This year at UCLA we experimented in two directions: VRML and animation.
Students developed models of all the buildings of the UCLA campus. Each
building was model to the level of walls, doors, windows, and stairs. Then
each model was rendered to represent the real building.
Figure 1. (Clockwise from below) a) UCLA Campus b) Mathematics building by Kyung-Sunn Lee c) Powel Hall by Nandu Birudavolu d) Royce Hall by Avantica Shahi e) Anderson School by Anjali Bapat and Paul Argueta
VRML
Finally, VRML 2.0 versions we created. Each model incorporated viewpoints, multiple backgrounds, triggers, anchors, sounds, and levels of detail.
These VRML models we then combined with HTML documents to be used as guided tours of the UCLA campus. The result can also be seen at http://www.cda.ucla.edu/caad/
Figure 2. a) The UCLA tennis center by Lisa Snyder b) a VRML version of the Tennis center with guided tours
Animation
On the second direction, that is, animation, students used the campus building models and combined them with music to produce a "dancing building" scenario. Models were approached not as architectural rigid objects but as flexible mesh-based surfaces. This allowed complex movement synchronized with music.
Figure 3. a) Royce Hall animation by Avantica Shahi b) the Bradbury building animation clip by David Campbell
