| Sample projects demonstrating
how 3D VR assists in design.
Using 3D in building design, human centered walk through
prototypes can be created to illustrate the ergonomics and
spatial relationships during a number of operational tasks.
The advantage of using 3D Design tools in this environment
are:
- Can be constructed to support specific environments, such
as control room design.
- Focus is on user-centred design aspects - able to incorporate
operational scenarios and testing tasks
- Virtual mock-ups can be created quickly and easily
- Improves communication between members of the design team
and between the design team and other parties
- Supports collaborative design processes - improves communication
between design team and other parties; allowing all relevant
parties to contribute
- Reduces need for physical mock-ups - Virtual mock-ups
are sufficiently accurate and can be built and tested quickly
- Potential errors can be identified early in the design
and testing process
- Saves time and money and reduces risk of a sub-optimal
design solution
- Enables non CAD/3D experts to design layouts using interactive
3D technology. Easy to use by operators, supervisors, human
factors specialists etc.
- Supports and reports multi-party review - stores reviewers'
comments and illustrative screenshots of the 3D environment.
3D VR Assisted Design Of Control Rooms
Human factors and operational experience input should be
included at an early stage in the system design of a control
room.
HVRC CREATE uses a a virtual reality model to assist a human-centred
iterative design process used during the preliminary and detailed
design of new control rooms or a control room upgrade.
It supports both layout design and formal design review activities
centred around an interactive virtual model of the control
room.
Components
HVRC CREATE comprises:
- Administrative Tools - used to set up
the CREATE server environment [users, model database, guideline
set database]. The Model Bank Tool manages a hierarchical
database of reusable 3D objects that can be used to assemble
control room layouts. This includes Objects such as chairs,
tables, and computer equipment, arranged in categories.
Models of rooms and manikins are also stored in the Model
Bank. The Model Bank also contains additional information
about objects, such as name, manufacturer, and price, and
provides a version control facility.
- Layout Tool - used by designers to construct
control room layouts. The Layout Tool provides version control
facilities, online design guidelines, and allows the designer
to store notes about design decisions.
- Project Management Tools - organise the
project team, configure design and review guideline sets,
and control which 3D objects, manikins, and virtual rooms.
A built-in messaging system - supports communication between
project managers, designers and reviewers.
- Verification Tools - used by reviewers
to test published control room prototypes against review
guidelines, using virtual humans and interactive 3D measurement
tools. Reviewer comments can be entered with illustrative
snapshots for report generation. Review guidelines bundled
with the system include NUREG 0700 rev2 and CRIOP. Project
managers define project constraints using the Project Management
Tool, designers build control room layouts using the Layout
Tool, and reviewers formally test layouts using the Verification
Tool.
For
more information on HVRC Create
How a 3D Project Suite Is Used
- Using the Layout tools, the designer interactively drags
and drops objects from the Model Bank into a virtual control
room to assemble a walk through prototype.
- All project data is stored on a central server and can
be used to document the history of a project.
- Once 'published' the Project Management Tools request
reviews of the prototype.
- Reviewers will test the prototype against project specifications
and verification guidelines, and enter their comments.
3D design systems are not expensive, considering the time
and error reduction. A single user-server licence costs around
$US3000, with 25 user licences around $US20,000
3D VR Projects
Information
Visualization Projects
3D Building Design
Tools
VR Resources |
