Browsing by Author "Liu, Chao"

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    Using virtual reality to improve design communication
    (2012) Liu, Chao; Levy, Richard M.; Samavati, Faramarz F.
    A major challenge that faces designers is creating solutions within specific constraints. Creating acceptable design proposals requires designers to work closely with their clients to determine their exact needs and specifications. Good communication between clients and designers is thereby essential to a favourable outcome. Traditional communication approaches such as face-to-face discussions are sometimes insufficient for clarifying clients' requirements. ln these cases, expressing design intent using graphics is more intuitive and provides greater clarity. Unfortunately, for clients who lack sophisticated drawing skills, it may be very difficult for them to express ideas with freehand sketches. To improve this situation, this thesis proposes a web-based communication tool to help clients express design ideas using computer graphics. Currently, computer-aided design (CAD) is a typical choice for professional designers and engineers, due to its high demands of operating skills and computer support. The premise of this thesis is that web­based virtual reality (YR) can remove these technical barriers. By creating an easy-to-use tool that works inside a web browser, there is the potential for clients to explore design options early in the design process without having to learn CAD. To prove its technical feasibility, this thesis presents a proof-of-concept, YY3D, which enables clients to explore interior design solutions. YY3D is equipped with interactive functions that allow its user to select and arrange furniture from an online catalogue into a 3D virtual interior space. This thesis reviews the theoretical and technical background of virtual design, introduces the methodology to develop the proposed communication tool, and walks through the creation process of the proof-of-concept. The research results would be useful in creating applications to solve communication problems in other design fields.