SketchUp Realtime Lighting: LightUp

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Game Engines such as Unity make the perfect platform to create a virtual exhibition space. Spaces where architecture, urban models and urban furniture can be displayed and viewed alongside movies and sound-scapes to provide a sense of place.

Google SketchUp is our current tool of choice for modelling internal spaces, the combination of quick and easy modelling with lighting simulation via LightUp provides the perfect work flow.

LightUp is remarkably easy to use, you can simply click on any textured shape and allow it emit light, opening up the way for quick and easy renders out of SketchUp.

Of note is the ability to run LightUp in the free version of SketchUp allowing models to be exported in .fbx without having to upgrade to the pro.

Head over to http://www.light-up.co.uk/ for full details. We will have more on our exhibition space as it develops.

Digital Urban City Exhibition Space: Downloadable Preview

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The following exhibition space is a proof of concept, looking at the ability to share and display city datasets and simulations within an interactive game engine. Available for download on both the PC and Mac (intel) platforms the space is the result of a few days work with the Unity Engine, it is intended to be viewed in the spirit of development rather than a completed product.

The room includes our first 'crowd and delegate' models direct from 3D Max, created as basic wander and avoid simulations they provide the building blocks of emergent behaviour within the cityscape.

City wide data sets can to be honest be very 'dry', the whole point of digital urban is to look at new ways to outreach, visualise and ultimately communicate urban data. The ability to include 3D models via ESRI ArcScene is a notable step forward, pictured below is the retail and office space in London measured on a 500m grid. We note some polygon issues here but these are known and we think we have a way to fix them - its to do with the way ArcScene exports, the model forms the centre of the exhibition space:

The room features various architectural models, including the Swiss Re building and the GLA in London, it also features a number of our latest output movies, the London LiDAR and Second Life Agents are of particular note.

The model is, as we mentioned, proof of concept, the next step is the addition of themed rooms and a more organised structure. We think the concept of virtual exhibition spaces is a strong one, so as ever any comments are most welcome, if you would also like to know how any of it was done just ask, as is the spirit of digital urban.

Download the model for Windows XP/Visa (221 Mb zip file)

Unzip the file, open the folders and run the Exhibition1.exe file.

Download the model for Mac (Intel) (222 Mb zip file)

Extract and simply run the .dmg file.

We recommend running the application in 'Window' mode at 1024 x 768: use the mouse to look around, W/S move forwards/backwards, Space to jump, click and drag the digital urban cube to throw it around...