CC1803

SOFTWAREfocus
insertion of Vectorworks components,
gradually building up the complete 3D
architectural model. Digital colours and
textures may be retained to provide
realistic imagery, if the finished 3D
model is to be used for Augmented
Reality (AR) or other visualisations, or
replaced by components that have their
own material or textured imagery for
construction purposes.
PHOTOGRAMMETRY VERSUS
POINT CLOUDS
Point clouds, produced using 3D laser
scanners, can also produce highly
detailed and accurate 3D simulations of
complex surfaces, but because of the
cost of the equipment, the expertise
required to use them, and the time it
takes to set them up and complete the
scanning process (prior to the use of
photogrammetry using digital photos,
they were quoting speed as a prime
feature when compared to traditional
surveying methods) they are more often
employed as a costly service.
However, they do have advantages
over the triangulated meshes of
photogrammetry which may, in some
instances, be generated with gaps
appearing in the mesh. Point clouds
can also be used to model some
components, especially in process
plant applications, where the software
can recognise features like pipes,
cylinders, etc. and replace them with
real components. The models can also
be sliced, cut into sections and
otherwise modified in order to assist
the design process.
As Vectorworks' new Photos to 3D
Model feature can quite happily handle
both point clouds and the output from
the photogrammetry process, there is
no reason why both technologies
cannot be employed together on the
same project.
IMAGE PROCESSING CAVEATS
There is obviously quite a lot of image
processing required to sample,
calculate and link together all of the
digital images, hence the use of cloud
computing to complete the job in a
reasonable time, and although there are
no limits to the number of images you
would like to process, common sense
requires you to supply just enough for
current purposes - unless you are quite
happy to wait a couple of days for the
output. Images can be used from digital
cameras, tablets, drones (for aerial
shots) or even from mobile phones.
NOMAD AND AUGMENTED REALITY
Cue the Vectorworks Nomad app for
iPhones, which allows users to take a
series of images and upload them
directly into the Cloud Services software
to create their 3D models. Then, using
Augmented Reality, you can upload
your 3D Vectorworks models into Cloud
Services as well, and select 'View in AR'
to see how their design would look in
current reality, using standard viewing
gestures to move around and walk
through a model.
Vectorworks has added Apple's ARKit
technology to its free Nomad app,
providing, for the first time for
Vectorworks users, the ability to view
CAD and BIM models in AR. It's only
currently available on iOS devices
running the new Apple iOS 11
Operating System, i.e. iPhones from 6s
upwards, iPad (2017) and iPad Pro first
and second generations. It's currently
on its first iteration and on trial pending
customer feedback, following which it
will no doubt be further enhanced and
available on more devices.
One of the first users already working
with the new AR technology is Brian
Goodridge at Thor Studios, a designer
of kitchens and custom cabinets. "AR
allows me to project my Vectorworks
models into real-world spaces," said
Brian, adding that "Clients are now able
to view and interact with my new kitchen
designs inside their home before the
cabinets are ever built."
As AR equipment and applications
become cheaper and easier to use -
you can buy cardboard AR viewers from
Tescos and other stores for a few
pounds that will take standard mobile
phones as their screen devices - the
use of such applications will become
more prevalent. It's no longer solely the
province of tech-savvy geeks, and with
the simplicity of capturing real-life
imagery and the ease with which
architects' models can be loaded into
the same scene and viewed in 3D, it
could become a staple tool of even the
smallest practice.
www.vectorworks.co.uk
March/April 2018 15