Augmentation of real-time 3D virtual environments for architectural design at the conceptual stage

This paper presents a computational system for augmenting real-time 3D virtual environments to support the formation and compositions of architectural designs. The developed IAMVE (Interactive Architectural Modeling in Virtual Environments) system provides more flexibility to architectural designers and develops an edge to multi-user real time 3D virtual environments to be better utilized in the context of architectural design. The features of IAMVE system include: (a) providing a set of 3D architectural objects that are made available within the virtual environment and can be utilized by the user to create architectural design compositions; (b) allowing users to modify both geometrical and non-geometrical properties of these objects; and (c) maintaining interrelationships between these architectural objects using constraint-based rules automated by the developed system in real-time. These rules include connecting the edges of non-parallel walls that have gaps within the distance of 50 cm, maintaining an assembly hierarchy between the wall and its doors and windows, and maintaining an assembly hierarchy between the window and its shading devices.