It is unclear if VR will turn out as an over-hyped fad for the general public, but the use in architecture is undeniably cool and useful. IrisVR admits that the only way to do this would be to load all the objects individually, which would impact performance, so there is still some work to do here. In a flash, the model fades in and out and youll find yourself in the new location. The feeling of presence of existing inside the 3D model is quite incredible. .LVMD files can be opened in the Autodesk LIVE Editor, a real-time desktop game engine design viz environment that also has a VR capability. For the purpose of this article, we tried out three of the main Revit to VR applications using Revit 2017. We imagine the Nvidia Quadro P5000 ($2,499) would probably be powerful enough to deliver a good experience in Autodesk LIVE and Enscape, but we didnt get to try this. Depending on the size of the room and the requirements of the user, the HMD can be set up for a full room-scale experience or a standing experience. Extended reality is used across industries to: Privacy | Do not sell my personal information | Cookie preferences | Report noncompliance | Terms of use| 2022 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved. Room Scale, as the name suggests, means the VR experience takes place in a space the size of a typical room. This makes all three applications well suited to non-expert users. In addition, Nvidia has released a single slot, professional VR Ready GPU called the Nvidia Quadro P4000. You will get the full content of this blog post in PDF format, plus bonus material. Lumion is awesome. Performance is both applicationand model-dependent and is influenced by the size of the da taset, the complexity of the geometry (number of polygons), how well the application optimises geometry for VR, as well as lighting and textures. When turning on your workstation, you may need to pull out the video cable or Windows will boot to the HTC Vive, rather than to your monitor. The software performed very well with our Nvidia Quadro P6000. It works with Autodesk Revit, ArchiCAD, SketchUp, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Navisworks and AutoCAD, and also supports FBX, IFC, BCF and PDF file formats. The visual quality is excellent, encouraging exploration of materials and finishes, as well as form, fixtures and fittings. If price is an issue, go for the Rift. Unlike 360 stereo panoramas, the experience is not limited to a single point of view. Enscape with VR, using High quality setting. Extendedreality connects teams within a virtual, interactive environment to generate creative and innovative solutions. Please visit www.autodesk.com to buy Revit or to get more information. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Predictably, Autodesk is aiming to bring this time down. This is simply because of the ease which with one can flip between Revit and VR. On average, with 0.5Mb/sec upload, we found our 100MB to 200MB Revit test files took around 15 mins to upload, process and download the resulting .LVMD file to our desktop workstation. The entourage, trees and grass are automatically converted to be visually realistic. Sectioning/modifying models in Scale Model Mode: In Scale Model Mode user can now lift/move the model around space, rotate it, zoom in, and section it. Find a device that fits with your phone. You can teleport through transparent walls, doors and windows, but not through solid doors or walls. It offers a push-button workflow from Revit to VR and, uniquely, a live link between the two applications. If you use the standard consumer version for commercial use, your warranty is null and void. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. On edges that are far away from the observer, there also seem to have aliasing and quality problems. The software can also directly support all types of RPC content, including premium human models from RPC content partner AXYZ. Autodesk is gearing up for a new release any day now, so expect a raft of new features in what we presume will be Autodesk Revit Live 2.0. Enscape is a real-time rendering plugin, providing a live link from Revit to a desktop 3D game engine that can also be used for VR. Honestly, the experience might leave you dizzy and disappointed. This is obvious when cutting the model: elements don't have thickness. The HTC Vive offers both a room-scale VR experience and a standing/seated experience, in spaces up to 5m x 5m. Almost 10 millions copies of the Cardboard have been sold. Learn how designers can create fluid 3D sketches in Create VR for Alias and Maya. NVIDIA CloudXR increases efficiency for designers, engineers, and artists by extending Autodesk data with streaming XR experiences. 6 Reasons Enscape Is The Best Revit Rendering Plug-In , 7 Highlights from the BILT 2022 Conference in Anaheim, 13 Tips To Understand And Organize Revit Families, 8 Steps to Create a Door Hardware Schedule in Revit, 3 Dynamo Scripts to Automate Interior Design in Revit. Moving forward, its likely that the Autodesk LIVE Editor will inherit some of Stingrays capabilities, while maintaining the user-friendly interface. For architecture, this can be a big plus, as users can explore virtual buildings on foot, taking small steps, with larger distances covered by teleporting. You can produce and export a 360 stereo panorama in a few minutes.
