration of the content, where body-scale relationships become visible to support the creative process, allowing architects to become both builders and explores of spatial constructs.
... A three-step strategy for constructing a three-dimensional model of a building which simplifying the smallest side of buildings firstly and then using P-tree convex hull technology to carry out plane aggregation and reconstructing the building generalization model finally (Baig S U, 2013). Sasaki N discussed how to construct a building model by computing a network polygon model from a given set of Facetons models (Sasaki N, 2013). Sugihara K automatically generated 3D building models by constructing polygon rectification. ...
With the development of digital city, digital applications are more and more widespread, while the urban buildings are more complex. Therefore, establishing an effective data model is the key to express urban building models accurately. In addition, the combination of 3D building model and remote sensing data become a trend to build digital city there are a large amount of data resulting in data redundancy. In order to solve the limitation of single modelling of constructive solid geometry (CSG), this paper presents a mixed modelling method based on SCSG-BR for urban buildings representation. On one hand, the improved CSG method, which is called as “Spatial CSG (SCSG)” representation method, is used to represent the exterior shape of urban buildings. On the other hand, the boundary representation (BR) method represents the topological relationship between geometric elements of urban building, in which the textures is considered as the attribute data of the wall and the roof of urban building. What's more, the method combined file database and relational database is used to manage the data of three-dimensional building model, which can decrease the complex processes in texture mapping. During the data processing, the least-squares algorithm with constraints is used to orthogonalize the building polygons and adjust the polygons topology to ensure the accuracy of the modelling data. Finally, this paper matches the urban building model with the corresponding orthophoto. This paper selects data of Denver, Colorado, USA to establish urban building realistic model. The results show that the SCSG-BR method can represent the topological relations of building more precisely. The organization and management of urban building model data reduce the redundancy of data and improve modelling speed. The combination of orthophoto and urban building model further strengthens the application in view analysis and spatial query, which enhance the scope of digital city applications.
We present DesignAR, an augmented design workstation for creating 3D models. Our approach seamlessly integrates an interactive surface displaying 2D views with head-mounted, stereoscopic Augmented Reality (AR). This creates a combined output space that expands the screen estate and enables placing 3D objects beyond display borders. For the effective combination of 2D and 3D views, we define different levels of proximity and alignment. Regarding input, multi-touch and pen mitigate issues of precision and ergonomics commonly found in mid-air VR/AR interaction. For creating and refining 3D models, we propose a set of pen and touch techniques with immediate AR feedback, including sketching of rotational solids or tracing physical objects on the surface. To further support a designer's modeling process, we additionally propose orthographic model views and UI offloading in AR as well as freely placeable model instances with real-world reference. Based on our DesignAR prototype, we report on challenges and insights regarding this novel type of display augmentation. The combination of high-resolution, high-precision interactive surfaces with carefully aligned AR views opens up exciting possibilities for future work and design environments, a vision we call Augmented Displays.
In this digital age, architects still need to alternate between paper sketches and 3D modeling software for their designs. Indeed, while 3D models enable to explore different views, creating them at very early stages might reduce creativity since they do not allow to superpose several tentative designs nor to refine them progressively, as sketches do. To enable exploratory design in 3D, we introduce Nested Explorative Maps, a new system dedicated to interactive design in architecture. Our model enables coarse to fine sketching of nested architectural structures, enabling to progressively sketch a 3D building from floor plan to interior design, thanks to a series of nested maps able to spread in 3D. Each map allows the visual representation of uncertainty as well as the interactive exploration of the alternative, tentative options. We validate the model through a user study conducted with professional architects, enabling us to highlight the potential of Nested Explorative Maps for conceptual design in architecture.
TurkDeck is an immersive virtual reality system that reproduces not only what users see and hear, but also what users feel. TurkDeck produces the haptic sensation using props, i.e., when users touch or manipulate an object in the virtual world, they simultaneously also touch or manipulate a corresponding object in the physical world. Unlike previous work on prop-based virtual reality, however, TurkDeck allows creating arbitrarily large virtual worlds in finite space and using a finite set of physical props. The key idea behind TurkDeck is that it creates these physical representations on the fly by making a group of human workers present and operate the props only when and where the user can actually reach them. TurkDeck manages these so-called " human actuators " by displaying visual instructions that tell the human actuators when and where to place props and how to actuate them. We demonstrate TurkDeck at the example of an immersive 300m 2 experience in 25m 2 physical space. We show how to simulate a wide range of physical objects and effects, including walls, doors, ledges, steps, beams, switches, stompers, portals, zip lines, and wind. In a user study, participants rated the realism/immersion of TurkDeck higher than a traditional prop-less baseline condition (4.9 vs. 3.6 on 7 item Likert).
