3D Modelling for Communicating Urban Revitalisation – A Local Government Experience
Two years have now passed since City of Launceston finished constructing and began working with the 3D virtual model of Launceston running in Urban Engine software. The final product has lived up to expectations as a tool for communicating urban revitalisation and more. Since that time, the model has grown in detail with the addition of Aero3DPro building model data, street scape design concepts, building proposals, future development buildings and massing models.
Beyond the initial scope of supporting the Launceston City Heart project, the model has proven to be a practical tool for evaluating designs during planning meetings, allowing exploration of designs issues and scenarios in an iterative manner. It has been useful for exploring massing models of the proposed new University of Tasmania campus buildings, surrounding access roads and the impact on the landscape. All this is often created on-the-fly in a short space of time, even during a meeting, and this is where the model really proves its worth in galvanising consensus and understanding in a short space of time, often solving perceived problems very quickly.
Alexander Crothers
It the coming weeks, the model will be transitioning from its current hardware platform – a high end gaming Laptop – to a hosted cloud platform to enable greater access from any computer or meeting room with a good internet connection, thus improving access to the model and simplifying updates and maintenance.
The paper ‘3D Modelling for Communicating Urban Revitalisation – A Local Government Experience’ which was submitted for the 2016 Liveable Cities Conference sets out to clarify that project managing the creating a 3D model is not a simple matter and relies heavily on a small team of people with specialist skills and knowledge as well as coordinating specialist consultancies.
Additionally the ongoing maintenance and return on the considerable investment in the model relies on ongoing development and support by these skilled staff. The author of the paper hopes to present enough detail to assist others, especially in local government, to understand the pitfalls and focus areas to build similar successful 3D model systems.
Article provided by Alexander Crothers, Spatial & Investigations Manager for the City of Launceston
