Extracts of Local Distance: A Unique Take on Architectural Photography

Below is a video showing an interesting take on architectural photography:

Countless fragments of existing architectural photography are merged into multilayered shapes. The resulting collages introduce a third abstract point of view next to the original ones of architect and photographer.

Digital scans of analogue architectural photography form tiny pieces of a large resulting puzzle. The original pictures are being analysed and categorised according to their vanishing-points and shapes. Based on this analysis, slices are being extracted from the source image. These slices retain the information of their position corresponding to their original vanishing-point and thus form a large pool of pieces, ready to be applied to new perspectives and shapes.

Using the extracted image segments, it is now possible to form collages of originally different pictures with a new common perspective. In order to compose a collage, a perspective-grid is defined and a lining of matching image segments is being applied. The segments are not altered to match the frame but fitting ones are chosen from the sheer mass of possible pieces. By defining additional keywords which describe the content of the original photographs, the selection of segments used for the final composition can be influenced. Thus a contextual layer is added through the semantic linking with the source material.

The recompositions mix and match the views and perspectives of both the architect and the photographer with a third, newly chosen frame. The resulting fine-art prints are entirely unique each time.

For further info visit: http://www.localdistance.org/

Architizer

Architizer is a new way for architects to interact, show their work, and find clients. It is an open community created by architects for architects. One architectural project has dozens of contributors, from the intern who made the conceptual models to the construction administrator. A project on Architizer links all members of the architectural community.

Click here to visit Architizer.com

Highlights from Udaipur HD version

Some of the highlights from my trip to Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

Take a virtual tour of the Winter Olympics in 3D

The countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympics has begun, and the Google Boulder office has been busy modeling the Olympic venues in Vancouver, BC using Google SketchUp.

Last month, we introduced photo-realistic 3D models for eight of the nine venues hosting the games.

Today, we released updates to many of the models using higher-resolution imagery, and, the last venue for the Olympics: the Bobsled Course!

Olympic venues (click to enlarge)

With today's release, all nine venues (54 buildings in total) are completely modeled in 3D and available for viewing in Google Earth's "3D Buildings" layer (or view the collection in the Google 3D Warehouse). The collection includes 3D models that range from downtown event centers to ski lifts and spectator bleachers.

In addition, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games incorporated the models into the Official website using the Google Earth plugin. To see the models, simply click on "Spectator Guide," then "Venues." You'll find a "3D View" tab that loads the 3D model.

So wax your virtual skis and take a tour!

Via Google

New Version of Green Building Studio – Enhanced UI and New Weather Data

A new version of Autodesk Green Building Studio has gone live. Version 4.2 has a nicer user interface as well as new weather data for more parts of the globe (Central and South America, the Caribbean, Indonesio and eht Southwest Pacific, the Middle East and Africa have been added). The GBS weather data now covers most of the World.

Via blgsim

Pink City: Character and Contextualism

This is a video of my visit to Pink City, Jaipur India. Shot from the car revealing the character of the place.

Interactive Architecture..the book

Published by PA Press, Michael Fox and Miles Kemp have put together as they call it “a processes-oriented guide to creating dynamic spaces and objects capable of performing a range of pragmatic and humanistic functions. These complex physical interactions are made possible by the creative fusion of embedded computation (intelligence) with a physical, tangible counterpart (kinetics). A uniquely twenty-first century toolbox and skill set-virtual and physical modeling, sensor technology, CNC fabrication, prototyping, and robotics-necessitates collaboration across many diverse scientific and art-based communities. “

It contains a huge number of artists, architects and designers all working in and around this field that I have found so fascinating over the past couple of years. Its more than just a coffee table book, I think they’ve done an excellent job finding themes that run through the discipline and taken on some of the key challenges including asking “Interaction” can be understood to be in a spatial context. Its definitely worth picking up and will appeal to architects, artists and designers alike.

Via interactivearchiture

Feature Videos of iPad Launch

Here is a video of Steve Jobs announcing the iPad. According to him the device will fill the gap between a smartphone and a laptop device providing a much user-friendly and fun experience to do email, watch videos and photos and surf the web. 

Also what makes the iPad so powerful as a consumer device is that it will run all of the 140,000 apps already supported on the iPhone. And the new iBook and iWork app, make the iPad the perfect e-reader and document processor. The video below demonstrates the capability of the device. 

Via Sizlopedia

Apple Launches the iPad Tablet

Apple has done it again!. After all the speculation and rumors, they have finally managed to launch a device that is not only phenomenal and extraordinary, but beautiful in design and powerful at it's core. They call it the iPad.

As predicted and previewed, the iPadOS shares its core with the iPhoneOS and does almost everything that the iPhone does. Good thing is that it runs all the 140,000 iPhone apps (in standard, and full-screen mode) and can also be used in landscape and portrait modes thanks to the accelerometer on board.