Position the tracking base stations at opposite corners of a room, at a height of 2m, angled down to between 30 degrees and 45 degrees with an unobstructed view of each other. All other issues can be sorted out at the click of a button without leaving the dialogue box. The company told AEC Magazine that this could be achieved by tuning down some software capabilities.
For navigation, take short steps in your VR room space, then travel larger distances by teleporting. However, theres also a free version, Prospect Basic, that strips back all the extended functionality, but still includes the core push-button workflow for file conversion and VR viewing. You can then teleport at any point inside the model, where you can experience your project from a first-person perspective. One of the most powerful capabilities of Autodesk LIVE is the ability to view the underlying BIM data within the model. Enscape also has the added benefit of offering a desktop game engine experience using a standard 2D display. I really liked the "Outlines" option, which add lines for each object edge. Overall, the render quality is very good. Most Revit rendering plugins can now produce stereo panorama. Renaming layers is the obvious solution, but this could impact company layer conventions. Enscape is a real-time visualisation tool designed to work specifically with Revit. That's it. Layers can be a powerful way of viewing model data; for example, you can strip back everything to the steel frame, view different design phases, toggle between materials, or explore different furniture arrangements. This type of experience still comes with the base package, but the Facebook-owned HMD now offers two optional hand-tracking Touch controllers and additional VR tracking sensors for a full room-scale experience. Virtual Reality demands extremely powerful workstation hardware. Some leeway would be great here, just like when youre in Windows and it still stays engaged even when you move your cursor off the scroll bar. If you are, the only way to get closer to the building is to fly there using the Vives trackpad controls (the left controller moves you left and right, the right controller moves you up and down) and this can take some time. However, this initial view must be set up properly in Revit. Prices start at $30 per month, although this is an introductory offer. Navigation is pretty easy, although there are some limitations. Technologies such as the BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) or voice recognition could play important roles here. Ours is the voice of experience as we used this exact method to produce the screen shots for this review. It now has direct Revit plugin integration and can produce stereo panorama.
Inside Revit, pick a view and click "Start" to open Enscape. Autodesk LIVE experiences can also be enhanced with Autodesk Stingray. Enscape offers plenty of scope to take visual realism to the next level, by tweaking lighting and materials or adding custom Entourage. The default fully rendered setting shows you fully baked materials and realistic RPC content, including people and trees. Make sure you like it, then select "Make A Rendering With Different Settings" and select Stereo Panorama. Extended reality elevates collaboration, understanding, and experience when design and engineering converge. With the prospect of BIM data being exposed and better collaborative tools, were really looking forward to seeing how this impressive tool develops. This is great for architects or engineers who want to jump between Revit and VR to assess different options or for presentations where clients can immediately see the results of their feedback. It can also import models from many more applications. At Autodesk, we believe that augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) can play a key role inresolving these challenges. This includes textures that cant be found, section boxes that you might want to turn off and levels of detail that you might want to enable so that you can see all the model geometry. Autodesk Revit Live now also suggests a recommended optimization setting based on your hardware. Even with relatively simple models, the scene jumped around in front of our eyes, which made it disorientating and unusable. Since this article was written, there have been a number of features added to Enscape. You can set the view height so its possible to see what an adult, toddler or wheelchair user might experience when interacting with the space. a hospital complex] and VR. A fully immersive VR experience gives you a sense of scale, depth and spatial awareness that simply cannot be matched by a rendering, walkthrough or physicalscale model. You cant interrogate the model, nor change the time of day in real time without pressing ESC, taking off your headset and swapping VR controllers for a mouse. 19 Leyden Street, London, E1 7LE, UK
Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the most exciting technologies to hit the AEC market in years. What could be better:The visual style is kind of cartoonish. Compatible with most Revit rendering plugins. That means you probably won't need to learn a new software. The first thing you see when putting the VR headset is your model sitting on a table, like if it was an actual physical model.
Then, click on "Allow VR" and put your headset on. The Daydream is more sleek and cute while the Samsung Gear VR has the better apps and interface. It was announced in 2014 and released in 2016. It also works with other CAD/BIM tools, including SketchUp and Rhino.