PushPull tools are implemented in most commercial 3D modeling suites. Their purpose is to intuitively transform a face, edge, or vertex, and then to adapt the polygonal mesh locally. However, previous approaches have limitations: Some allow adjustments only when adjacent faces are orthogonal; others support slanted surfaces but never create new details. Moreover, self-intersections and edge-collapses during editing are either ignored or work only partially for solid geometry. To overcome these limitations, we introduce the PushPull++ tool for rapid polygonal modeling. In our solution, we contribute novel methods for adaptive face insertion, adjacent face updates, edge collapse handling, and an intuitive user interface that automatically proposes useful drag directions. We show that PushPull++ reduces the complexity of common modeling tasks by up to an order of magnitude when compared with existing tools.
This paper presents an approach for the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) and Computer-Aided Design (CAD). Our general goal is to develop a VR–CAD framework making possible intuitive and direct 3D edition on CAD objects within Virtual Environments (VE). Such a framework can be applied to collaborative part design activities and to immersive project reviews. The cornerstone of our approach is a model that manages implicit editing of CAD objects. This model uses a naming technique of B-Rep components and a set of logical rules to provide straight access to the operators of Construction History Graphs (CHG). Another set of logical rules and the replay capacities of CHG make it possible to modify in real-time the parameters of these operators according to the user’s 3D interactions. A demonstrator of our model has been developed on the OpenCASCADE geometric kernel, but we explain how it can be applied to more standard CAD systems such as CATIA. We combined our VR–CAD framework with multimodal immersive interaction (using 6 DoF tracking, speech and gesture recognition systems) to gain direct and intuitive deformation of the objects’ shapes within a VE, thus avoiding explicit interactions with the CHG within a classical WIMP interface. In addition, we present several haptic paradigms specially conceptualized and evaluated to provide an accurate perception of B-Rep components and to help the user during his/her 3D interactions. Finally, we conclude on some issues for future researches in the field of VR–CAD integration.
We present a new interactive modeling technique based on the notion of sculpting a solid material. A sculpting tool is controlled by a D input device and the material is represented by voxel data; the tool acts by modifying the values in the voxel array, much as a "paint" program's "paintbrush" modifies bitmap values. The voxel data is converted to a polygonal surface using a "marching-cubes" algorithm; since the modifications to the voxel data are local, we accelerate this computation by an incremental algorithm and accelerate the display by using a special data structure for determining which polygons must be redrawn in a particular screen region. We provide a variety of tools: one that cuts away material, one that adds material, a "sandpaper" tool, a "heat gun," etc. The technique provides an intuitive direct interaction, as if the user were working with clay or wax. The models created are free-form and may have complex topology; however, they are not precise, so the technique is appropriate for modeling a boulder or a tooth but not for modeling a crankshaft.
Environ plays an important part in a collaborative problem-solving environment tailored to assist the control and execution of large, complex petroleum engineering projects. To aid collaboration, Environ provides a scripting layer for executing commands (locally and remotely) and resources such as annotation of engineering artifacts and synchronized navigation control. Although Environ's performance is satisfactory for numerous CAD models, its performance deserves more attention, especially because we designed it to run on desktop computers and to visualize CAD models of increasing complexity. As we mentioned before, no commercial or academic solution has completely solved the problems of CAD-VR integration. This fact restricts, but hasn't stopped, the industry's increasing use of VR systems. Meanwhile, our research related to Environ, as well as other researchers' work, is providing valuable contributions to the search for effective solutions.
We describe a novel approach to inferring 3D curves from perspective drawings in an interactive design tool. Our methods are based on a traditional design drawing style known as analytic drawing, which supports precise image-space construction of a linear 3D scaffold. This scaffold in turn acts as a set of visual constraints for sketching 3D curves. We implement analytic drawing techniques in a pure-inference sketching interface which supports both single-and multi-view incremental construction of complex scaffolds and curve networks. A new representation of 3D drawings is proposed, and useful interactive drawing aids are described. Novel techniques are presented for deriving constraints from single-view sketches drawn relative to the current 3D scaffold, and then inferring 3D line and curve geometry which satisfies these constraints. The resulting analytic drawing tool allows 3D drawings to be constructed using exactly the same strokes as one would make on paper.
There is no doubt that 3D interfaces edged 2D ones in 3D modeling applications. 2D input devices cannot provide 3D information directly and are less efficient. Direct manipulation, which is highly desirable in 3D modeling, is also impossible. This paper describes the design and implementation of a virtual hand interface for a 3D modeler, which can be used to creating VRML worlds. The virtual hand interface allows direct 3D interaction of objects. Users can grab, move or resize the object easily with their hands in a more natural and intuitive way. A fuzzy logic posture recognition system is incorporated with the modeler to accept posture commands. Fuzzy logic is applied to cope with imprecise data stored in the sample posutre database and the ones to be recognized in real-time. A posture database editor is developed for managing the sample posture database, whose functions include posture insertion, deletion, testing and viewing the records in the posture database. The 3D virtual worl...
