27,59 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
Architects have always relied on drawings, renderings, and sometimes even movies to present their design concepts to clients, contractors, and other stakeholders. The accessibility of current game engines provides new and exciting possibilities to turn any design into an interactive model that anyone can experience at their own pace.
"Unity for Architectural Visualization" explains how you can create compelling, real-time models from your 3D architectural project. Filled with practical tips and in-depth information, this book explains every step in the process, starting from the very basics up to custom scripts that will get you up to the next level.
This book begins with a general overview of the Unity workflow for architectural models. You will start with a simple project that lets you walk around in your design using basic Unity tools and methods. You will then learn how to easily get convincing lightning effects on your scene. You will then set up a basic navigation system in your project, and not only this; you will also cover some tips and tricks to take navigation to the next level. You will quickly learn how to fine-tune the shaders and how to set up materials that are a bit more advanced. Even when you finish Unity for Architectural Visualization, this book will make scripting easier with reusable examples of scripts that can be applied in most projects. After reading this book, you will be comfortable enough to tackle new projects and develop your own.
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Seitenzahl: 185
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013
Ähnliche
Table of Contents
Unity for Architectural Visualization
Unity for Architectural Visualization
Copyright © 2013 Packt Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.
Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
First published: September 2013
Production Reference: 1190913
Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.
Livery Place
35 Livery Street
Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.
ISBN 978-1-78355-906-0
www.packtpub.com
Cover Image by Mrunal Gawade (<[email protected]>)
Credits
Author
Stefan Boeykens
Reviewers
Dr. Pieter Jorissen
Dr. Sebastian T. Koenig
Acquisition Editors
Anthony Albuquerque
Kunal Parikh
Lead Technical Editor
Meeta Rajani
Technical Editors
Chandni Maishery
Krishnaveni Nair
Aman Preet Singh
Project Coordinator
Akash Poojary
Proofreaders
Lawrence A. Herman
Lindsey Thomas
Indexer
Mariammal Chettiyar
Production Coordinator
Prachali Bhiwandkar
Cover Work
Prachali Bhiwandkar
About the Author
Stefan Boeykens is an architect-engineer from Leuven, Belgium. After graduation, he was involved in architectural practice for about 4 years, before returning in 2007 to KU Leuven for his PhD on the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the design process. He worked on a variety of research and education projects, ranging from CAD and BIM, to metadata for architectural archives and cost simulations. His main research interests are BIM 3D modeling, and visualization, digital historical reconstruction, parametric design, programming, and interoperability between a variety of software tools, with a special focus on open BIM.
He is quite literate with software in general, with extensive expertise on ArchiCAD, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhinoceros, Excel, Solibri, Processing, CINEMA 4D, Ableton Live, Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Artlantis, and Unity. He likes cross-platform approaches, even more since switching to OS X. Hard disks are always too small for him.
Stefan Boeykens is currently employed by the Department of Architecture at the Faculty of Engineering Sciences at KU Leuven, Belgium. As a teacher, he is responsible for the Architectural Computing courses and teaches students how to use AutoCAD, SketchUp, ArchiCAD, Solibri, CINEMA 4D, Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, and Unity.
He is the author of the CAD-3D.blogspot.com blog, which discusses CAD, 3D, and BIM, with a particular interest in free and educational software for architects and interoperability.
Under the name of stefkeB he is active online in various platforms and networks.
He is also a schooled guitar player, both classical and electric, with a keen interest in musical composition in a variety of styles, including progressive rock, pop, metal, electronic experiments, and purely acoustic songs, in English and Dutch, but often also instrumental. As stefkeB, he records everything at home, using Ableton Live mainly. Some of his music can be heard on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. All his compositions are available under a Creative Commons license (CC-BY-NC-SA), by choice.
Unity for architectural visualization is his first actual book, but he has written countless software tutorials; recorded an extensive set of video-tutorials, freely available on Youtube; and has written several academic publications that have been presented on conferences worldwide.