Depending on the size of your room-scale set-up, you can also walk short distances. You can access extendedreality experiences with an array of devices: mobile devices, VR headsets, and other technologies. Enscape has a maximum teleport distance, so be careful not to be too far way. If you can pay the difference, go with the Vive. Email is required However, this depends on the type of workstation you have; all the aforementioned GPUs need an auxiliary power connector and between 150W and 250W of available power. For the moment, 2 headsets are dominating the PC market. In less than a minute, youll be able to see your Revit model in VR. Applications like Enscape will likely keep their strong focus on using VR as an extension to desktop design visualisation, but it will be interesting to see how products like IrisVR Prospect evolve to better support design/review workflows. Users have the freedom to explore a building at their own pace, to understand how it will feel and function. Unfortunately, the cardboard is very limited. Setting up the HTC Vive With a little bit of guidance and the right equipment, the HTC Vive is fairly easy to set up. In many cases, a simple graphics card upgrade can turn your desktop CAD workstation into one capable of running VR. Screen capture takes a snapshot of where you are looking. While 15+ minutes might not seem that long in the grand scheme of things, it does put a big barrier in place for true iterative design workflows. Extendedreality offers on-demand and in-context data as well as deeper collaboration in real time. Another is to make all doors transparent in Revit. Licenses cost $200 per user, per month. Phil Read from Enscape reseller Read | Thomas, who supported us during this review,has some great tips on self-illuminating objects, material bump maps, reflectivity and transparency. Models can be viewed in different display styles, including a clay type render mode, which is useful for early-stage design, when the focus is on form and volumes. To deliver an even more realistic experience, it allows you embed sound sources within your Revit model. We found that the entry-level VR graphics card, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, delivered an excellent experience with all our test models. Use virtual collaboration to navigate complex data as a team. This is useful when you might not have correct materials assigned or simply want to dumb down the view to emphasise form. Its still very early days for VR but we are already starting to see the extensive benefits that this exciting technology can bring to architecture and engineering from functional and aesthetic evaluation of projects to daylighting studies, markup and client communication. The HTC Vive was co-designed by HTC and Valve, famous for the Steam gaming platform and legendary games such as Half-Life. Hitting Go will upload your file to the cloud for processing.
Each application works on the premise that whatever you have in Revit model, sun settings, lighting, materials and entourage is automatically transferred into VR, simply by pressing a button, or a few buttons.
This is not a major issue though. Since then, VR has exploded. For example, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, a low-cost ($799) professional VR Ready GPU, gave us a comfortable experience with IrisVR Prospect out of the box. There are a few ways to get around this. Require an expensive VR headset (Oculus at 399$ or HTC Vive at 599$). It is small and cute with a textile design instead of the usual cheap black plastic we usually see. You can use navigation tool on the headset itself or with a remote controller.
It comes in two versions a free version, Prospect Basic, for simple navigation; and a paid-for version, Prospect Pro, which adds more functionality and costs $200 per person, per month. As Revit files often stretch to hundreds of MBs, upload speed is important but, when on a decent connection, it is processing time that takes up the bulk of the process. Ideally, you should try before you buy, using your own datasets. While room-scale VR is great for presentations and design review, a seated experience often works better when using VR as a design aid. Immersive technologies can revolutionize data interaction and project collaboration for every professional. Another thing I like is that Enscape is already a killer app to produce renderings. However, you need a killer graphic card and an expensive VR headset. You need to make sure your CAD workstation can satisfy these demands. The major emphasis has been on increasing visual quality and realism. We have tested the Nvidia Quadro P4000 with IrisVR and Autodesk Revit Live and it performs well. Check out our full review at tinyurl.com/P4000-AEC. (One of the reasons Prospect delivers such good performance in VR is because objects are currently grouped to reduce draw calls.). The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. A subscription costs $30 per month for unlimited use of the cloud and the app, but this is an introductory offer so is likely to change. This level of customisation is complex and requires a design viz specialist or game developer. It is also looking to reduce processing time by developing more computeintensive algorithms (think multiple CPU cores or highend GPUs for light baking) to better harness the scalability of the cloud. Simply use the HTC Vive trigger controller to point and click. You have to be aware that VR performance with a phone is OK, but for an actually amazing, mind-blowing experience you are much better off with the more expensive computer devices.
