ILLUMIN: CALL FOR PAPERS
Could Being a Better Gamer make you a Better Builder? A look into 3-D Modeling
Interface and the Practicality of Integrating Video-Game Controllers as Navigating Aids
Prepared by: Anna Severt
May 2, 2014
Key words: Autodesk, Navisworks, BIM, 3-D, Models, Video-Games, Augmented Reality
ABSTRACT
The program Navisworks, primarily a viewer for 3-D construction building models created in
other Autodesk platforms, allows users see three dimensional elements in and outside of
simulated buildings by orienting the view up, down, and side-to-side; yet to those unfamiliar to
the software, simply walking through the model using a mouse is tedious. First providing an
overview of similar technologies and applications for collaborating partners within the
construction industry, this paper will then highlight how handheld controllers, such as those
already being utilized with video game consoles, may be a solution for simpler navigation as
well as a means of better communication between different entities on a construction project.
INTRODUCTION
On a construction site, a video-game controller –in its most obvious application, a toy— would
seem out of place. However, one of the ways in which general contractors and other members of
the Architect/Engineer/Contractor (AEC) industry are making the most of computer simulated
construction is by using intuitive controllers to navigate through and evaluate dense 3-D models.
Inspired by C.W. Driver, a southern California contractor who addressed the lack of research for
more intuitive rather than trial and error model navigation, Kevin Miller (portrait below), chair
for the Construction Management program at Brigham Young University decided to adopt this
challenge. Miller and his research team found that using an inexpensive program available for
download online, they could program an Xbox 360 controller to function and operate as
computers navigational commands. Intended primarily to “improve accessibility in gameplay”,
Xpadder works by allowing users to assign keyboard functions and mouse clicks to either the
control stick or combinations of buttons [1]. In a limited group of participants, Miller and his
research team found that users new to Navisworks®, a model viewing program, had
comparatively less difficulty in moving through models when using the Xbox controller. Given
the parallelism of both industries, AEC users and developers of these BIM technologies can look
to examples already set by the gaming world.
BIM: A BRIEF OVERVIEW
BIM is an acronym for Building Information Modeling systems. A well written definition comes
from Michael S. Bergin of the Architecture Research Lab at Archdaily:
“BIM software must be capable of representing both the physical and intrinsic properties
of a building as an object-oriented model tied to a database. In addition most BIM
software now features rendering engines, an optimized feature specific taxonomy and a
programming environment to create model components. The user can view and interact
with the model in three-dimensional views as well as orthographic two-dimensional plan,
sections and elevation views of the model.” [2]
Shown below is a desktop screen shot of a sample BIM software illustrating several of its
capabilities.
Figure 1: A desktop screen shot of an open project in the program Autodesk 2011 Revit Architecture
(3-D modeling software tool). A ribbon in the command window (upper left corner of screen) shows
that commands such as “Wall” allows for users to place walls of different types and editable
properties. On the right side of the screen, the two windows demonstrates how users can model
detailed and accurate representations of future or existing construction, including topography,
landscaping and annotated elevations. The middle of the screen shows how orienting the model to
“Plan View” can allow for users to compare their work to the geometry depicted in 2-D construction
documents.
BIM software gives AEC professionals the ability to model detailed and accurate representations
of buildings with a uniform standard database of building components grouped by type. Like a
combination of the Windows program Paint and virtual Legos, users can drag in, modify, place,
cut, copy and paste individual elements. By far the most popular modeling software for BIM and
the widely accepted industry standard, is Autodesk® Revit®. Architects can model intricate
masses, and builders can model to a level of detail that includes the studs in drywall framing.
