Cadalyst - October 2007 - (Page 17)

techtrends The tool doesn’t create talent and capability. Someone who doesn’t know how to use Maya or Max can’t come into Second Life and expect to be a great 3D modeler. Figure 3. At the moment, importing CAD objects into Second Life is a challenge. But some architects have been importing 2D plans into the virtual environment as JPEG images and building desired structures on the top using Second Life’s construction interface. modate it. But until then, Second Life residents may rely on some good Samaritans with a flair for developing scripts or writing codes. One early attempt comes from Adrian Herbez, who created a Maya-to-Second Life script (www.purplestatic.com/MEL_SL/ ). of Second Life is a polygonal world. On the other hand, CAD programs use parametric 2D profiles and 3D objects to generate the necessary geometric forms. “That makes the handoff [from CAD to Second Life] quite challenging, to say the least,” Beaubois added. The desire to be able to import the design files from outside probably stems from the somewhat limited nature of the Second Life construction system. “The people who created the original Second Life system were probably not architecture- or engineering-oriented,” Beaubois observed. “So the methodology is somewhat different from CAD . . . Also, because many architects are already familiar with other 3D design software, they may find that they can do some things they’d want to do better in other tools than in the Second Life construction interface.” Lachmi Khemlani, who founded AECbytes, similarly observed, “Some aspects of the building capabilities within Second Life [are] quite sophisticated. For example, objects can be imbued with physical properties so they respond to gravity, inertia, propulsion, and wind from the weather system in Second Life. Objects cast shadows and are illuminated by the sun . . . However, compared to the powerful yet easy-to-use 3D modeling tools that AEC professionals are accustomed to using, the basic modeling interface of Second Life seems quite primitive. It would take a lot longer to model a building design in Second Life compared to SketchUp, form.Z, Revit Architecture, and so on.” (See “Exploring Second Life and its Potential in Real Life AEC,” AECbytes.com.) Beaubois warned, “The tool doesn’t create talent and capability. Someone who doesn’t know how to use Maya or Max can’t come into Second Life and expect to be a great 3D modeler. It won’t let you have the skills you didn’t have before.” If the demand for CAD-to-Second Life import/export increases, Linden Lab most likely will find a way to accom- The Hybrid Model As Beaubois sees it, the differences between real environments and virtual environments will become less of an issue as people become more familiar with the technology. “It’s like talking on the phone,” he reasoned. “I’m here in Bozeman; you’re there in San Francisco. But we’re speaking to each other on the phone. Does that mean we’re in a virtual world?” He shared this little philosophical brain-tickler to make a point. We distinguish between real spaces (our office cubicles and homes) and virtual spaces (islands in Second Life) because we’re not accustomed to the technology. It’s not yet fully integrated into how we work, teach, learn, and socialize. But for the budding architects in Beaubois’ classes, the two environments are not so easily separated. “We know that this technology is going to be integrated into the building industry in a major way. What those steps are, and what that path is — we’re still not certain,” Beaubois speculated. “My Creative Research Lab is working with groups like NIBS’ [National Institute of Building Sciences’] buildingSMART initiative and European efforts such as Eolus One to further develop the use of virtual environments in relationship to real environments. It’s going to be a very exciting time.” For more adventures of Tab Scott and KennethSF Offcourse in Second Life, read “City Turns New Leaf in Second Life,” AEC Tech News #207, August 23, 2007. Terry Beaubois can be reached at tbeaubois@montana.edu. If you’re a Second Life novice still learning to fly (like I am), you might even bump into his avatar Tab Scott somewhere. c Kenneth Wong is a former editor of Cadence magazine. As a freelance writer, he explores innovative usage of technology and its implications. E-mail him at Kenneth.Wong at cadalyst.com. www.cadalyst.com | cadalyst | October 2007 17 http://www.purplestatic.com/MEL_SL/ http://aec.cadalyst.com/aec/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=451110 http://www.AECbytes.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - October 2007

Contents Editor's Window Cad Central Tech Trends: First-Hand Architecture in Second Life Rev It Up — Graphics Cards Pack Power for Today’s Hottest Designs TurboCAD Pro 14 — 3D Modeling Software SimEnterprise R2 — Design Simulation Software CADopia 6.2 SP3 Professional Edition — 2D and 3D Modeling Software Cad Manager: Programming Resources for CAD Managers MCAD Modeling: Customer Service Horror Stories PLM Strategies: Manufacturing Across Time Zones AEC in Focus: Digital-Asset Management in AEC/O Cad Cartoon Issue Indexes Cadfidential

Cadalyst - October 2007

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