Computer Graphics & Geometry

Some Methods And Means Of The Analysis And Evaluation Of The Objects Of The Design

(Short review)

Michael Eu. Matalasow

Professor, Moscow Architectural Institute (State Academy, Russia)

e-mail: matalasov@miarch.edunet.ru

Contents

Abstracts:The correct evaluation of design proposals both by experts and future users demands their presentation with regard to the real environment and real conditions of observation. It is interesting when analysing designs in complicated town planning situations and becomes especially important in civilised societies when it concerns historic territories. Analitical works, connected with preparation of the information, corresponding in the greatest degree to the real conditions, and previous scientific investigations are carried out in a number of European educational institutions (Technical Universities in Delft, Tampere, Stuttgart, etc.), corresponding to the Laboratory of videosystems of the Moscow Architectural Institute (State Academy). Their results are periodically reported at conferences of the European Architectural Endoscopy Association (EAEA), which in keeping with its name and status is occupied with problems of the realest reflection of the designed space. Here we can mention reports made at the conferences: 1993 (Tampere) (1), 1995 (Vienna) (2), 1997 (Delft) (3).

Below you will get acquainted with an attempt of the first analyses of the problem and with some solutions of this problem in the laboratory of videosystems of the State Academy - Moscow Architectural Institute - a member of the European association of Architectural endoscopy.

Definitions

This term - endoscopy - reflects a certain procedure, action, connected with observing inner spaces. As far as architecture is concerned they can be both interiors of residential and civil buildings and interior territories of complex industrial enterprises, settlements, neighborhoods in towns and of course we speak about not yet existing structures, but those, which are only being projected, which are usually represented in the form of two-dimensional drawings, pseudo-three-dimensional computer models on computer or three-dimensional small-scale models.

It is here that the endoscopy can help to solve the task of analysis object under projection, imitations future real conditions (observation points, foreshortens, trajectory of movement).

If we understand this term in this way, it becomes unimportant, which instrument is used to solve these tasks, though historically as earlier they mean usually work with a periscope device at a small-scale mock-up.

We shall discuss not tools, but methods and ways ensuring correct vision of the designed space. Technical means are only tools, but not an ideology of the creative activities in designing and it is especially important for the simulation means to take into consideration spatial and temporal factors. The importance of the spatial and temporal composition in the educational process is discussed, in particular, in the work by our colleague, doctor M.Shargorodsky (4). It is confirmed here, that it is not always the intuitive traditional construction of the composition in the form of drawings and models can reflect a real perception of the future objects. But unfortunately, conclusions here are limited only by the employment of computer methods as a “panacea” from all misfortunes.

But very often positive points and potential of pure computer aided design become negative ones, e.g. when putting designed object into a computer environment it is not always possible to achieve perception, adequate to the future real conditions (and it is particularly important at the stage of training). That is because both the author and the user, who work with an abstract digital model, that has nothing to do with the real space, can choose “pseudoreal” points and angles of observation, that are impossible in reality, but look effective when being watched on the monitor display. The same can be said about movement trajectories - impressive but not always real. However, people, who walk or drive along the street every day and pass a certain building, do not need expressive perspectives. Their mood is up to the city appearance, that surrounds them.

Architects, who are probably aware of that fact, use scanned photos, in which they put the computer image of the building. With no doubt it is a step forward in a way, but the use of static pictures and our knowledge about the possibilities of the usual photomontage do not make the received frames sufficiently confirming. Besides, 3-dimensional computer models, received by means of the most available computer programs, do not always fit well the photos of the existing objects (5).

Our experimental (and practical) work made us conclude, that in the existing technical “wideoworld” it is more reasonable to speak about the employment of methods of real space reflection by videomethods (or photomethods as a static particular case) and combining it with the designed space, simulated by any existing methods, including the computer one. There appears a procedure called “videosimulation”, in which “endoscopy” is integrated as a special (subtechnology) technology, providing a correct combination of scales and placing the model in real video environment.