This book is based on lectures presented at an international workshop on geometric modeling held at Hewlett Packard GmbH in Boblingen, FRG, in June 1990. International experts from academia and industry were selected to speak on the most interesting topics in geometric modeling. The resulting papers, published in this volume, give a state-of-the-art survey of the relevant problems and issues. The following topics are discussed: - Methods for constructing surfaces on surfaces: four different solutions to the multidimen sional problem of constructing an interpolant from surface data are provided. - Surfaces in solid modeling: current results on the implementation of free-fonn solids in three well established solid models are reviewed. - Box splines and applications: an introduction to box spline methods for the representation of surfaces is given. Basic properties of box splines are derived, and refinement and evaluation methods for box splines are presented in detail. Shape preserving properties, the construction of non-rectangular box spline surfaces, applications to surface modeling, and imbedding problems, are discussed. - Advanced computer graphics techniques for volume visualization: the steps to be executed in the visualization process of volume data are described and tools are discussed that assist in handling this data. - Rational B-splines: an introduction to the representation of curves and surfaces using rational B-splines is given, together with a critical evaluation of their potential for industrial application.
We describe a novel approach to inferring 3D curves from perspective drawings in an interactive design tool. Our methods are based on a traditional design drawing style known as analytic drawing, which supports precise image-space construction of a linear 3D scaffold. This scaffold in turn acts as a set of visual constraints for sketching 3D curves. We implement analytic drawing techniques in a pure-inference sketching interface which supports both singleand multi-view incremental construction of complex scaffolds and curve networks. A new representation of 3D drawings is proposed, and useful interactive drawing aids are described. Novel techniques are presented for deriving constraints from single-view sketches drawn relative to the current 3D scaffold, and then inferring 3D line and curve geometry which satisfies these constraints. The resulting analytic drawing tool allows 3D drawings to be constructed using exactly the same strokes as one would make on paper.
Sketching communicates ideas rapidly through approximate visual images with low overhead (pencil and paper), no need for precision or specialized knowledge, and ease of low-level correction and revision. In contrast, most 3D computer modeling systems are good at generating arbitrary views of precise 3D models and support high-level editing and revision. The SKETCH application described in this paper attempts to combine the advantages of each in order to create an environment for rapidly conceptualizing and editing approximate 3D scenes. To achieve this, SKETCH uses simple non-photorealistic rendering and a purely gestural interface based on simplified line drawings of primitives that allows all operations to be specified within the 3D world.
This article proposes a hierarchically structured and constraint-based data model for intuitive and precise solid modeling in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The data model integrates a high level constraint-based model for intuitive and precise manipulation, a middle level solid model for complete and precise representation and a low-level polygon mesh model for real-time interactions and visualization in a VR environment. The solid model is based on a hybrid B-rep/CSG data structure. Constraints are embedded in the solid model and are organized at hierarchical levels as feature constraints among internal feature elements, part constraints among internal features and assembly constraints between individual parts. In addition to providing a complete and precise model representation and the support for real-time visualization, the proposed data model permits intuitive and precise interaction through constraint-based manipulations for solid modeling in a VR environment. This is a critical issue for product design in a VR environment due to the limited resolutions of today's VR input and output devices.
This paper describes an optimization-based algorithm for reconstructing a 3D model from a single, inaccurate, 2D edge-vertex graph. The graph, which serves as input for the reconstruction process, is obtained from an inaccurate freehand sketch of a 3D wireframe object. Compared with traditional reconstruction methods based on line labelling, the proposed approach is more tolerant of faults in handling both inaccurate vertex positioning and sketches with missing entities. Furthermore, the proposed reconstruction method supports a wide scope of general (manifold and non-manifold) objects containing flat and cylindrical faces. Sketches of wireframe models usually include enough information to reconstruct the complete body. The optimization algorithm is discussed, and examples from a working implementation are given.
Surface Drawing is a system for creating organic 3D shapes in a manner which supports the needs and interests of artists. This medium facilitates the early stages of creative design which many 3D modeling programs neglect. Much like traditional media such as line drawing and painting, Surface Drawing lets users construct shapes through repeated marking. In our case, the hand is used to mark 3D space in a semi-immersive virtual environment. The interface is completed with tangible tools to edit and manipulate models. We introduce the use of tongs to move and scale 3D shapes and demonstrate a magnet tool which is comfortably held without restricting hand motion. We evaluated our system through collaboration with artists and designers, exhibition before hundreds of users, our own extensive exploration of the medium, and an informal user study. Response was especially positive from users with an artistic background.
