880106 Mapping Environments Project 4 Modern Maps Week 08-09: When Engineering Design Labs & University Campus: Where Group of 4: Who 15%: Worth 1
Aim: The overarching aim of this project is to introduce you to the process of measuring, mapping and visualizing in 3D.Staffs The project will introduce you to a number of surveying, imaging and modeling tools including: - Disto - Digital Compasses - Digital Cameras - GIMP - Site Plans - Floor Plans - Section - Google Sketchup Finally, the project aims to get you thinking critically and spatially about 3D computer based models and their application in managing real-world environments. Discussion 1: The University of Melbourne has a large number of culturally significant places. The Old Law Quadrant, the boom-time facade of the Old Commerce Building and the aluminum-framed Wilson Hall are just a few of the edifices that help to tell the story of Melbourne and it s people. 2
The University would like to preserve these places, both in their real-world form and in a virtual sense. You have been asked to help out with the project. Specifically, you are required to measure, map and visualize (in 3D) the University s only octagonal structure: the observatory in the System Garden. The model needs to be developed in an easy to use format so that it can be combined with other models later. So, how might you go about doing this? 1. Positioning the structure 2. Measuring it. 3. Mapping it 4. Visualizing it in 3D 3
Equipment: Disto Tape Digital Compass Field Book Digital Camera (on PDA) Google Sketchup GIMP Image Editing Software Google Earth 4
Procedure: Step 1 - Drawing s Site Plan Locate the Observatory using Google Earth or a Map of the University then head into the field. This forms part of the reconnaissance, the first stage of many fieldwork projects. Once in the System Garden draw a sketch map of the surrounding features. A sketch map offers a bird s eye view of an area with the significant features highlighted. Include trees, buildings, paths and the observatory itself. This plan does not need to be to scale, it simply needs to tell us where things are relative to one another. System garden's site plan: 5
Step 2 - Positioning the Structure We now need to get some accurate measurements so we can position the structure on Google Earth later. To position the structure we are going to work in 2D: we will ignore height for the moment. We will use a process called Distance-Distance Intersection. Visit the Virtual Campus Lecture Theatre to learn more about simple plane positioning techniques. First, select two prominent points from your Site Plan (e.g. trees or corners or buildings). Make sure you can see the observatory from these points. 6
Second, use the Disto to measure the distance from each point to the two edges of one face of the observatory. Note these measurements down on your Site Plan. By intersecting these measurements later we will be able to position and orient the structure. As a check and to provide some redundancy you might like to repeat these measurements from a number of different points. 7
Step 3 - Measuring and Mapping the Structure Floor Plans Now we will draw a Floor Plan. This depicts a close-up birds eye view of the structure, inside and out. Ignore the roof for now. Building floor plan: Use the Disto or Tape to measure the wall widths and lengths. Also use the Tape to record total floor coverage. Record the measurements on your plan. 8
Use the compass to measure the internal angle between adjacent walls. Each angle should be roughly 135o. Record the measurements on your plan. Finally, you might also like to use the tape to record the dimensions of the internal benches, surrounding brickwork and flora. Step 4 - Measuring and Mapping the Structure Sections Plan Once you are happy with your floor plan, start work on your Section plans. These are side-on views and cut through the building at selected points. All these measurements can be acquired using the Tape and Disto. The very handy. button will come in 9
It s up to you how many Section views you wish to capture, however, at a minimum you will need to record: the height of the walls the width and height of the doors the height and width of the windows Building sections plan: Step 5 - Measuring and Mapping the Roof Structure Now that the Floor Plan and Section Plans of the base are complete you need to consider the roof. There are a number of ways you could go about measuring and modeling the roof. Here is a simple method: Sketch a Floor Plan of the Roof. It should look like an octagonal pie cut into 8 wedges. Roof floor plan: 10
You have already measured the outer sides of the wedges. They are the same length as each of the outer walls. Record these. Find the side lengths of the wedges by measuring along the ground from the centre point of the structure to one of the edges (To find the centre point stand inside the observatory and intersect two tapes running from adjacent sides). Record the length. Now, Sketch a Section Plan of one of the roof wedges. It should look like a squashed isosceles triangle. Again you already have the width of lower edge. Record this. Roof section plan: 11