Even allowable tolerances and necessary clearances per the American Institute of Architects and
other applicable building codes can be conceptually modeled with masses. Practical for the
visualization of future construction, three dimensional models can be distributed to multiple
collaborators on a project for constructability review. Additionally, building sequence for a 4-D
time lapse of the construction of building components and placement of groupings of elements (a
common function of many model viewers) is a powerful assist tool in the verification of
logistics. More likely than not, the sister software for Revit, Autodesk® Navisworks®, is being
used to present and navigate through models, create 4-D video simulations, and discern
“clashes”. Navisworks is great twofold: (1) It uses significantly less of the Random Access
Memory (RAM) and Central Processing Unit (CPU) available on personal computers (heavily
loaded Revit models have been known to crash) (2) Given set margins for error, it can scan
through models and pick out overlapping and duplicate elements with its Clash Detector tool
within a matter of minutes. This is what the “B” and “M” of BIM is all about – the ability to
build a better building, troubleshooting design issues with a essentially a prototype. The “I” of
BIM will be discussed later, but first the focus must be brought to the need behind introducing an
Xbox controller to a construction site.
THE NAVIGATION NUISANCE
The drawback to Navisworks, however is not its ability to present Revit models, but in the users’
ability to navigate through the model. Username Jeradooka, an active member on Autodesk
Community’s online forums, typed: “I find it a stumbling task to navigate in Navisworks files. In
World of Warcraft, they have a very smooth flow for 3D navigation while in the air…I would
love Navisworks much more if Autodesk could duplicate this navigation” [3]. The user is
referring to the difficulty in adjusting to the “Glide” mode of exploring a model in Navisworks
(popular because it allows viewers to quickly pan through elevations), and goes on to explain the
WASD keyboard commands of the online computer game (see diagram below).
Figure 2: A diagram of WoW
keyboard functions.
The Glide tool moves the camera, or perspective of the model by moving the mouse as such: left
button with mouse moving forward to go further into building, left button with side-to-side to
look left and right, left button, forward and side-to-side to turn; middle mouse to look up and
down, and cntrl with middle mouse to zoom into wherever the camera is pointing. Given that
moving a cursor across the desktop is within a two-dimensional plane, it’s obvious to see why
even the Autodesk handbook concedes that practice may be needed and that, “at first these tools
may seem cumbersome or difficult to use” [4]. Unlike the WoW flying commands, this interface
combines two different types of mental models, or ways in which the brain perceives the
translation of movement to on-screen commands. Mouse clicks and holding combinations are
directional natural mappings, “Think Street Fighter 4: up to jump, left/right to move, down to
crouch, and buttons to punch or kick” [5]. Moving the mouse into and around the model is
incomplete tangible natural mapping, such as with the Nintendo Wii console, where players
move their remotes to create mirrored kinetic movement in the games. At least with video
games, different senses of “presence” are created with these mental models. According to
research done by Paul Skalski, Ron Tamborini, Ashleigh Shelton, Michael Buncher, and Pete
Lindmark, comparing the gameplay of the Playstation 2 with dual-shock controller and the
Nintento Wii with wiimote versions of Tiger Woods PGA Tour ’07, players felt that the wiimote
swung like a golf club felt more natural. While that finding was expected, measuring the results
of each group with qualitative questions, the players who used the wiimote also felt a correlation
in their controls with “spatial presence” or being there [5]. The brain has to go back and forth
between moving the mouse and pushing buttons on the keyboard and mouse. Additionally, while
moving the mouse to mimic a person walking through the building is intuitive, the motion is
linked to a simulated camera, and the natural feel to a camera is carry it, which you cannot do
with the mouse. Deductive reasoning would justify that different feels between moving as one
does when walking and pushing a button and expecting something to happen would not only
confuse the viewer, but would also take away from the perception that one is inside the actual
building; frankly taking away from the power of the 2-D to 3-D visualization. Miller and his
team’s solution bypasses the need to switch between these mental models of controls, making the
adaptation of the controller and model navigation easier to attain. A similarly effective solution
comes from John Aaron Phillips, director of technology and BIM services for SHP Leading
Design. Phillips installed a software tool kit released for Windows-based machines and
programmed a Wii remote to act as a controller navigating models in another one of Autodesk’s
model viewers, Design Review®. Phillips’ testimony was that when he “showed the technology
to peers who had never used 3-D modeling software,” “they were almost instantly able to graps
controls and learn how to navigate” [6]. The “natural feel” is critical to first time user, and in an
industry where several stakeholders need to view information organized in a model, technology
such as Navisworks needs to be simple enough to be universally recognizable and useful on a
project, ultimately fulfilling the “I” construct of BIM.
