Research Assignment

Research Assignment Question – Will computer gaming technology become a widely used tool for architectural purposes?

Assignment 1 – Weeks 1-6

Sketchup => Crysis

Using sketchup as an architectural modelling tool is a great way for beginners to learn the basics of modelling programs. It also proved to be a fairly easy tool in regards to how you can import them into the crysis editor. Throughout the first six weeks of the semester we started off with modelling a world within the crysis editor. We learnt how to modify the environment, its features and atmosphere. Through using the editor I did come across some obstacles with the textures which were generated through the program. It seemed that every time I would close the program down and reopen my file, I would lose the previous textures. I later found out that there was a problem with the file, and the only way to fix it would be to start again. The textures however weren’t a major part of my assignment, so I decided to let it go.

Overall Sketchup was very easy to use when modelling. Although the simplicity of the model is what lets the program down, with nearly every other modelling program, providing alot more accuracy with the model.

Assignment 2 – Weeks 7-13

For this assignment I decided to model up my town hall station in a program called Revit. Revit for me was able to give me the accuracy which Sketchup lacked for such a large model. Another main reason for modelling up the station in Revit, as Revit has an option to export the model into 3Ds Max – which is what the Crysis editor needs to export geometry. In week ten I did successfully export my town hall station into crysis with the help from the tutors, to make my level a multiplayer level. Having done this successfully with the materials and model I was quite confident that I would be able to replicate the method.

However, once I had completed my final model through Revit and into 3ds max, I found no matter what I did I was unable to import it into crysis. I later found out that the file I had was corrupt,and that there was basically nothing I could do about it. I was forced to resort to use the model which I had completed in Week 10 – which isn’t nearly as detailed as my final model, but it did allow me to portray the message which is evedent throughout my second assignment.

Research Question

For my research question I asked 10 of my fellow students and 20 people from outside the architectural community, if computer gaming technology will become a widely used tool for architectural purposes.

Remarkably all 10 of my fellow students believed strongly that this is where Architecture is heading towards. Not only did they believe that modelling such as what we have been doing for the past year will become common place, but also that architectural programs will catch up to what these computer gaming engines allow us to do.

From the 20 people outside the Architectural community which I asked my research question, 15 out of 20 beleived the same way in which my fellow students did – with the remaining 5 thinking there was way too much work involved in creating these environments.

I found the workflow for assignment two to be the better – this mainly due to the precision in which I was able to make my 3d model of townhall station. I would choose sketchup however, for smaller models. As for myself, I believe the same way in which my fellow students do in regards to my research question – I believe that we will be seeing more and more of these in the years to come.