You can find the vertical height of the triangle from the ground using the Disto. Subtract the height of the walls from the height just measured to get the vertical height of the roof. Now you can use the Pythagoras theorem to find the length of the roof between the centre-point and the walls. (Note: This simple method assumes the roof wedges are straight, not curved. You might like to devise a way of measuring and modeling the roof wedges as a curve. ) Step 6 - Capturing the façade imagery At this stage you should have all the measurements and accompanying plans required to build the observatory in a 3D modeling environment. Now you need to capture some imagery. This will be used to render your model. Using the PDA or your own Digital Camera take pictures of the all the building facades you have measured. You might also like to capture images of internal and surrounding features. Be sure to note down where you store the images. 12
Discussion 2: In the first week ok the project what issues did you group experience with the following: Drawing the site plan Positioning the structure on the site plan Measuring the structure Mapping the structure as floor plans and sections Capturing the facade imagery Results: Step 1 - Converting your floor and section plans into a 3D model First, load up Google Sketchup in the Engineering Design Labs Second, setup your workspace by going to: Window > Model Info > Unit Change the units to those shown below: Now you are ready to being modeling If you ve never used Google Sketchup before, take some time to learn the simple tools. Help > Quick Reference is a good place to start. 13
Each tool provides hints. Some may ask for inputs (e.g. lengths, angles) There are many ways to model the structure. How your group builds the model is up to you. Here is a simple way to get started: 1. Draw > Polygon (8 sides) 2. Offset (width of bricks) 3. Push/Pull (height of walls) 4. Draw Rectangle (in dimensions of door) 5. Push/Pull (to create door opening) 6. Draw Circle (in dimensions of window) 7. Push/Pull (to create window opening) Step 2 - Rendering the model You will need images for each wall and the roof wedges. You might also have images for the internal benches and surrounding brickwork. Manipulate these images in a picture processing package to erase the background. Once you re happy with your images, save them and exit GIMP. 14
Back in Google SketchUp, Goto: File > Import Select the filename of one of your wall images. Select Use as Texture from the drop down menu Click Import The image should appear, but, it needs to be attached to the appropriate wall. Do this by clicking on the bottom corner of the wall, then the top. The image will attach itself to the wall. You might need to tinker with the positioning and size of your of your images. Ask your demonstrator or use the following; Help > SketchUp User s Guide > Entities > Images. Repeat this process for the rest of your surfaces. Step 3 - Placing your model onto Google Earth At this stage you should have a rendered model of the System Garden observatory. It now needs to be placed and oriented in Google Earth. Open Google Earth and navigate to the location of observatory. Make sure the observatory s location is visible on the screen. Return to Google Sketchup and click Get Current Screen. Google Sketchup will grab the current view from Google Earth and place it under your model. Use the Move and Rotate buttons to place and orient your model in the right position. 15
Use the measurements from your Site Plan to help place the model. You can also use the Site Plan measurements as a check to ensure you have your model in the right position. Once you re happy with the location of your model click Place Model. It will appear in Google Earth in the exact position you placed it. Save both your SketchUp and Google Earth files. You are now finished. 16
Discussion 3: What issues did you experience whilst using SketchUp. Did you find the interface intuitive? Did you experience any issues using GIMP. What image editing program do you usually used? Did you experience any issues with Google Earth when trying to place your model? Submission Details: Good work. You have successfully measured and modelled an important part of the University's history. You can now submit you work. What do we need to submit? A soft copy of your field notes including your site plan, floor plan and section plans. You may need to scan these or take a picture of them using your digital camera. The Google Sketchup file of the observatory. A.JPG image and the Google Earth file of the positioned observatory. A mini-report of no more than five pages. This should consider each of the discussion questions from the project. The report must identify each of the members in your group. Who needs to submit? Only one member of your group needs submit the project files. Remember: the mini-report must identify each member of your group so they can also be allocated marks. Where do we submit? Submit your project files on LMS. Goto Mapping Environments LMS page > 5. Modern Maps > Project 4. Up load your files and click 'Submit' NOT "Save'. How will we be marked? View the marking rubric on the LMS for more details on how this project will be marked. When is it due? This project needs to be submitted by 1800 on the first Friday after the semester break. See LMS for this date. 17
Summary Discussion: What we have learnt today in terms of: Thinking Critically Thinking Spatially To further explore the concepts and tools covered today, visit the... Lecture Theatre Library Instrument Room IT Department 18