THE REAL GAME CHANGER: BIM AS A KNOWLEDGE RESOURCE
Expanding on the informational or, “I” component of BIM, perhaps the acronym modified to
include some indicator of relaying and sharing the Information constituent. Jane McGonigal, a
game designer and researcher at The Institute for the Future, in a TED Talk shared her analysis
of the persistence of online gamers and their determination to achieve “epic wins” [7]. Studying
WoW gameplay alone, McGonigal found that collectively, gamers had spent “5.93 million years
solving virtual problems of Azeroth”, the game’s fictional setting. McGonigal would go on to
point out that with approximately 80,000 articles, contributed by WoW gamers, and utilized
monthly by 5 million the World of Warcraft wiki is second to Wikipedia for largest wikis.
Because they view the series of missions in the game as fun rather than daunting, gamers are
what McGonigal calls, “super-empowered, hopeful individuals”. WoW wiki and Jerdooka’s
community post have the same significance, being free information available translated from a
peer to another. The voluntarily brain wracking, practice and teamwork that comes out of these
video games is a product of constant validation. “There’s no unemployment in World of
Warcraft” and, “everywhere you go, hundreds of thousands of people [are online,] ready to help
you achieve your epic mission. BIM is intended for shared ownership by the builders, the
contractor, the architect and the owner. The majority of contributors to builds need to be exposed
to the model if it is to be used as contractual document or 3-D version of 2-D plans. Rather than
reserve the expertise for BIM departments and a select few within companies, model viewing
should be practiced by as many directly affected employees on a project (which I imagine to be
the entire project team) for the sake of familiarity, accuracy and above all, sharing the common
goal of procuring the best model and thus plan of construction possible.
Simultaneous involvement from different groups is definitely another essential to this notion of
“BIM democratization”, as some members of the Autodesk User Group Internation (AUGI) are
calling it. WoW has real-time gameplay with millions of other users also logged in at once, that
may team up. Analogously, cost-effective, harmonious conflict resolution on a construction
project comes from immediate, clear and direct discussion. When finalizing BIM models for
official use and record, it is a common practice for an owner or managing group to mandate
meetings to go over issues with the model, i.e. clashes detected in Navisworks with all parties
who contributed elements to the consolidated model. Collaborators discuss model errors either in
person or via online and telephoned conference calling and come up the necessitated model
revision together. If the AUGI were more like the WoW gamers, it would firstly, be much larger,
but secondly everyone would have a shared sense of purpose and cohesive shared upon
dependence. Beyond the video game controllers and the stunningly real graphics, video gamers
may have already encountered akin successes and failures to builders. With the commonalities
shared between both industries, it is high unlikely that one will not borrow elements from
another and it will be a worthwhile ride for anyone catching the wave of upcoming and (for
BIM) needed changes.
THE FUTURE: VR / AR
Speaking more now for the “modeling” aspect of BIM, with regards to the formatting and
communication of builders’ communication, simplicity and a more developed sense of spatial
presence is exactly where the AEC industry is heading. Virtual reality and Augmented Reality,
VR and AR respectively, are two more acronyms that are going to be increasingly grouped with
BIM. Virtual reality is a computer generated, three dimensional environment that is interactive
and can allow the user or to become immersed in what it is that they are viewing. Augmented
reality layers computer images with stagnant environments to that both the simulated and actual
images appear to coexist. Thanks to 3D laser scanning, in combination with AR software, an
infinite number of points can reference corresponding coordinates in a model. With current
handheld platforms, such as an iPad or other mobile device with a camera, allow any foreman to
walk onto a construction site and scan a strategically placed QR code to overlay building
components existing in a 3-D model, but perhaps not yet constructed on site.
Figure 3: An employee of the general contractor/construction management
firm Bernards using augmented reality via an iPad device.
