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Real time walk-throughs


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I have a client that would like to create the ability to do real-time walk-throughs of his "model homes" for clients to see the spaces. Basically, he is doing this as a lower cost model vs building the whole house.

I know I can give him pre-made Quicktime walk throughs that he would have no control over. It sounds as if he wants something more like a video game.

I want to tell him that is not an option but don't want to be uninformed about my advice (I guess it is an option if he wants to hire Lucasarts to build it for him).

Any feedback from you pros? Cost is certainly a consideration for him which makes the controlled walk through seem even more unattainable.

thanks

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Well, if he owns VW's Architect (or I believe any of the Industry Series of Products) and is a competent user he (or you, or anyone) can do walkthroughs using the Walkthrough Tool from the Visualization Tool Palette... A note of caution: whenever someone is looking over my shoulder this tool never fails to behave erratically. I am 100% sure it is user error, but the tool does take some time to get used to in order to use it smoothly.

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Hi Jeff,

While I haven't done this, I think the best VW solution might be to export out a series of interior QTVR Panoramas and use software that can link them to each other using hot spots in the panoramas. IOW, while panning around in one room, there could be hot spots (toward other spaces) that allow the user to click to another space. When they click, they are brought to another panorama of that space. I've seen this done before but have no idea what software can to this. It might be worth looking into...

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Hallo Jeff,

Sounds as if your client is looking for something like that:

http://www.zerofractal.com/fractalreality/

The workflow is, to create the model with VW, Export it to Cinema 4d, and animate the textured model with Unity 3d.

The result can be a compiled App. for your Customer, that he can use like a Videogame, to walk through the Virtual Model.

http://unity3d.com/gallery/developer-profiles/architecture-and-viz/ZeroFractal

I'm pretty shure, that Stuff like this is kind of the next step in Architectural Visualisation.

I like VW for modeling, and to render some images, but to use it for a real time Walk through sounds like asking for headache.

Also the really nice possibility to export the Model as a Quicktime VR Objekt or Panorama looks like a dead end, if I trust the recent news about Quicktime VR. :-(

Edited by Horst M.
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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

You're welcome Jeff.

Yes. The ZeroFraztal route would be considerably expensive. In addition, if this is for potential buyers to operate, it may be a little cumbersome for them to move around. What I mentioned is something like what this product does:

Product:

http://www.easypano.com/virtual-tour-gallery.html

Sample Tour:

http://www.easypano.com/Gallery/Tourweaver500/nanhui/TourWeaver_nanhui.html

If the panoramas can all be exported out of Vectorworks, this would probably be a much lower cost solution. While it's not a realtime 3D walkthrough, it's still pretty good and navigating is much simpler for the average person.

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Thanks Matt. So many options! Back in the day I only had ink and mylar and a bit of chipboard.

Also, glad to see your plug-in. I had heard about it a while back but had not been able to track it down. I do a lot of additions and renovations and that tool would be perfect. Too much trial and error right now (and using google earth to measure my camera point)

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

You're welcome Jeff.

Yes it was much simpler back then - but I could not imagine going back! ;-)

LOL! I've been there with Google Earth trying to measure where I took the picture from. Even then, there are SO many other variables that you can waste hours and still not be happy (or confident) with the view. In fact, the last project I did this with spurred me on to develop CameraMatch. If you haven't seen my latest video on it, it goes through a complete CameraMatch rendering (in real time) in about ten minutes:

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