Department of Architecture and Building Science University of Strathclyde, Glasgow COMPUTER ANIMATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL VISUALISATION by AHMAD RAFI MOHAMED ESHAQ A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Strathclyde for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. APRIL 1998 i The copyright of this thesis belongs to the author under the terms of the United Kingdom Copyright Acts as qualified by University of Strathclyde Regulation 3.49. Due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis. ii acknowledgement acknowledgement In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful. By the time, Verily Man Is in lost, Except such as have Faith, And do righteous deeds, And join together In the mutual enjoining Of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy. Quran Al-'Asr 133 : 1-3 I wish to acknowledge the help and assistance of all the individuals who gave their time to discuss and contribute to this thesis. I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Alan Bridges for his determination and responsibility in guiding my understanding on the principle issues and design of the thesis ; ABACUS, the Department of Architecture and Building Science and AV Media Services staffs. Thanks are also due to Professor Abu Hasan Ismail ( former head of CAD Centre, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia - UTM ) who encouraged me to take a PhD at Strathclyde University ; Mohd Fuzi Musa, Zulkarnain Hasan and Fauzee Nasir who in particular helped me to retrieve, supply and create the live project animation production sequences ; Alan Ricthie and George Neilson from Television Production, College of Building and Printing, Glasgow, who helped to produce the special effects. I am indebted to the following firms, software and hardware manufactures, education, art and architectural-based establishments and production houses for their time, interest and information of the thesis analysis : all of the practice member of the Glasgow Institute of Architects ; Murray Grigor, Viz Limited, Fife, Edinburgh, UK ; Richard Buday, Archimage, Houston, Texas, USA ; Daniel Cox, Thorp Modelmakers Limited, London, UK ; Chuan-Chang Wang, Compter Graphics CG ( CGCG ), Taiwan ; David Haxton, The William Paterson College, New Jersey, USA ; Tom Maver, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland ; Tee Sasada, Osaka University, Japan ; Lisa Scalzo- Hamm, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C, USA ; Edward Howard, Howard Associates, Ohio, USA ; Mark Cass, Alias Wavefront, UK ; Nick Homer, Autodesk, UK ; Allen Manning, ElectricImage, California, USA. I must not forget my PhD colleagues in the 1994 / 95 sessions, my friends and other individuals who helped me in the thesis surveys. Special thanks go to my wife Shahizon Azura Mohamed Mukari for sparing her valuable time to contribute to this research. Finally, this thesis dissertation is dedicated specially to my wife, daughter Afiqah, parents and family, for giving me the moral support, care and love to enable me to complete it. AHMAD RAFI MOHAMED ESHAQ iii table of contents table of contents acknowledgement ............................................................. iii list of illustrations ............................................................. xiii video content ....................................................................... xviii abstract .................................................................................. xxi introduction ......................................................................... xxii CHAPTER 1 ANIMATION IN PRACTICE 1.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 2 1.2 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................ 3 1.3 SURVEY QUESTIONS ................................................................ 4 1.4 SURVEY RESULTS ...................................................................... 7 1.5 GENERAL INFORMATION ........................................................ 8 1.5.1 At What Stage did the Practices Use Computer Animation? ................................................................... 11 1.5.2 Why Choose the Stage? ................................................. 12 1.5.2.1 Building Representation ................................ 14 1.5.2.2 Design Communication ................................... 14 1.5.2.3 Visualisation ................................................ 14 1.5.2.4 Client Requirements 15 ....................................... 1.5.2.5 To Impress the Client ..................................... 16 1.5.2.6 Design Development ...................................... 16 1.5.2.7 Competition .................................................. 17 1.5.3 How are Computer Animations Used? ............................. 17 1.5.3.1 Still Presentation .......................................... 20 1.5.3.2 Multimedia Presentation ............................... 21 1.5.4 What Does the Client Use the Animation for? ................ 21 iv table of contents 1.5.5 Is Computer Animation Part of Architectural Service? ........................................................................ 23 1.5.6 In What Way do the Architects Think that Computer Animation Helps? ......................................................... 23 1.5.7 How Might Computer Animation in the Field of Architecture Develop? ................................................... 25 1.5.7.1 Present Situation of Computer Animation in the Field of Architecture ........................... 25 1.5.7.2 Future Computer Animation in the Field of Architecture .................................................. 27 1.6 PRE-PRODUCTION .................................................................... 29 1.6.1 Do the Architects have any Guideline before Producing Computer Animation? ..................................... 30 1.6.2 Does the Computer Animation have any Storyboard? ..... 30 1.6.3 Is There any Agreement of Fee and Content on the Basis of Storyboard? ...................................................... 36 1.6.4 The Architect's Opinion of Having a Key Guideline for Computer Animation ................................................. 37 1.6.5 Does Film-making Understanding Benefit Architectural Animation? .............................................. 40 1.7 PRODUCTION ............................................................................ 42 1.7.1 Who does the Computer Animation? .............................. 42 1.7.2 Computer Animation Packages ....................................... 46 1.7.3 Number of Workstations and other Architects Involvement in Computer Animation .............................. 49 1.7.4 To What Extent is Architectural Animation Produced? ... 50 1.7.5 Computer Animation Detail ........................................... 52 1.8 POST-PRODUCTION .................................................................. 55 1.8.1 Do the Architects Edit their Computer Animation? ........ 56 1.8.2 In-House Computer Animation ....................................... 58 1.8.3 Production House Service ............................................... 62 1.8.4 Computer Animation Cost .............................................. 66 1.8.5 Final Distribution.......................................................... 68 1.8 SUMMARY ................................................................................. 71 v table of contents CHAPTER 2 FILMING ARCHITECTURE 2.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 74 2.2 FILM REVIEW ............................................................................ 75 2.2.1 Film Review 1 : The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright ...................................................... 77 2.2.1.1 General Overview ......................................... 77 2.2.1.2 Message and Content ...................................... 77 2.2.1.3 Cinematography ........................................... 77 2.2.1.4 Lighting ........................................................ 83 2.2.1.5 Sound ............................................................ 83 2.2.1.6 Special Effects .............................................. 83 2.2.1.7 Detailing ...................................................... 84 2.2.1.8 Conclusion ..................................................... 84 2.2.1.9 Advantages ................................................... 84 2.2.1.10 Disadvantages .............................................. 85 2.2.2 Film Review 2 : Les Envois de Marseille ......................... 85 2.2.2.1 General Overview ......................................... 85 2.2.2.2 Message and Content ...................................... 85 2.2.2.3 Cinematography ........................................... 85 2.2.2.4 Lighting ........................................................ 87 2.2.2.5 Sound ............................................................ 87 2.2.2.6 Special Effects .............................................. 87 2.2.2.7 Detailing ...................................................... 87 2.2.2.8 Conclusion ..................................................... 88 2.2.2.9 Advantages ................................................... 88 2.2.2.10 Disadvantages .............................................. 88 2.2.3 Film Review 3 : Masters of Illusion ................................. 89 2.2.3.1 General Overview ......................................... 89 2.2.3.2 Message and Content ...................................... 89 2.2.3.3