A QR code, related to the barcode, simply a unique arrangement of black and white squares, can
reference a linked image or rendering taken from the model, and pull up the image on their
device within the camera application so that it appears as a single view. A very real potential for
AR programs will be in the ability to walk through a steel superstructure and see all of the
modeled elements projected on-screen as the user pans with the iPad as naturally as they would
turn their heads – Google Maps similarly is able to register location and switch from bird’s eye
to street view when arriving to a desired location. Chris Pechacek, Virtual Design and
Construction Director of McCarthy Builders states of on-site AR usage, “[Construction workers
and supervisors] don’t have to be software gurus and know how to navigate through the
model…It enables all users to instantly access the information they need, saving precious time
and avoiding frustrations with traditional systems” [8]. With teaser advertising for products such
as Google Glass, real-time projections onto any surface is alluded to in a nearby future more
heavily integrating augmented reality, rather than in something dreamed up for a sci-fi movie.
And with the amount of investors and software developers across the entertainment and visual
display industries looking to evolve computer graphic imaging, it will be sooner than later that
we will be hearing of virtual reality fooling our eyes [9].
As exciting as these advancements are, BIM is not an animator’s dream, but rather a toolbox for
collaboration and it is critical to reiterate the problem solving application of the current
technologies when thinking about its future. The virtual Legos have more meaning than
placeholders and pretty pictures. While it will be worth watching both the gaming and AEC
industries to see how fancily an artificial visual can be presented, leaders in general contracting
and construction management can steal a set of problem solving ideologies from the community
of gamers.
CONCLUSION
Traditional construction documents were once limited to 2-D documents; blueprints drawn to
reflect floor and simple elevation views. In terms of the concept, BIM origins can be dated back
to the 1962, when architect Douglas C. Englebart suggested the evolution of drafting a design
advanced enough to have revisable elements drawn in three dimensions, each carrying
specifications such as physical properties and properly scaled dimensions. For one final time, this
analogy will be repeated for emphasis: The important concept is not virtual Legos, more so in the
ability to attach important pieces of data to the elements so that one could look at one model and
identify these properties without referencing legends, notes or specifications contractual
documents. One way in which Englebart’s dream is taking shape is in the adoption of user
friendly controls, and with increased usage in multiple areas of the construction industry further
advancement of BIM is not only anticipated, it is vital.
Works Cited
[1] “Making a Game of Model Navigation” Internet: http://www.augi.com/library/making-agame-of-model-navigation, Jul. 2, 2013 [Feb. 19, 2014].
[2] M.S. Bergin. (2012, Dec.) “A Brief History of BIM / Michael S. Bergin.” ArchDaily:
Architecture News. [On-line.] Available: http://www.archdaily.com/?p=302490 [Feb. 19, 2013].
[3] Jeradooka. “Ideal Navisworks Navigation WoW” Internet:
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Navisworks-General/Ideal-Navisworks-Navigation-WoW/tdp/3580064, Aug. 15, 2012 [Feb. 19, 2014].
[4] J. Dodds, S. Johnson. Mastering Autodesk Navisworks 2013. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
Sons, 2012, pp. 3-7.
[5] J. Madigan. (2010, Sep.) “Motion Controls and Presence” The Psychology of Video Games:
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http://www.psychologyofgames.com/2010/09/motion-controls-and-presence/ [Feb. 19, 2014].
[6] J.A. Phillips. (2012, Apr.) “Game On for A/E/C” DesignIntelligence UPDATE. [On-line].
Available: http://www.di.net/articles/game_on_aec/ [Feb. 19, 2013].
[7] J. McGonigal. TEDActive (Palm Springs). “Gaming can make a better world.” Riviera
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[8] D. Barista. (2013, Sep.) “Augmented reality goes mainstream: 12 applications for design and
construction firms” Building Design + Construction. [On-line] Available:
http://www.bdcnetwork.com/augmented-reality-goes-mainstream-12-applications-design-andconstruction-firms
[9] L. Frum., “Emerging technology heightens video-game realism,” CNN:
cnn.com/2013/11/14/tech/gaming-gadgets/realism-video-games/, Nov. 14, 2013 [Feb. 19, 2014].
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