News From Arch Virtual
The latest in architectural visualization and virtual reality application development.
What the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Can Learn from the NBC / Universal Agreement with Battlestar Galactica Fans in Second Life
Today, there is breaking news that NBC / Universal has agreed to let Battlestar Galactica-themed roleplay sims continue in Second Life. Like the Frank Lloyd Wright Virtual Museum, they too had been issued a cease and desist order through a DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) order.
Getting to Know the Game Industry: Resources to Help You Get Your Game On
The convergence of the game industry and the metaverse will be a Big Bang for the 3D web, but if you’re coming to this from the metaverse side of the fence and not a hardcore gamer, wrapping your mind around the mechanics and current state of the game industry can be pretty challenging.
Virtual Architecture is Architecture: 3 Favorite Quotes
[Physical] buildings still have supporting structures and enclosing interfaces, but privileging these as the focus of architecture , and insisting that they should carry most of the cultural freight, becomes as quixotic as similarly privileging the chassis and the beige box of the personal computer.
ARCH Virtual on Facebook
Check out Arch Virtual's new Facebook page - HERE!
Using Microsoft Kinect Hacks for Architectural Modeling and Realtime Motion Capture
This could be quite useful for troubleshooting problems on-site during construction as well. I can imagine a contractor scanning an area in question, enabling the architect to open a 3D model of the structure from a computer back at the office, and being able to rotate and orbit around the model to better understand it’s context, then suggesting solutions by mapping additional 3D information into the model, or folding it into the project’s Building Information Model and doing a differential comparison to find possible solutions.
Arch Virtual Readers, Please Introduce Yourself Here!
Who are you? What are your interests with virtual worlds? Are you an architect, designer, student, teacher? Which platform(s) do you use? If you’re a lurker, and haven’t used a virtual world yet, what are you holding out for? What roadblocks have you met along the way using virtual worlds? What are your hopes, dreams and goals with virtual worlds? If you don’t mind sharing, where are you from? It’s an open mic… feel free to speak your mind!
Encore! Machinima and Screenshots of the 48 hour Architectural Jazz Jam
All it takes is a catalyst. For the past 48 hours, this empty parcel came to life with a group of designers, architects and artists from around the world, who imprinted this build with their creativity - riffing and building on what others had created, and adding...
Now Opening: Architectural Jazz Public Jam Session
Dust off your prims folks, we're kicking off a public building jam session on Architecture Island in Second Life, focused on the seed theme 'Amalgamate' (to mix or merge as to make a combination; blend; unite' combine). Head over to Architecture Island (here's the...
Looking for RL Architects using SL in their Tool Set
The following is a guest post/request from Moira Hunter: I am a teacher at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture Paris-Malaquais in France. I am also a doctoral researcher in the Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University in the UK and am...
11 Predictions for 2011 (and beyond)
This is the first time I've made New Year's predictions, but I so enjoy reading what others predict that I couldn't resist jotting down a few of my own. In general, I think 2011 is going to be of vital importance to virtual world growth and development, but it won't...
Kinect with Unity
Check out this video demonstrating the use of a Kinect within the Unity3D editor (hat tip @andyhughes, and more in the Unity forum). I wish I had sometime to jot down a few additional thoughts, but the video speaks for itself. 2011 is going to be an exciting year...
Let the Games Begin: Virtual Worlds, Game Development and the Future of the Metaverse
2010 was a year of growth and advancement for virtual environments, but it was also a time of uncertainty and transition. While I often refer to the metaverse as an open frontier, this year I kept thinking that we were still in a stage of discovery, and had only...
Enercities: Experiencing the Implications of Energy-Related Decisions
EnerCities is an awesome web-based 'serious game' application built with the Unity3D platform that enables players to build a sustainable metropolis. Unfortunately I fell for the easy energy options early on, enabling me to build my city and earn money quickly, but it...
[Updated: No Longer Available – New Updated Kit Coming Soon!]
[Updated: No Longer Available - New Updated Kit Coming Soon!]
Tearing Down Cultural Barriers through Architectural Collaboration: Part 2 of the ‘Kansas to Cairo’ Documentary
A truly remarkable, bar-raising project that demonstrates the power and potential for architectural collaboration and education in virtual environmnents. More about the project HERE, HERE, and HERE – along with this write-up inArchitectural Record earlier this year.
Fantastic New Documentary Captures the Potential of Architectural Education and Collaboration in Virtual Environments
Over the past six months, Draxtor Despres has been carefully documenting the collaborative work of students from Ain Shams University and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles - led by Amr Attia, David Denton, and Kara Bartelt. Drax is partnering here...