Acknowledgement
This book was a culmination of three years of teaching Unity, learning alongside my students, who weren't always keen on learning "gaming technology" as future professional architects. I thank them for their openness and critical standing, as long as everybody stays positive and constructive. There is more to life than 2D drafting, after all.
I learned a lot from online forums and some of the other Packt Publishing books on Unity, with a special mention to Will Goldstone. I was also inspired by the work of Jon Brouchoud on archvirtual.com, and got some valuable advice from Ivan De Boi and Pieter Jorissen from Karel de Grote University College in Antwerp, and from discussions with former students of mine Thomas Van Bouwel and Berno Bosch on the use of Unity. Several master students are currently applying Unity in some form or other for their master theses, which means I can teach and learn at the same time. The attention to one of my papers on digital reconstruction and the use of game engines was also a clear sign of a growing interest in this subject.
I thank Packt Publishing, especially Akash Poojary and Meeta Rajani, for this opportunity and hope that you, the reader, will really gain something from this book. Sincere thanks to Pieter Jorissen and Sebastian Koenig for their constructive and detailed review. I even learned a thing or two that wasn't clear to me before. Please send me examples of what you were able to accomplish from this.
Finally, I have to express my gratitude to my wife and my three sons, for their support, their love, and their patience. Life in our house is often hectic and time is precious but limited. It is so inspiring to see the unlimited creativity and openness of young children and how they adapt to technology and new concepts. There is no limit to what they would like to create, be it with Lego bricks or in drawings and improvised constructions using whatever they can find in and around the house.
Thank you, all.
About the Reviewers
Dr. Pieter Jorissen finished his computer sciences studies at the Limburg University Center, now known as Hasselt University Belgium, in July 2001. Thereafter, he started working as a researcher at the Expertise Center for Digital Media (EDM) which is the multimedia research center of the UHasselt and is a partner in the IBBT, a Flemish research initiative.
He worked at the EDM for approximately 6 years on several research projects concerning Collaborative Virtual Environments. In January 2008, he obtained his Ph.D. with his dissertation "Dynamic Interactions for Networked Virtual Environments."
In 2008 he mainly worked as a Researcher/Consultant on new technologies and information security for Smals, a large Belgian IT company mostly focusing on supporting the social security administration and eGovernment. His main task was to follow up on new technologies and find ways to implement them for the government administration.
In 2009 he left research and development to start a career as a lecturer at the Karel de Grote University College. He focuses on teaching how to program and build 3D interactive applications. He has also been active as an international program committee member for several computer graphics and virtual reality conferences.
Dr. Sebastian T. Koenig received his Ph.D. in Human Interface Technology from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, developing a framework for individualized virtual reality cognitive rehabilitation. He obtained his degree as Diploma-Psychologist from the University of Regensburg, Germany, in the areas of Clinical Neuropsychology and Virtual Reality Rehabilitation.
Dr. Koenig is currently working as a Research Associate at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, where he designs, develops, and tests clinical virtual reality software.
He also works as Lead User Researcher for the game development company Red 5 Studios and as a freelance software engineer and cognitive psychologist to develop mobile applications and cognitive assessments for the US military and health care companies.
His professional experience spans over ten years of clinical work in cognitive rehabilitation and over five years of virtual reality research, development, and user testing. Dr. Koenig has extensive experience as a speaker at international conferences and as reviewer of scientific publications in the areas of Rehabilitation, Cognitive Psychology, Neuropsychology, Software Engineering, Game Development, Games User Research, and Virtual Reality.
Dr. Koenig has developed numerous software applications for cognitive assessment and training. For his work on the Virtual Memory Task he was awarded the Laval Virtual Award 2011, in the category "Medicine and Health." Other applications include the virtual reality executive function assessment in collaboration with the Kessler Foundation Research Center and the patent-pending Microsoft Kinect-based motor and cognitive training JewelMine/Mystic Isle at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies.
Dr. Koenig maintains the website www.virtualgamelab.com about his research and his software development projects. His website also contains a comprehensive list of tutorials for the game engine Unity.
www.PacktPub.com
Support files, eBooks, discount offers and more
You might want to visit www.PacktPub.com for support files and downloads related to your book.
