2010 Issue

14 • Lighting studies can be done from aerial or street level. • No need to worry about the “weather,” time of day, and renting a helicopter to get just the right aerial view. They can be controlled in the model. Cons: • All elements in the view will need to be modeled or added in post processing. • Can be time consuming depending on the scale and alternatives of the projects (and thus more expensive). • Clients can often get carried away with design studies. 3D Animation Like the animated photo simulation, the 3D animation continues the 3D model by adding motion. Unlike the animated photo simulation, the virtual camera in the 3D scene is free tomove about as the artist directs. Much of the process that is used in Hollywood production is used in visualization as well, but without the luxury of a 20million dollar production budget or two years to work on it. Perhaps you remember the old flip-animation books that by thumbing through the pages like a deck of cards, the character would move. The same principle still applies to all animation today. Each second of animation is made up of approximately 30 still images called an images sequence. Simply put, a ten second animation would have 300 still images. Each of these still VISUALIZATION — continued from page 13 images is rendered out separately from the 3D software and compiled into post-production software to adjust the color, contrast and add some effects. The image sequence can be ren- dered to fulfill standard definition up to full HD. Depending on the level of detail in the 3D model, the materials, and the lighting, each frame can take up to 3 hours to render (really, 30 minutes is the acceptable limit). Now run the numbers again: 300 frames at 2 hours each equals 600 hours to complete. To accommodate the time, many visualization artists will utilize a render farm, which is a series of workstations that will receive a frame from the render man- ager software and save it to a specified network location when completed. Throw 10 machines into the mix and the numbers start to look a lot better than 25 days. To achieve an effective animation for a project, it all goes back to the story. What is it that the viewer needs to know about this project? It’s not necessary to show everything about the project to the general public. They can fill in the blanks pretty easily. Keep the focus on the important areas. “Driving” a 14 mile stretch of highway for an experience may sound like a good idea, but will ultimately bore the audience to tears after the first 20 seconds. Next time you watch a movie, notice how quick each shot is and what shot precedes and follows it. Ten seconds is considered long. 3D animation can be very effective in commu- nicating a large complex project. It can also be edited in with live video for a full video produc- tion to be used in the project website or on the local community cable channel. Don’t expect 3D animation to come cheaply, but it does tend to have a high return on investment with the public. They are conditioned to see “wiz-bang” for large controversial projects. Pros: • Flexibility of camera paths and views (just remember that it will have to be rendered each revision). • The ability to animate anything in the scene. • Higher audience attention (if it’s not 14 miles of a driver’s perspective at the posted speed limit). • Multiple distribution methods: web (with proper compression), TV, DVDs, digital video on a “thumb drive,” etc. Cons: • Everything that the camera will “see” has to be modeled. • Production time can take several weeks up to several months. Even revisions will take longer. Plan ahead. Tips: • Utilize a good script writer and even a storyboard artist before even starting the 3D model. This way there is a plan going in to production as to what will need more attention in the modeling. • Creative construction animation timed to music can make a transit center construction very interesting. • Music is always a nice touch but decide on it early in production. That way the artists can time the animation to the beat of the music. It adds a more emotional effect and pulls the audience deeper in. 4D Models You had to know it was coming. What’s better than a 3Dmodel? Why one with another dimen- sion: time! The 4D model is the latest in the visualization arsenal. This is where we now see various disciplines merging together to create a very functional 3D model. The 4D model also starts with a 3D base, but each object in the 3D model is associatedwith a construction schedule event. The result is a model on a construction timeline that can illustrate how the project will be built, what issues the contractors might face, and if there are any problems with the schedule or design. It can be viewed by predetermined vantage points or in an interactive (real time) fly-through. Whoa! The actual 4D model is created in Autodesk Navis Works, where the 3D model and the schedule (usually from Primavera) are married The opening shot for this animation uses a “reveal” technique to set up the location and then the project. Doyle Drive; San Francisco, California.