At the same time we must take into account (we can refer again to (4)), that computer simulation is labour-consuming and when used to a great degree it needs a good preparation in analytical geometries and mastering a number of other mathematical methods.

The present-day employment of video simulation can have different purposes, depending in the end the set of technical means, methods of work and its final result. In general we can speak about four main functions of video simulation:

- illustrative functions - employment of visual information for the demonstration of the design solution to the client;

- sociological function - employment of visual information for testing uses-getting data on social application of the design before its realization;

-scientific and researen functions - employment of visual information by professional designers in the process of working out the design and by researchers solving general methodological tasks;

- educational functions - employment of visual information for rising the efficiency of the process at various stages of architectural education.

The research carried out in the laboratory of video systems of the Moscow Architectural Institute meet our wish to use in the most comprehensive manner these technologies in the educational and design activities.

We carried out practical perfecting of our ideas, in particular, on the real complex educational (diploma) work, connected with designing the reconstruction of one of the most important and biggest thoroughfares in Moscow, called in the diploma work “North-West Radius”, connecting Moscow Centre with “Sheremetiyevo” airport and going on to St. Petersburg (6). Due to a number of technical conditions, diploma designing was based on traditional model technologies, but as we have noted earlier, make it possible for us to carry out a number of investigations on placing models in a real situation, regardless of methods of executing models.

 

Detailed fragments of the model M1:500 were used for testing and demonstrating final design solutions. The complex of designs begins from one of the central Moscow squares - Pushkin Square, situated at the intersection of Tverskaya Street and Boulevard Ring. The author of the design of the “Social and Cultural Centre” proposed to place it on a vacant area parallel to the boulevard. As the base of the design is a multistorey tower, it was important to evaluate its combination with the existing buildings and its perception when moving in four possible directions. The test was executed by means of endoscopic equipment on a model M1:500 and fixing on a videotape of the movement along the trajectories, indicated by the author, and static fixing simultaneously of chosen frames by a printer (frame grabbing, image processing, printing).

As the executed models of the object and existing environment (traditional or computer) may contain chance (or intentional) deviations from reality, we practice demonstration of the designed object in a real video environment with the obligatory coincidence of videoframe and its reflection in the model.

As positioning of the designed object in a real video frame is a rather labour consuming process, we came to the conclusion (after numerous trials), that in some cases (educational works, preliminary analyses of the design versions etc.) for getting an operative idea it is enough to use “modelsghosts”, i.e. real video frames, combined by means of digital video effects (mix) with a semi-transparent model.

The method was tried in this work and we were convinced that it was useful. In fig.1 we see a frame from the videofragment, showing in the centre the place of the project. Fig.2 demonstrates one of the endoscopic frames of the videofragment of the movement inside the model M1:500, and at last fig.3 shows the combination of the design proposal (“ghost”) with a real video situation. We see the coincidence of the existing buildings to the right and to the left with their models on the mock-up, which confirms, that the choice of the observation point with the help of the endoscope was correct.

 

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3
The “Public and Shopping Centre” near the “Sokol” metro station begins with a longitudinal multitier platform over Leningradsky Prospekt, which is clearly seen in the endoscopic frame of the model M1:500 (fig.4). In the recess between buildings facing Leningradsky Prospekt above the existing exit from the metro station, there is a three-partite stepped composition of high-rise bodies of office facilities in open work shaft structure, set back from the glazed facade surfaces. The transparency of the building led to the decision to show the evening sight of the building by videosimulation methods (fig.5). As a final test a combination of real video shooting (fig.6 shows one of the frames of the original video fragment) with the corresponding endoscopic picture (the “ghost” of the design in the real video environment, got by means of digital “mix”-effect). Fig.7 shows one frame of the video fragment. (Video fragment 1).

