271

Next Steps |Virtual Reality

270

Next Steps |Virtual Reality

Tiltbrush is one example of an VR painting application

From “Tilt Brush by Google,” accessed January 1, 2020, https://www.tiltbrush.com/.

Virtual Reality

The real-time rendering and interaction capabilities of this UE4 pipeline naturally opens the potential of VR integration, which allows us to synchronize the virtual world to the physical.[1] Through VR headsets, we can achieve levels of immersion that are unparalleled compared to static or even dynamic interactive visualizations on a traditional screen. There are multiple levels of immersion to this, ranging from simple rotationally-tracked headgear to full body positional tracking, many of which already have some sort of support within UE4.[2]

This introduces possibilities of expanding both immersion and production aspects within architectural visualization. Simple positionally tracked controllers have already been used for applications that allow people to draw within a virtual 3D VR environment.[3] (Fig. 5.3.1) Optical trackers such as Kinect[4] and leap motion[5] allows us to easily and cheaply track the human body and hands, which can be used for both immersive movement control as well as animation asset creation.[6] (Fig. 5.3.2 - 3) More advanced rigs can also be used to simulate camera movements within the virtual environment that are comparable to holding a real camera in the physical world. (Fig. 5.3.4)

By exploring these multiple ways of facilitating physical virtual interactions, we will be able to realize a plethora of different options that can be used with this software. The benefits of this medium are further justified by Ronald Tang’s recently defended M.Arch thesis Step into the Void: A study of spatial perception in Virtual Reality, in which he rationalizes the utility of VR as a medium within architectural visualization.[7]

Eventually with enough hardware and software improvements, both the environment as well as the human agents[8] (Fig. 5.3.5) will become indistinguishable from reality, allowing us to fully represent spaces, possibly making this the future of architectural visualization.