Reality4D Editor

Reality4D Editor allows designers, architects and engineers to turn
 their own models and designs into a realtime 3D environment.

 

  • In the example scenes below, the models have been created in SketchUp and Autodesk Viz/Key3D, then loaded into Reality4D Editor.
    (Many thanks to 2B Landscape Consultancy, Key Systems,
    and Santiago Molina Caicedo and Catalina Lopez Hurtado.) 
  • The user can then walk, run or fly around the scene, and examine
    the structures at ground level from a human perspective.

(Why not take a look at the Image Gallery while the streaming video is loading.)

  

  • All of the scenes above are user-designed 'journeys' which were rendered to video from within the Reality4D Editor.
  • They were then converted to web-format for this webpage.
  • No other video processing software or effects were used.

    Each of these scenes could be exported from the Reality4D Editor as
  1. an emailable standalone program to be replayed (and explored) on your client's PC,
      or
  2. exported as a video which can be emailed to your client or embedded in a webpage.

Overview

Methodology

  • Models are designed using your favourite software.
  • Import, then place in Reality4D by 'drag-and-drop'.
  • You (and your client) can walk around the model or scene.

Export

The whole project can be exported and emailed to, or burned onto CD, for your client.

Capabilities

Reality4D produces a realistic interactive environment
which you can explore freely .
         This is not a fixed display or ‘fly through’.

 

Reality4D enables you to:

  • Explore the terrain, in perspective or plan view.
  • Walk, run, or fly around the environment .
  • Design your own journey, by creating viewpoints.
  • Walk inside buildings, up stairs, through doors.

Requirements

Reality4D will run on any contemporary 3D-capable Windows PC.

Accuracy

Any edge or point of a model is accurate to 8 (floating point) digits,
or 1 in 10 million.
This gives an effective close-range accuracy of 1/1000th of a millimetre, which allows for very detailed models and scenes.

 

 

A Typical Workflow

Step 1

Create your Models

  • Create your design in your favourite modeller; SketchUp, Viz etc
  • Export as .X, .3DS etc files
  • Optionally create shadows in 3rd-party software such as Gile[s].

Step 2

Import your Models into Reality4D

  • Arrange the models.
  • Choose environment settings.
  • Optionally lightmap using the Reality4D internal lightmapper.
  • Choose overlay settings.
  • Set viewpoints and orbit.

Step 3

Explore, Check and Export

  • Explore the model to aid your design process,   then
  • Export from Reality4D: this gathers all your files and textures, together with the R4D engine into one folder / zip-file / self-extracting exe.

Step 4

Show your Client

  • Copy the Export by CD or email to client, managers, public, planners etc.
  • Use at: presentations, meetings, exhibitions, inquiries.

 

 

Features of Reality4D Editor

 Please note that these are just some of  the features of Reality4D

CAMERA

Collisions

Collisions are fully implemented.

The camera will not pass through walls and floors.
This function is often missing from other 3D software packages, but is essential for a sense of realism and 'being there'. 

Gravity

Gravity is fully implemented.

This is essential for correct movement of the camera around the environment, traversing changing horizontal surfaces, such as going up and down stairs and slopes.

Movement

Movement could not be simpler:

Point the mouse where you wish to go, then press the keyboard's cursor keys to go forward, back, left and right.

Flight can also be switched on and off at the press of a button, and extra keys pressed to provide additional acceleration.

Viewpoints

Viewpoints can be recorded, named, and played back.
Up to 20 viewpoints can be recorded, and replayed using a single keypress.
Also, all the viewpoints can be replayed sequentially, providing a 'journey presentation'.

Orbit

Orbit your building or scene.
The camera smoothly orbits at the distance and height that you decide. 

ENVIRONMENT

Please note that the designer has total control over all of these facilities.

All environment facilities can be raised, lowered, rescaled, retextured, or just switched off.

Ground Plane

The Ground Plane is the 'base' level upon which models stand.
You may 're-texture' the Ground Plane from a selection included, or import your own texture.

Water Plane

The Water Plane may be raised above the ground plane to provide a water table, for rivers and seas.
(see top picture)
The Water Plane utilises an animated multi-frame texture, so that the water always appears to be flowing. Also, both the Ground Plane and Water Plane are literally infinite, so that the user's view will stretch to the horizon and beyond.

Terrain

A Terrain may be used as well as a Ground Plane.
A 'heightmap' based Terrain may be blended into the Ground Plane to provide a rockier environment, or perhaps a range of hills around the entire scene.

Fog

Fog / Mist.
For added realism fog (or mist) can be implemented to soften the scene and help to blend the horizon / hills / sky at the extreme view.

Sky

SkyDome
You may choose from a selection of 'skies' or import your own.

Light

The Sun
You may place the Sun anywhere you wish in the sky, and also add a lensflare effect.

MODEL(S)

Multiple

Many models may be imported to create a complex scene.
(See above)

Layers

Sets of models may be combined into layers.
The layers can be switched on and off. i.e. hidden.

Positioning

Any model can be repositioned, rescaled, and rotated
- all by just moving the mouse.
Click and drag a model, and it will move along the horizontal surface, aligning itself to the ground, or to a table-top.
Or use the control panel to precisely place a model to within 1/1000th of a centimetre.

Visibility

On / off, alpha, brightness, shinyness.
(Fancy a shiny, slightly transparent bottle of wine on the table?)

Texture

Model's own, Replace, Movie, Fire, Water.

Animation

Internal animation frames supported.

Lightmapping

Reality4D has internal lightmapping.
Also 3rd party lightmapping supported via the .B3D format.

FORMATS
supported

3D

.x, .3ds, .obj, .md2, .bsp, .b3d

2D

bmp, jpg, png, pcx, tga, iff

Video

mpg, avi, wmv, gif

Sound

wav, mp2, mp3, mid, raw, mod, s3m, xm, it, rmi, ogg, wma, asf

  

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