Intelligent Cities: translating architectural models into a virtual gaming environment for event simulation

Abstract

The value of virtual reality simulation for emergency response training and improvement has great potential, but obstacles remain. The utility of simulators is dependent on creating a highly realistic environment. Rather than building a virtual world from scratch, using existing architectural models may be a viable option due to the large quantity of data embedded within three-dimensional architectural designs. However, it can be difficult to maintain and translate these huge and highly detailed models into an interactive, user friendly interface. The MITRE Intelligent Cities project aims to blend methods of data science with interactive 3D modeling tools, using software packages like Revit, 3DS Max, and the Unity gaming engine. The goal of the project is to provide a procedure for visualizing and interacting with the structural properties and metadata of facilities encoded in architectural designs. Using MITRE campus data as a test case, several options were explored to preserve the metadata across software platforms, and a means of easily and efficiently accomplishing this task was discovered. However, limitations occur due to the large size of the model, slowing down the gaming engine and requiring the use of a data subset. This procedure allows anybody with a standard Revit architectural model to visualize their environment in a 3D simulation. Interactivity can be added by creating scripts to highlight key features of the models. These implementations can be used by emergency personnel or facility operators to peer through walls, or to find locations of key facility systems, such as HVAC or data centers.