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Virtual immersive environments offer great opportunities in many areas, but there are few studies on their usefulness as an information visualization tool. This work has assumed that it is possible to view big data in a mobile virtual immersive environment satisfactorily. Thus, it aimed to propose a visual model (called Data-Room) to verify the effectiveness of its visualization in 3D in a mobile virtual immersive environment, against other environments.

The work evaluated the proposed model, having been developed and subsequently tested for this purpose the Data-Room prototype. The model was evaluated in terms of acquisition and seizure of information in order to be able to identify the potential added value. Six distinct visual encodings were used.

The results indicated that mobile virtual immersive environments are a valid and effective for visualizing big data information. The Data-Room environment proved to be as or more effective for visualizing such data compared to others used today.

Read more about it here.

Vivaty Studio (VS), being a Web3D specialized software is an essential tool to assemble, organize and animate VRML/X3D scenes and worlds. It is powerful enough to create objects, avatars and even edit some source code (scripts). Yet, sometimes, 3D artists may prefer to conceive complex objects with other programs they know better (Blender, 3DS Max, Maya, Sketchup, ...) and import them to VS. Besides that, 3D objects that we may want to use in our worlds are, often, freely available in public online repositories. Fortunately VS has features to import most popular 3D formats directly or via the Accutrans 3D plugin installed as standard. 

Things can go well and the import process appears as seamless but sometimes VS is (1) unable to import or (2) imports incorrectly (the objects are imported with several types of problems, in some cases the process is so biased that the imported objects are almost or totally unusable).  

​What to do for a seamless import process? Prefer VRML or X3D formats 

It's not an absolute statement but from my experience and despite the trickier nature of conversions in general, the best way is to convert objects to VRML or X3D before importing them to Vivaty Studio. Most popular 3D software export directly to these formats. Try this if importing from other formats is not giving the desired results.

The reason why vrml and x3d formats are better imported is most probably due to the Web3D specific nature of the program.
Anoter hint: by experience, x3d appears to be a format slightly better imported than vrml since we found some files that throw fatal errors while importing them from a vrml (.wrl) format (and the importation failed), but all went as expected when we imported them from a x3d format.

3D Converters

When a 3D program, like the free version of Sketchup, does not export to vrml or x3d (the paid version of sketchup does export), or if some library objects you want to use are not in that format and the import process throws an error, a good converter like the full available version Accutrans 3D is useful. With it most popular 3D formats can be converted to vrml or x3d as needed (including collada, one of Sketchup export formats). Accutrans is one of the tools available in babelx3d Tools-Tutorials section. 

Bs contact, a viewer used also as a 3D converter (!?)

Yes, as documented, besides vrml/x3d, bs contact can read other 3D formats (see File types supported by bs contact ), one of them is the popular Collada (.dae) and can also save/convert the files to vrml and x3d formats that, hopefully, can be imported to Vivaty Studio. This save/convert process is done via "the Save State As" option available in the file menu of bs contact (in stand alone viewing mode). The fact that bs contact reads collada files makes it easier to import files from the free version of Sketchup, from Google warehouse repository and other sources.

For comments and discussion please use the forum thread: Importing 3D content to Vivaty - Issues and practical solutions

Vitor Cardoso

(aka vcard) 

A Gartner publicou o seu hype cycle para 2015, apontando a evolução das tecnologias de ponta desde o momento em que se fazem sentir na consciência colectiva até se integrarem no dia a dia das economias. Estas curvas de crescimento são um conceito interessante, apesar de não ser muito claro em que critérios se baseiam. Sendo uma empresa privada de análise, não tem critérios transparentes ou, nestes gráficos explica as metodologias que utilizaram. Talvez na edição paga explicitem como chegam às suas conclusões. Mas a curva descreve bem o evoluir das tecnologias de ponta do surgimento até à integração. Especialmente naquele factor wow!! que depressa se traduz em desilusão perante a falta de aplicações práticas a curto prazo mas que culmina inevitavelmente na integração da tecnologia. a médio e longo prazo. Se isto vos parecer muito esotérico, reparem como os telemóveis, smartphones ou tablets evoluíram na consciência que temos deles. Este ciclo de onda aplica-se bem à forma como nos apercebemos que estes dispositivos acabaram por estar tão integrados no nosso dia a dia que nem damos pela novidade da sua existência.

Quanto à impressão 3D, olhem bem por onde ela anda. A bioimpressão 3D está a despertar a atenção. A impressão 3D de nível empresarial e industrial está a atingir a maturidade. A impressão 3D de consumo está a iniciar a longa descida. Despertou atenções, impressionou e intrigou, e começa agora a mostrar-se ainda incapaz de corresponder às expectativas elevadas lançadas. De acordo com a Gartner, a maturidade da Consumer 3D printing será atingida num espaço de tempo entre os cinco a dez anos. Começa agora o trabalho de afinar os usos da tecnologia, tirando-a do nicho de curiosidade e explorando as suas aplicações práticas que inevitavelmente a integrarão como tecnologia madura. É a hora de deixar de especular sobre as revoluções trazidas pela impressão 3D e trabalhar nas suas possibilidades de aplicação nas diversas áreas. Agora é um momento interessante para explorar esta tecnologia fantástica. Hora de começar a cumprir a promessa de inovação e transformação que nela intuímos, e criar as aplicações que a irão integrar como tecnologia madura. Boa altura de aprofundar o trabalho sobre o que se pode fazer com impressão 3D e educação, que certamente revelará caminhos novos de aprendizagem e descoberta.

Sometimes a Google search can be quite inspirational for 3D creators. How about ideas that your students can try on 3D, that are fun and with surprising results?

Try this search in Google images and dream on:

      "paper cut" 3d

A paper cut world done with first grade students: Nature Imaginaire

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