For the specs of the device, we have a 9.7 inch IPS multitouch display along with a 1GHz in-house processor chip by Apple. Comes in 16GB, 32GB to 64GB and boasts a battery-time of up to 10 hours in active mode and up to a month in standby-mode.

The iPad will be shipping in late March in two models: The WiFi and the WiFi + 3G. The pricing starts at $499 for the base WiFi model and ascends up to $829. Check out more on the official Apple iPad website.

Via Sizlopedia

Browse models on your Iphone

Looks like you can now browse 3D models on your iphone however it still looks to be in its infancy stages . goBIM is a tool for browsing BIM models on your iPhone. Check there website out for further details:

Highlights From Singapore

Video showing some of the highlights from my trip to Singapore...

Export Revit to EnergyPlus via Ecotect

EnergyPlus is one of the most sophisticated energy analysis tools available and Revit has become somewhat of a standard for the AEC industry at least in North America and Oceania it seems like a natural fit ..

See this recent post on openRevit for some in depth instructions on how to use the Revit gbXML export feature via Ecotect with EnergyPlus for thermal simulations and more.

Via Blgsim

Revit: Exporting to Ecotect Analysis

Here is some more fodder for environmental designers on exporting data from Revit to Ecotect Analysis:

Via Blgsim

3D models come to the iPhone

Interactive, 3D product documentation is going mobile, targeting non-CAD users such as repair technicians. For example, Autodesk Inventor Publisher Technology Preview, a free download from Autodesk Labs, supports the creation of interactive 3D assembly instructions, operating procedures, repair instructions, and the like. These can then be “published” to the Web, paper documents such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint — and the iPhone. The phone app seemed interesting and since I have an iPhone 3G S, I asked company representatives to publish a 3D animation to my phone.

To do this, I first needed the iPhone application, Firefly. Because the program is still in beta, the developers emailed it to me in a zip file (instead of my, say, downloading the program from the Apple site). Installing the software was merely a matter of attaching the iPhone to the computer and launching iTunes. Next came unzipping the content, dragging and dropping it into the Application folder in iTunes, and then “syncing” the phone. In a short while, Firefly loaded. Lightly pressing the Firefly icon opens the application. My phone is always “on” the Internet, so launching Firefly automatically connected it to Autodesk servers and downloaded files named “Bike Assembly,” “LED Light,” and “Guitar Hero,” among others.

Much of the iPhone’s appeal comes from its touch interface and this capability extends to Firefly. For example, tapping the 3D View tab for “Bike Assembly” brings up the 3D model of the bicycle. Pressing the Play arrow displays an exploded view of the bike and then an animation of the steps to installing the front wheel, fork, handlebar, crank, and seat. While the animation ran, associated text instructions for each step displayed at the top of the window. You can also touch and drag the timeline bar to scrub the timeline.

The interface is quite intuitive. For instance, a one-finger touch-and-drag orbits the camera, a two-finger touch-and-drag pans the camera, and a two finger “pinch” zooms the camera. Also, double-tapping a part displays the part name and tapping on the part label brings up another window that shows the part properties. A nifty feature: Touching and holding a part centers the view on the part.

Likewise, opening “Guitar Hero” displays an animation showing how to assemble a guitar. Double-tapping a body panel reveals its name, Body_Bottom:1. Tapping on the label shows part properties include author, date created, density, design status, designer, and material. Pages with a lot of text just take touching and dragging to scroll through the text.

A caveat from the developers: This version of Firefly is an early build of the app, so there were likely to be quirks. I found them to be few and far between. For instance, sometimes the part would not center immediately. But this is just a quibble. Firefly is probably among the first wave of mobile 3D applications. The program could even be handy for non-CAD end users such as a frustrated father needing to assemble a boxed toy for his kid.

Via machinedesign

Photos from Trip To India

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

VisualARQ – Architectural Tools for Rhino

Designed for architects, planners and interior designers, VisualARQ (developed by Asuni CAD) is a Rhino plugin for creating and editing architectural models. It adds parametric 3D objects like walls, columns, doors, windows and stairs that are suitable for 3D modeling and 2D documentation.

For detail on features and to download a trail version go to the VisualARQ website. Here are also some videos showing different tools in VisualARQ.

Via blgsim

Singapore Photos

Photos from my visit to Singapore

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Google Sketchup for Energy Analysis using EnergyPlus Online Tutorials at AIA Website

Here is some more insight into using SketcUp for Building Performance Simulation

These hands-on tutorials will help you, step-by-step, test drive a new set of 3D modeling and energy analysis tools: Open Studio, SketchUp and EnergyPlus. After viewing the videos, you may earn four hours of HSW Credit by taking a quiz on the peer learning site.

