We’re really excited introduce a new Unity3D-based product called ArchTech Engine, which can transform architectural drawings and 3D models of almost any format (including CAD and BIM) into information-rich applications that are perfect for architectural visualization, and city planning, as well as learning environments, military simulations, historical recreations, training environments and more. These interactive models can be geo-referenced to real-world coordinates, dynamically linked to databases, and layered with interactive content.
During development of ArchTech Engine, we realized that every project, city, building, etc. is different - and they all have very unique requirements. To address this diversity, we designed ArchTech Engine to be flexible in addressing every project’s specific goals instead of trying to build a one-size-fits-all solution.
Check out the intro video on our website, and let us know if you have any architecture or city-related projects that could benefit from some additional features available with ArchTech Engine.
How would a developer use this specifically? You list many potential application for the technology, but what is the technology? What does it do exactly?
Hi Tzier, we specialize in developing games for the Private sector (Construction companies, Cities), Educators, and Government. The video shows a bunch of demos that we have deployed to customers. What we found over the last 12 months is that each project shared some similarities and also had unique features, yet with the sector we focus on being organizations we are often faced with budget that are much lower than consumer based games. We therefore started a moduled based approach to the tools that we were building allowing us to rapidly build out a projects while giving the customer a lot of flexibility. These modules are what we have included in ArchTech.
Some examples of what we have in ArchTech
-Convert content from other applications (e.g. Second Life and Opensim into Unity3d)
-Taking old 3D models that several of our clients have build a long time ago and making them interactive.
-Switching on multiplayer P2P or Client>Server, or we keep it Single player and use NPC’s
-A set of tools allowing us to add game interactions of Audi, Video, image as well as game to web and web to game. Very Easily
-KML support to take models built that comply with Geo specific KML data to be automatically digested by a game to give point and click navigation for the player reflecting correct global positioning coordinates
-Dealing with large (sometimes not efficient models) to compress and break them up to run efficiently as possible in the browser.
Our sector being organizations have much greater budget restrictions to consumer based games and therefore Archtech gives the flexibility to adapt to the specific project need while giving a consumer level gaming experience.
This looks very interesting. KML is nice. I too would like to know more about the tech, too. You mention BIM, so does it deal with all of the defined materials and efficiency data? Are DWG’s native? Does it have any features that let it integrate with ArchGIS?
We’ve been working on a variety of methods for translating BIM into ArchTech, and our goal is obviously dynamic integration between the two, but for the time being we use a combination of manual and automated techniques to transform a 3D BIM file into an interactive realtime model. We can then optionally layer in and display any relevant data retained from the original BIM file, or add in any of the other goodies ArchTech has to offer.