Instead of the reality in which you can see your own limbs, in virtual reality simulations it is sometimes disturbing not to be able to see your own body. It seems to create an issue in the proprioperception of the user who does not completely feel integrated in the environment. This perspective should be beneficial for the users. We propose to give the possibility to the people to use the first and the third-person perspective like in video games (e.g. GTA). As the gamers prefer to use the third-person perspective for moving actions and the first-person view for the thin operations, we will verify this comportment is extendable to simulations in augmented and virtual reality.
We present a new free-form interactive modeling technique based on the metaphor of clay work. This paper discusses design issues and an immersive modeling system which enables a user to design intuitively and interactively 3D solid objects with curved surfaces by using one's finger. Shape deformation is expressed by simple formulas without complex calculation because of skeletal implicit surfaces employed to represent smooth free-form surfaces. A polygonization algorithm that generates polygonal representation from implicit surfaces is developed to reduce the time required for rendering curved surfaces, since conventional graphics hardware is optimized for displaying polygons. The prototype system has shown that a user can design 3D solid objects composed of curved surfaces in a short time by deforming objects intuitively using one's finger in real time.
View of the Assembly Relationship Graph The RG described above is not a solid representation scheme but is concerned with maintaining the relationship between assembly parts. However, the geometric information for each mating surface is maintained within corresponding entity node. This geometric information is used by the constraint solver when evaluating and solving constraints.
Existing 3D sketching methods typically allow the user to draw in empty space which is imprecise and lacks tactile feedback. We introduce a shape-stamping interface where users can model with tangible 3D primitive shapes. Each of these shapes represents a copy or a fragment of the construction material. Instead of modeling in empty space, these shapes allow us to use the real-world environment and other existing objects as a tangible guide during 3D modeling. We call this approach Situated Modeling: users can create new real-sized 3D objects directly in 3D space while using the nearby existing objects as the ultimate reference. We also describe a two-handed shape-stamping technique for stamping with tactile feedback. We show a variety of doit-yourself furniture and household products designed with our system, and perform a user study to compare our method with a related AR-based modeling system.
dm is a three dimensional (3D) surface modeling program that draws techniques of model manipulation from both CAD and drawing programs and applies them to modeling in an intuitive way. 3dm uses a head-mounted display (HMD) to simplify the problem of D model manipulation and understanding. A HMD places the user in the modeling space, making three dimensional relationships more understandable. As a result, 3dm is easy to learn how to use and encourages experimentation with model shapes.
We present a virtual environment application that has been developed for conceptual design in architecture and seeks to emulate aspects of a typical designer's work area. The environment provides a means of creating and manipulating basic geometry using a kiosk toolbox. More importantly, the environment provides simple means for using imagery and videos developed outside of the environment for use within the environment for both information and design. A DesignStation is provided within the environment to create a work area for the designer, concentrating imagery and information associated with the design as well as an area for reflecting upon, presenting and critiquing the design process. A unique aspect of the environment is the ability to work in more than one scale simultaneously.
Sketching communicates ideas rapidly through approximate visual images with low overhead (pencil and paper), no need for precision or specialized knowledge, and ease of low-level correction and revision. In contrast, most 3D computer modeling systems are good at generating arbitrary views of precise 3D models and support high-level editing and revision. TheSKETCH application described in this paper attempts to combine the advantages of each in order to create an environment for rapidly conceptualizing and editing approximate 3D scenes. To achieve this, SKETCH uses simple non-photorealistic rendering and a purely gestural interface based on simplified line drawings of primitives that allows all operations to be specified within the 3D world.
3dm is a three dimensional (3D) surface modeling program that draws techniques of model manipulation from both CAD and drawing programs and applies them to modeling in an intuitive way. 3dm uses a head-mounted display (HMD) to simplify the problem of 3D model manipulation and understanding. A HMD places the user in the modeling space, making three dimensional relationships more understandable. As a result, 3dm is easy to learn how to use and encourages experimentation with model shapes. 1 Introduction The use of interactive 3D environments has increased the demand for complex 3D models.[9] The 3D environments that provide a sense of telepresence or "virtual reality" require a large number of models in order to give the user the illusion of being in a specific place. This demand for more models has highlighted the fact that most modeling systems are difficult to use for all but a small number of experts.[9] Through identification and removal of some of the fundamental obstacles to model...
System and method for three-dimensional modeling. US Patent 6628279
- B Schell
- J L Esch
- J E Ulmer