Did you know that Packt offers eBook versions of every book published, with PDF and ePub files available? You can upgrade to the eBook version at www.PacktPub.com and as a print book customer, you are entitled to a discount on the eBook copy. Get in touch with us at <[email protected]> for more details.
At www.PacktPub.com, you can also read a collection of free technical articles, sign up for a range of free newsletters and receive exclusive discounts and offers on Packt books and eBooks.
http://PacktLib.PacktPub.com
Do you need instant solutions to your IT questions? PacktLib is Packt's online digital book library. Here, you can access, read and search across Packt's entire library of books.
Why Subscribe?
Free Access for Packt account holders
If you have an account with Packt at www.PacktPub.com, you can use this to access PacktLib today and view nine entirely free books. Simply use your login credentials for immediate access.
Preface
This book introduces architects and designers to using Unity for Architectural Visualization. Unity is gaining popularity as a versatile and accessible game authoring system. You get a condensed overview of the workflow between typical architectural design applications and how 3D models exported from those systems can be integrated in real-time environments.
This book takes mostly a hands-on approach and explains the exact steps that are required to complete several aspects of the setup of an interactive, real-time scene. Even though a single introductory book cannot cover everything, you get a complete overview, from the import of 3D models, over improving materials and lighting, up to the writing of several example scripts to add custom interactivity.
While many architects currently rely primarily on traditional 2D drawings and, to a lesser extent, renderings or animations, there is a growing interest in real-time presentations. Led by the development of increasingly complex computer games, many users are familiar with real-time 3D environments. This book cannot possibly teach you how to create a full computer game, but focuses instead on the most important features of computer games to develop compelling, interactive scenes for the so-called serious games.
Luckily for you, the reader, such technology has become very accessible and available without any financial investment. Unity is at the forefront of a new generation of game engines, which rival traditional commercial turnkey systems, such as the Unreal Engine or CryEngine. Interestingly, these other systems have also become more accessible in recent years, probably not by coincidence.
With the examples in this book, you can present to your clients or friends an interactive visit to your own designs and increase your presentation potential.
What this book covers
Chapter 1, An Integrated Unity Workflow,introduces the main concepts of Unity and how it integrates with CAD and BIM software. The concept of Assets and model loading is explained and several recommendations are made about model conversion and file formats to use. This is the most theoretical chapter in the book.
Chapter 2, Quick Walk Around Your Design,explains a complete example going from exporting a 3D model up to adding lighting and navigation, so you can run around freely with very little effort. The following chapters revise these techniques in more detail.
Chapter 3, Let There be Light! shines some light on the scene. You learn about the use of different light sources and shadow calculations. To avoid the heavy burden of real-time shadows, you'll use the Lightmapping technique to bake lights and shadows on the model, from within Unity.
Chapter 4, Promenade Architecturale, explains how you can navigate a 3D character from a third-person perspective. In addition, you will use a second camera to display a mini-map and add overlay information on the screen.
Chapter 5, Models and Environment, discusses the use of models imported from the internet, and the setup of a basic landscape with a custom tree and a skybox environment. There is also an important section on model optimization and performance improvements.
Chapter 6, Shaders and Textures, further dresses up the model. You'll learn about the difference between some of the default shaders and how to integrate an example glass shader. To improve the quality of materials, you will load higher-quality texture maps and experiment with procedural textures.
Chapter 7, Full Control with Scripting, introduces the Unity scripting system and its different scripting languages. We can extend projects with custom functionality writing a few basic short scripts. Some programming experience is helpful, but the examples written in C# are fairly simple and reusable.
What you need for this book
To learn about Unity, you can use any recent version of the Unity game authoring software. This book was written using the free version of Unity 4.2, but the majority of the examples work fine in the previous version, 3.5, of the software. It doesn't matter if you are a Mac or PC user, as they are treated equally by Unity.
