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david kurmann

sculptor - a virtual design tool

'Sculptor' represents a new kind of design tool that allows direct, intuitive and immersive access to three dimensional design models. Through interactive modelling in a virtual space, an easy way of generating and manipulating models and scenes is enabled. The prototype supports interactive specification of objects, models and scenes with attributes like form, geometry, colour, material, etc. Using Sculptor, objects can be grouped together hierarchically. Objects, groups and virtual worlds can be changed in real-time by scaling, resizing, rotating, reshaping and moving them in space. Based on the underlying models of objects, the scenes are computed in real-time to render objects' static and dynamic behaviors.

Sculptor focuses on encoding different kinds of knowledge into objects, thus adding intelligence to represented objects and on using such knowledge to offer qualitatively different interactivity realizable with intelligent objects. The objects contain models of knowledge about themselves and about their environment. Models may represent physical objects such as building elements or furniture, or they may represent purely functional and behavioral characteristics of objects. In practical terms, this offers new possibilities for participatory design in which all building partners can experience the designed object and its environment and make decisions.

Figure 1: Various kinds of scenes produced with Sculptor including one of landscape architecture, modelled on an image of a site. Model generated with the history function turned on

In addition to assisting the users with realizing the three dimensional geometry of objects, the prototype also supports models of behavior based on certain principles of mechanics and dynamics as follows:

Collision detection provides a very intuitive way to have the experience of a scene. Motion and modification of objects may happen only under valid conditions, i.e., when solid objects are not intersecting otherwise the objects collide and either motion is not possible or modifications to objects cannot be realized.

Another functionality of the prototype supports modeling gravity. An object falls down if it is not supported by another objects or the ground. Gravity is one example of phenomena who inner structure is non-visual but it effects can be visually modeled. Additionally, we are currently working on modeling and testing statically (as in physics) correct object configurations based on their material and behavioral properties.

Both the collision detection between and gravity of objects are already implemented. Using these constraints, the interaction with any objects in the virtual worlds is heightened since users find the experience of finding valid positions or combining objects following physical principles very direct.

We are also experimenting with autonomous motion as as a means to develop design solutions. These ideas are realized as follows: each objects has certain properties and a model of behavior attached with it. A user can activate certain principles such as gravity or collision detection, and set certain objects in dynamic motion in three dimensional space. At each moment, the virtual design worlds evolve according to the forces that are active and which guide the growth or objects in those worlds. A typical sequence shows a range of valid solutions. At any moment, the user is able to intervene and change the course of modelling.

Figure 2: A sequence of pictures showing an autonomously changing life scene

The prototype tool can be used in different fields. Compared to commercial CAD programs, Sculptor is efficient in the early stages of design development because of the directness of its use and the realism of its results. As one possibility, the prototype can be used with different object models such as a set of building elements for different types of designs. Resizeable primitive objects like cubes and roofs can be placed interactively in space and can be positioned as desired. One can walk around and see the scene from different points of view in real-time just like a real model out of wood or foam. These features makes it interesting for designers in general and for landscape architects in particular. This is supported by the possibility to use an image of the site as a flat plane to model on. This picture can be turned on in the model while working on the model and placing objects on it (Kurmann, 1994; Schmitt et al, 1994a).

The prototype has been integrated also with architectural floor planning software developed by other members of this project. An abstract graph of a floor plan can be generated representing different rooms and there connections. The default-, minimal- and maximal sizes of each space and the site can be specified either numerically or graphically in three dimensions. The result of the calculation of a dimensionality reduction algorithm leads to a proposal for arranging spaces, which is read in Sculptor and displayed in three dimensions. The user can subsequently proceed with further refinement and experimentation with this model.

Figure 3: Sculptor's user interface is intentionally simple and not based on graphical interface elements. Design can begin within different design spaces: empty space, line grid or texture. (Kurmann 95)

Objects can be placed anywhere in space and can be edited directly. Deconstructive decomposition replaces an object by a cluster of elements, according to predefined rules. Intelligent objects follow the laws of gravity and volumetrics and can be stacked without intersecting each other. (Kurmann 95)

Intuitive Void Modelling

Figure 4: In this sequence a shape is defined interactively through positive and negative spaces in Sculptor. The system displays the resulting form intersections in real time while the objects are being edited. (Kurmann 95)

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