Virtual Reality as the Ultimate Representation (and Beyond) Item Type text; Report-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Dakshinamoorthy, Kartik Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture, and the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author or the department. Download date 25/09/2021 09:06:46 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/596955 VIRTUAL REALITY AS THE ULTIMATE REPRESENTATION (AND BEYOND) By Kartik Dakshinamoorthy A Master's Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Architecture University of Arizona College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture Graduate College December 16, 2000 Committee Members: Chair -Fred Matter Carl Rald Oscar Blazquez ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Credit for this work must be shared with the following people who helped me along the way. I would like to thank: Prof. Fred Matter, Carl Rald and Oscar Blazquez for their enthusiasm for the topic and faith in giving me free rein on my report work. They have provided great academic and professional counsel to me. Faculty at the Department of Architecture,University of Arizona, Tucson. The staff of Multimedia and Vizualization Lab, Univeristy of Arizona for their assistance with the technological aspects of my work. A.G.Ramarathnam and Anu for lots of wise words. They have always held out a positive view and have been a great source of inspiration for me. Ganesh, I thank God for you brother. Most importantly, my parents who have always been behind me. Without their love, support, encouragement, and understanding I wouldn't have seen this day. To my father Dakshinamoorthy, my mother Savithri, and brother Ganesh, I dedicate this report. Kartik Dakshinamoorthy Dec 16, 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS [Part A] I. Abstract 1 II. The Essence of VR 2 III. History of VR 3 IV. The Different Application Areas 5 Application Sectors: Engineering 5 Architecture 6 Science 6 Simulation and Training 6 Education 7 Entertainment 7 V. Market Survey of VR Application 7 How a typical VR application works 8 Summary 9 VI. Types of VR Systems 9 Full Immersion Systems 9 Semi -Immersion systems 9 Non -Immersive systems 9 Summary 11 VII. VR I/O Devices 12 VIII. Virtual Reality Companies 13 IX. What Differentiates VR from other Architectural Representations 14 X. Architectural Applications 15 VR as a Representational Tool 15 VR as Simulation and Evaluation Tool 15 Virtual Reconstruction 18 VR as Design Aid 18 Creating Virtual Worlds 18 XI. Quicktime VR approach for Design Simulation 19 TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued XII. VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) 20 XIII. Advantages and Disadvantages of VR 21 Conclusions 22 XIV. Potential Future Applications of VR in Architecture 23 Design 23 Modeling 24 Evaluation and Presentation 24 Marketing 24 Conclusions 24 [Part B] XV. The Reality of Virtual Sets 26 1. Introduction 26 2. Historical Perspective 26 3. How it Works 27 4. Technical Aspects 29 A. Chroma Key 29 B. Camera Tracking 30 C. 2 And 3- Dimensional Visualization 31 D. Typical Implementations 32 5. Advantages of Virtual Sets 32 6. Applications of Virtual Sets 33 A. Virtual Sets in Television Production 33 B. Virtual Sets and the Movies 34 C. Virtual Sets on the Web 34 D. Virtual Advertising 34 E. VR at Sydney Olympics 35 7. Known Key Players in the Virtual Set Industry 35 8. Challenges and Hurdles 40 9. The Role of a Virtual Set Designer 41 TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued 10. Conclusions 43 [Part C] XVI. A Virtual Simulation Of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater House For Edgar J. Kaufmann, Bear Run, Pennsylvania, 1936 44 1. Project 44 2. Objective 44 3. Project Methodology Adopted 45 4. Script Of The Presentation 46 5. Observations And Conclusions 52 XVII. VR Terminologies 54 XVIII. Footnotes 59 XVIX. References 62 XVX. WWW References 65 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. VR Applications in Engineering, Science, Simulation and Training, Education and Entertainment 5 Table2. Market Survey of VR Applications (adapted from Helsel and Dohorty, 1993) 7 Table3. Types of VR Systems 9 Table4. VR I/O Devices 12 Tables. Virtual Reality Companies 13 Table6. VR Application in Architecture 15 [PART A] ---- I. ABSTRA d Architecture, whether physical or virtual, is the expression of society as a meaningful space. Physical and virtual architecture have their own constraints and context, yet both use architectural organization as a way to order forms and spaces in the environment. Both strive to create meaningful place by defining space [1]. Virtual architecture embodies and expresses values of society in electronic form, with polygons, vectors, and texture maps. This virtual realm enables the designer to deny the physics of time, space, light, and materials and is accessible via computer and human -interface technology anywhere [2]. Virtual Reality, as the ultimate dynamic generation