We, Kenyon, Abbey, and Aidan, plan to do a project in 3D modelling of some of the older buildings on campus that have been either renovated or torn down over the years. We would also like to include an immersive, first person “walk around” experience where the user can navigate through and around the models. Some of the buildings we are considering modeling are Mudd Hall, Evans Hall (pre-renovation), and the Sayles Hill Gymnasium.
Sources:
We intend to use photographs and blueprints primarily from the Carleton Archives, with the potential of acquiring first hand accounts to supplement any gaps in the Archive information (this technique would work best for Mudd given its more recent demolition).
Processes:
We plan to create our 3D models using Sketchup, or potentially some other 3D modelling software, and import the models into the Unity game engine in order to create the first person experience.
Presentation:
Our models will be presented as either a first person experience where one can navigate the models from a web page in two dimension, or, possibly, a VR experience!
Timeline:
- Research and choose buildings to focus on: Feb 22
- Build 3D models: March 1
- Integrate first person experience and/or VR: March 6
- Publish experience and any accompanying data to website: March 9
A model project:https://www.virtualangkor.com/
Hi Aidan and Team “Lost to Progress,” I think this plan has a lot of merit. Given the current building spree and recent demolition of Mudd, it is a timely topic to pursue. A few comments and suggestions below.
1) Your project has overlaps with the “campus that could have been” group. You might want to talk with Emily and Cole to make sure you are not duplicating effort.
2) If you haven’t already, you should take a look at the Timeline of Carleton history on the Archives website. Among other info, this lists when many of buildings were built and/or demolished, including Gridley Hall, Williams, the original Observatory, etc.
3) As you think about the user experience, are you going for an immersive experience of the look and feel (a la the Virtual Angkor project) or more of a guided tour? If the former, you’ll want to think about trees, sounds and other assets. If the latter, will you have popup information labels, audio, or some other way to tell people what they are looking at?
Let me know if you have any questions — I look forward to seeing what you produce!
Hi Team,
As we discussed in class, the best method for modeling interiors in SketchUp is to use plan and elevation drawings rather than match photo.
I would highly recommend this Lynda.com tutorial for the basic method, starting from the video below and continuing through the following few chapters as appropriate:
SketchUp for Architecture: Building Exterior Walls
If you want to practice this on a set up project, you can download the two files below. The first is a template with plan and elevation drawings import and set up at right angles. The second is an example of a model made following the method in the videos above.
Chatham Template SketchUp file
Chatham Example SketchUp file