  

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

 The illustrations placed below demonstrate examples of employing video-computer methods in the practical works, executed by us (7).

Four frames represent fragments from a video film devoted to siting a designed building in one of streets in the historic center of Moscow. Using a cardboard model (M 1:200), it was necessary to check up whether the choice of the solution was correct. Fig. 8 shows a model of this proposed building. Fig. 9 demonstrated the site of the development, fig. 10 shows the model, sited on the chosen site. Having discussed the video-film it was introduced some changes into the facade of the building and its position. In fig. 11 we can see the building, already built, whose photo was taken from approximately the same point as in fig. 9 and 10.  

Fig. 8

Fig. 9

Fig. 10

Fig. 11

 The use of video simulation when choosing variants of the design considering the real situation and perception from real observation points is illustrated by a series of frames. Fig. 12 shows the site, fig.13 and fig. 14 show each of the variants (models M 1:200) in their real video surroundings and fig. 15 shows the chosen variant with simulated evening illumination. (Video fragments 2,Video fragments 3). In our video subject each variant was shown from four similar observation points, chosen by the designers in order to make decisions.

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

Fig. 14

 

 

 

Fig. 15

 

The next series of frames demonstrate the use of video simulation on the analysis stage and corrective of the design solution. Fig.16 shows the site near the Moscow Kremlin. In the design process is created a computer model of a public building. Siting the model in a real video frame showed a mistake in the design - the building must not nide a church (Fig. 17). Fig. 18 shows search for the solution - cardboard models were moved with the observation in the initial frame (using mix). Fig. 19 shows the changes computer model integrated by us into the real video frames. (Video fragment 4).

 

Fig. 16

Fig. 17

Fig. 18

Fig. 19

 Our experience of complex employment of video and endoscopic technologies while analysing and presenting architectural and town planning projects showed their doubtless usefulness and effectiveness (especially in the educational process). All this shows, that the work, done by us at videosimulation, is not connected with methods of getting the analysed model, therefore all that has been said is valid also for siting computer models in a real video environment (with regard to some specific technical peculiarities).

References

1. Endoscopy as a Tool in Architecture. Proceedings of the 1st European Architectural Endoscopy Assotiation Conference in Tampere, Finland,1993

2. The Future of Endoscopy. Proceedings of the 2nd European Architectural Endoscopy Assotiation Conference in Vienna, Austria, 1995

3. Proceedings of the 3rd European Architectural Endoscopy Assotiation Conference in Delft, The Netherlands, 1997

http://www.bk.tudelft.nl/media/eaea/eaea97.html

4. Øàðãîðîäñêèé Ì.: ÊÎÌÏÜÞÒÅÐÍÎÅ ÀÍÈÌÀÖÈÎÍÍÎÅ ÌÎÄÅËÈÐÎÂÀÍÈÅ ÃÎÐÎÄÑÊÎÉ ÑÐÅÄÛ Â Ó×ÅÁÍÎÌ ÏÐÎÅÊÒÈÐÎÂÀÍÈÈ, Ïåðâàÿ ñïåöèàëèçèðîâàííàÿ êîíôåðåíöèÿ “ÓÐÁÈÑ-97”, òîì I, ÌÀðõÈ, Ìîñêâà, 1997

5. Matalasow M., Seredin M.: Computer and video are not the absolute tools. They are just instruments that let adopt and check up solutions, IV Conference on Computer in Architectural Design, TU Bialystok, Poland, 1996

6. Matalasow M.: ONCE MORE ON THE ROLE OF DIFFERENT METHODS AND MEANS OF THE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF THE OBJECTS OF THE DESIGN, CYBER-REAL design, TU Bialystok, Poland, 1998

7. Matalasow M.: ARCHITECTURAL ENDOSCOPY - WHAT DOES IT MEAN, CAAD - TOWARDS NEW DESIGN CONVENTIONS, TU Bialystok, Poland, 1997

Computer Graphics & Geometry