Some examples illustrate functionality of the Pro version. To be honest, they were illustrated with the free 30-day trial that you can activate from your free license.
During the writing of the book, two very important updates to Unity became available: the inclusion of the basic iOS and Android add-ons for every Unity license and the addition of real-time shadows in the free version (since release 4.2). Who knows what newer updates will offer…
In addition, you'll need a 3D CAD or Building Information Modeling (BIM) system, such as AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Revit, Rhino, or SketchUp. Trial-versions are available for all these applications, but chances are that if you are reading this book, you'll be familiar with at least one of them. The examples are elaborated using ArchiCAD and CINEMA 4D, but the concepts translate well to other systems, such as 3ds Max or Maya.
Finally, it is always good to know how to use Photoshop, GIMP or similar image editors.
Who this book is for
This book is primarily written for students and professional architects who know how to model buildings in 3D and have a need to turn their designs into interactive models, even if you never used Unity before.
To be fair, this book is not an introduction to professional game level development, as the methods for highly performing optimized models are often in conflict with the approach of architectural modeling and the constant need for including design changes. The way an architect creates a 3D model of a building is completely different from how a game designer would approach it, for example, using mesh topology optimization, texture atlas editing, or UV unwrapping, applied in non-CAD or BIM software.
Experience with visualization software and programming in any language can be helpful, but is not required to follow along. You will learn all the basics with the step-by-step examples.
Conventions
In this book, you will find a number of styles of text that distinguish between different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles, and an explanation of their meaning.
Code words in text are shown as follows: "To react on collisions with a trigger, we use the OnTriggerEnter method."
A block of code is set as follows:
When we wish to draw your attention to a particular part of a code block, the relevant lines or items are set in bold:
New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in the text like this: "clicking the Next button moves you to the next screen".
Note
Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this.
Tip
Tips and tricks appear like this.
Reader feedback
Feedback from our readers is always welcome. Let us know what you think about this book—what you liked or may have disliked. Reader feedback is important for us to develop titles that you really get the most out of.
To send us general feedback, simply send an e-mail to <[email protected]>, and mention the book title via the subject of your message.
If there is a topic that you have expertise in and you are interested in either writing or contributing to a book, see our author guide on www.packtpub.com/authors.
Customer support
Now that you are the proud owner of a Packt Publishing book, we have a number of things to help you to get the most from your purchase.
Downloading the example code
You can download the example code files for all Packt Publishing books you have purchased from your account at http://www.packtpub.com. If you purchased this book elsewhere, you can visit http://www.packtpub.com/support and register to have the files e-mailed directly to you.
Errata
Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our content, mistakes do happen. If you find a mistake in one of our books—maybe a mistake in the text or the code—we would be grateful if you would report this to us. By doing so, you can save other readers from frustration and help us improve subsequent versions of this book. If you find any errata, please report them by visiting http://www.packtpub.com/submit-errata, selecting your book, clicking on the erratasubmissionform link, and entering the details of your errata. Once your errata are verified, your submission will be accepted and the errata will be uploaded on our website, or added to any list of existing errata, under the Errata section of that title. Any existing errata can be viewed by selecting your title from http://www.packtpub.com/support.
Piracy
Piracy of copyright material on the Internet is an ongoing problem across all media. At Packt Publishing, we take the protection of our copyright and licenses very seriously. If you come across any illegal copies of our works, in any form, on the Internet, please provide us with the location address or website name immediately so that we can pursue a remedy.
Please contact us at <[email protected]> with a link to the suspected pirated material.
We appreciate your help in protecting our authors, and our ability to bring you valuable content.
Questions
You can contact us at <[email protected]> if you are having a problem with any aspect of the book, and we will do our best to address it.
Chapter 1. An Integrated Unity Workflow
In this chapter we will explain, how the Unity game authoring system can be integrated into a CAD or BIM-based workflow. It is very important to learn how changes to the design can be propagated into Unity, by fully understanding the asset-based approach inside Unity. The workflow will be illustrated mostly with examples from