of spatial representations, can be purposefully integrated in the metamorphosis of permanent solid architecture into dynamic representations. The research proposes to achieve an understanding of Virtual Reality and its possible implications on architecture [3]. The role Virtual Reality will play in society in general, and architecture in particular, in the more distant future and Will architects influence the development of Virtual Reality, and if so, how? GOALS Define Virtual Reality Show where VR is heading through an understanding of its gradual evolution. Discuss the technical issues involved in the development of VR technologies. Recent applications of VR technology in architecture. Explore potential future applications of VR technology in architecture. VR technology can be used as a medium for interactive, adaptive and team design in architecture in the future. Architecture could potentially be drastically reshaped by Virtual Reality, and this in turn could reshape VR technology. This will require people who understand the psychological effects of (computer) spaces on people inside them - architects are equipped with such an understanding. Architects as designers of Virtual Worlds/Environments will be required to make these environments rich, interesting and engaging places. 1 II. THE ESSENCE OF VR "Virtual reality" [4] can be defined as the component of communication which takes place in a computer -generated synthetic space and that embeds humans (actors) as an integral part of the system [5]. The tangible components of a VR system are the set of the hardware and software providing the actors with a three -dimensional, or even more -dimensional, input/output space, in which, at each instant, the actor can interact in real -time [6] with other autonomous objects. The participant in a VR environment is perceiver and creator at the same time, in a world where the object of perception is created by actions. Sherman and Judkins describe the characteristics of this technology as "VR's five 'i's: intensive, interactive, immersive, illustrative and intuitive" [7]. These critical characteristics of VR seem to be a good starting point for a definition of this technology. Without one or more of these characteristics there is no VR. Intensive In Virtual Reality the user should be concentrating on multiple, vital information, to which the user will respond. Interactive In Virtual Reality, for the user and the computer to act reciprocally via the computer interface. Immersive Virtual Reality should deeply involve or absorb the user. Immersion can be illustrated by Myron Krueger's "duck test" [8]. If someone ducks away from a "virtual stone" aimed at his or her head, even while knowing the stone is not real, then the world is believable. This is also known as "immersion" [9]. Illustrative Virtual Reality should offer information in a clear, descriptive and (hopefully) illuminating way. Intuitive Virtual information should be easily perceived. Virtual tools should be used in a "human" way. There is a strong emphasis on communication in virtual worlds, which aims for more intuitive and more sense -inclusive human -computer interface. In contrast to a multimedia application or an animated walk- through where the viewer is passive, the participant in a virtual reality world 2 is active. The term "participant" versus "user" or "viewer" is used intentionally to denote the complete integration and interaction between perceiving subject and perceived world [10]. The participant is always present in VR, either actively engaged in the creation of the virtual world or simply navigating the virtual environment, without changing its geometry, behavior, or lighting source. With the use of interactive devices the participant's body movements actively create the images and sounds he sees and hears as real -time [11] response in the virtual world. The introduction of depth simulation, obtained by stereoscopic viewing, which reproduces the process of binocular vision, is an essential factor in virtual reality environments. Stereoscopic viewing [12], achieved by displaying left and right perspective views to be viewed by the left and right eye, marks a real breakthrough for VR, differentiating it from other types of computer visualizations which involve monoscopic vision. Ill. HISTORY OF VR Virtual Technology is not a "new" idea, rather it can be shown as a fusion of three other technologies - the telephone, the television and the video game - to produce a technology which is far superior to each of it's predecessors. The following indicative timeline was compiled to understand the evolution of VR. Late 1920s Edwin Link worked on vehicle simulation, arguably the first forerunner of VR technology. 1940's Tele-operation technology began. 1954 " Cinerama" was developed using 3 -sided screens. Early 1960s Development of Tele- operation displays using head -mounted, closed- circuit television systems by Philco and Argonne National Laboratory. Morton Heilig's ill -fated "Sensorama ".