Downloadable Programs Google Sketchup Google Earth EnergyPlus OpenStudio

Hands-on Tutorials (Streaming Video) Google SketchUp for Energy Analysis Using EnergyPlus Google SketchUp, Part 1 Google SketchUp, Part 2 EnergyPlus, Part 1 EnergyPlus, Part 2

Find out more at AIA/ Practicing Architecture

Via Blgsim

SketchUp 7.1.6087 Maintenance Release

A new maintenenace relase for Google Sketchup 7.1 is making its appearance today.

Although, no official word has been made, there are reports of the new version starting to appear on the download page and update servers. (Help menu --> Check for Update)

The version for this release is: 7.1.6087

The release notes have been published here already .

Read More at sketchup plugins

A view from the top of Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world

Video shot from the top of the Burj Dubai, designed by SOM, the tallest building in the world.

An interesting aerial view of Dubai, where you can see how long the shadow of this tower can get.

Autodesk Green Building Studio Adds More Than a Million Global Weather Locations

“The previous version of the Autodesk Green Building Studio service supported weather locations mainly based on large airport sites. The 1.6 million virtual weather locations now supported by the service are located no more than 8.8 miles (14 km) from any given project location covered by the new data set. The new virtual weather locations were developed using weather data from a variety of government and other public sources, such as airports, ocean or river buoys, and aircraft and satellite readings. An observations-based physics model (mesoscale meteorological model) was then generated for each region. Access to the 1.6 million virtual weather location data set is available now to subscribers of Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010 during the term of their Subscription.”

Via Blgsim

Epic Announces Free Unreal Development Kit Epic Games, Inc. has announced the launch of the Unreal Development Kit (UDK), a fre

Epic Games, Inc. has announced the launch of the Unreal Development Kit (UDK), a free edition of Unreal Engine 3 that provides community access to the game engine and toolset.

The software release is available to anyone interested in using 3D game engine technology, including game developers, students, hobbyists, researchers, creators of 3D visualizations and simulations, and digital filmmakers:

There is no charge for noncommercial or educational use of UDK. Over 100 academic campuses currently use Unreal Technology as part of teaching game development-related courses.

Anyone can start working with the industry-leading Unreal Engine 3 toolset by downloading UDK at www.udk.com, where detailed product features, technical documentation, commercial licensing terms, support resources and more are also available. This is quite an interesting development as it could enable some neat architectural ports into the engine.

Video: SketchUp for Illustration

Here is a great time-lapse video showing how a SketchUp user called elfpainter from Korea uses SketchUp and Paint.net to create comic illustrations.

Via sketchuptips

ArchiCAD 13 Introduces New Teamwork and Management Features

See these videos on some pretty cool features in the just released new version of ArchiCAD. ArchiCAD seams to be BIM leader in teamwork and user management / project access.  As well ArchiCAD improves performance with the introduction of  64-bit versions for Windows and soon on Macs too.

These are some of the new ideas:

Workflow through the new BIM Server

BIM Management: Data Safety

BIM Collaboration: Teamwork 2.0

Via blgsim

Digital Architecture: Passages Through Hinterlands

October 26th, 2009

Digital Architecture: Passages Through Hinterlands is a collection of provocative projects from a young generation of digitally enabled designers. This publication oscillates between the analog and the digital, from concept to realisation, mapping processes as it explores the diverse digital paths that lead innovative spaces, poetic narratives and social interactions.

sixteen* (makers), 55/02 Shelter, Kielder Forest, UK

The book covers a spectrum of London’s leading graduates and young practices, featuring projects from the Architectural Association, Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL), University of Westminster and Royal College of Art, and case studies and interviews with architects including Amanda Levete Architects, Plasma Studio, JDS Architects, sixteen* (makers), Horhizon, marcosandmarjan, Mette Ramsgard Thomsen, Philip Beesley, David Greene, Samantha Hardingham, Usman Haque and Neil Spiller.

Tarek Shamma, “Circus Lumens”

I’m pleased to announce that “Digital Architecture: Passages Through Hinterlands” is now available. Co-Authored by myself (Ruairi Glynn) and Sara Shafiei it has been a real pleasure to put together a book that is intended to expand the envelope of what we might conside “Digital” Architecture to be.

Christian Kerrigan, “The 200 Year Continuum”

I would like to thank all of the architects and artists who have contributed their inspiring work and thank our exceptional graphic designer Emily Chicken bringing it all together with such elegance.

David Greene of Archigram and Samantha Hardingham’s recent L.A.W.U.N.* Project

I am also pleased to announce that one of the young graduates featuring in the book Nick Szczepaniak, has just been awarded the RIBA Silver Medal (The highest award in the UK for student design work) and we are thrilled to be the first publication to be presenting his work. More posts will follow presenting some of the other work featuring in the book and a preview of its contents can be seen here.

Nick Szczepaniak, “A Defensive Architecture”

Via Interactive architecture