3D+models+of+UWA

=3D representations of UWA= Chris Thorne

Chris will present the ongoing projects of a group of students who have been combining 3D and web technologies to put UWA online in a number of 3D representations. This seminar describes the development of these projects, current plans and future directions. The projects are: • the Virtual Universe Project, a 3D campus that runs in a web browser; • the UWA Google Earth Project which allows UWA to be seen in 3D on Google Earth and also in a web browser; and • the UWA Second Life Project.

The latter is just beginning, and will provide a multiuser collaborative space for staff and researches to run simulations, visit another virtual representation of the campus, or to just be creative: exploring possibilities Second Life provides.

Along the way, the team has also created a small visualisation of the arts precinct for the University Architect and a common set of 3D assets have been developed and re-purposed into each 3D environment.

The forward-looking goal behind all of these projects is to make simulation a commonly available tool accessible to all staff and researchers at the desktop. The proposition motivating this goal is: a 3D interface to information can be more efficient and effective than 2D environments because of our innate talents for remembering and exploring things in our natural 3D environment.

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