Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2010 - 44

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Computer modeling and Virtual Reality on the cheap
Computer modeling need not be expensive or complicated. There are
commercial options for computer users that will allow you to create
models and convert them to vR simulations for little or no money and
require little or no experience.
For modeling there are two options that are very interesting. The
first option is Google SketchUp from Google Software. The basic version
of SketchUp can be downloaded from the Google Web site for free. An
expanded, paid version, SketchUp Pro, has advanced features useful
to professionals. SketchUp is very easy to use and novices can quickly
create models with it. A number of helpful, step-by-step tutorials are
available on YouTube. SketchUp has a unique interface which makes for
very quick models but some details-organic shapes, turned objects,
circles, lathed objects-are rather complicated in SketchUp and are
probably not worth the effort. There are plug-ins available that will
allow you to do advance lighting simulations and add texture to your
models such as wood and stone. Most of these third-party plug-ins cost
a few dollars but might be well worth the cost if you like working with
SketchUp. be sure to try IdX Renditioner which features a cut-down free
version (www.idx-design.com). In these plug-ins the lighting fixtures
are architectural in nature rather than theatrical so it will take a little
imagination to convert the architectural lighting fixtures into something
that you can use for a theatre model.
Another interesting application, blender, is a very powerful,
professional modeling program. It's open-source software and is
available for free from the blender Organization (www.blender.org).
blender creates highly detailed models comparable to ones created
in expensive modeling programs. The amount of detail, the amount of
textures and materials that you can add to it are almost infinite. It uses
professional lighting simulation, comparable to the type of lighting that
you would find in a theatrical presentation. blender does have a somewhat
steeper learning curve than Sketchup. The user interface is somewhat

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unique. It has many of the tools and techniques that you are accustomed
to seeing in commercial modeling applications, however they are put in
unique formats and in places that can take a little while to learn.
For vR simulations-turning your computer models into vR realtime graphic simulations-there are a couple of options. The first is a
plug-in for Autodesk's modeling, animation, and rendering software,
3-d Studio Max, called Eon Raptor (www.eonreality.com/raptor). If you
are using 3-d Studio Max (sometimes abbreviated 3ds Max) you can
put this free plug-in into your program and it will allow you to export
models that can be navigated in real time. As outlined in this article, if
you want to have professional looking lighting in your simulation you
are going to have to use one of the techniques such as light mapping or
vector mapping in order to create this light.
Another option is vR modeling language or vRMl. vRMl is a
standard that was invented in the 1990s to put real-time vR simulations
on the Internet so they could be shared with users all over the globe.
vRMl is available in almost all modeling programs, including SketchUp
and blender, as an export feature. Once you have created your model
you export it as a vRMl model, which can then be opened in a vRMl
reader application allowing you to navigate around the model in real
time. Again if you want to have professional looking, detailed lighting
you need to use one of the techniques discussed in this article. Most
Internet browsing applications have plug-ins that will run vRMl models
in the browser or you can use stand alone applications such as Octaga
Player (www.octaga.com) to move around in the vR world. These vRMl
models can be used as traditional tools in simulating a scenic model or
they can be used as a scenic device projected onstage during the show
and navigated in real time in front of the audience.
For more information on vRMl and to download some scenic
models that have been converted to vRMl, see the author's Web site at
www2.ku.edu/~ievr/alpha.html).

http://www.eonreality.com/raptor http://www.idx-design.com http://www.blender.org http://www.octaga.com http://www2.ku.edu/~ievr/alpha.html

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2010