It is probably the rendering tool with the best visual quality, but it lacks the simplicity of new programs like Enscape and Lumion. Of course, there are plenty of pre-configured VR Ready desktop workstations. Currently, a simple change to the Revit model would mean a completely new upload, but Autodesk is exploring new methods so only deltas (changes) need to be uploaded and processed. I got a few glitches with the glass effect in large projects, but this is probably related to my graphic card. This is where we get serious: walk around your Revit model in VR. The software places a big emphasis on visual fidelity. Architects, engineers and clients alike can experience a realistic virtual prototype of a building long before it is built. 360 Panorama: A new 360 Capture tool allows users to instantly capture a 360 panorama from within Prospect. XR shifts cumbersome 3D modeling tools into lifelike, interactive experiences, enabling designers and stakeholders to make better decisions faster. The process of linking to Revit is a little more complicated than with Enscape, even if still mostly simple. Textures are less realistic and RPC content is represented by outlines, but the wearer of the VR headset still gets an excellent sense of presence and scale. Extended reality (XR) unleashes value for teams, projects, and businesses. The better the phone, the better the performance. Learn about the future of VR and about the awesome possibilities of Augmented Reality. Unfortunately, most of the functionality from the Autodesk LIVE game engine experience is currently not available in VR. This can be further enhanced with Autodesk Stingray, the underlying game engine technology on which Autodesk LIVE is built. Prospect installs as a plugin inside Revit, which can be accessed via the add-ins tab. No need to buy and learn another plugin, you could do both renderings and VR in the same one. Prices start at $449 per year. Full VR means you can move around inside a Revit model, interact with it, crouch and even change the time of the day. Autodesk LIVE has many different components a Revit plug-in, a cloud service that creates .LVMD files and a standalone Autodesk LIVE Editor that reads/writes .LVMD files. One comes with the standard headset, another with the Touch controllers and a third can be bought separately. The push-button workflow where models can be processed very quickly makes it well-suited to design iteration workflows. However, just because a professional GPU is labelled VR Ready, it does not mean it will work with all professional VR applications out of the box. Simply select your 3D view, then click View in VR. AMD has also released two new dual slot pro VR capable GPUs, the AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition ($999) and AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 ($2,200), both of which are considerably more powerful than the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100. Smartphone VR is not as good quality as computer VR. In summary, Enscape is an excellent choice for Revit to VR, offering a seamless workflow with near-instant updates. With Prospect Basic, its not possible to save projects as native Prospect files (.IVZ). Polystyrol Mode has been made more realistic with physically correct subsurface light scattering. The process would benefit greatly from being able to capture this information and feed it back into BIM authoring tools. Visualize and interact with increasingly complex data. To bring scenes to life, Enscape can automatically replace planar ArchVision RPC models in Revit with more realistic 3D entourage. For these more demanding applications, we needed the considerably more expensive Nvidia Quadro P6000 ($6,999). Were excited to see how these capabilities grow over the coming years. The features are more limited than in IrisVR: you can't turn off layers, use sections or annotate the model. VR-ready workstations dont have to come in tower form factors. This would mean that the visuals would not be so compelling, but at least the experience would be fluid. The software then does some pre-flight checks on the model and alerts you to any aspects that need your attention. Arloid using AI to optimise HVAC performance, ArcGIS Maps SDK for Unreal Engine launches, IFC Special Report interoperability for AECO, Turner & Townsend develops Embodied Carbon Calculator, Oracle Smart Construction Platform enhanced with analytics. Mixed Reality (MR) is the continuum between the Virtual and the Physical worlds where XR experiences exist.
This guide is built to help you understand everything you need to know to bring your Revit model to the alternate world.
Copyright 2022 - BIM Pure Productions Inc. These panoramas are visualized with smartphone compatible VR headsets. Materials with reflection effects seem to have some glitches when moving. This website is independent of Autodesk, Inc. and is not sponsored, endorsed, or affiliated with, Autodesk, Inc. Autodesk Revit is a product that is wholly owned by Autodesk. Professionals in every field are working on more complexprojectwith larger teams and shorter deadlines. Rather than exporting geometry from Revit, it only sends graphics information to Enscape, which is then rebuilt as proxies. The Oculus Rift is more sleek, lightweight and easier to set up. Then, you will learn to differentiate the different available headsets and their pricing. We promise to keep your inbox clean forever. Gain deeper understanding and make faster, clearer decisions. Simply use your Vive controller to move the appropriate sliders on the tool palette and see the light and shadows update in real time. I wrote an introductory guide to Virtual Reality in Revit. Finally, you'll discover the best VR apps and plugins that can be used with Revit. And models can be distributed as a fully contained .EXE, which can be viewed without any additional software.