Anderson, A K (2015) Visualization, communication, and copresence: Using building information models in virtual worlds. PhD thesis, University of Washington, USA.
Abstract
In the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, work in distributed teams is becoming more common, adoption of building information modeling (BIM) is increasing, and effective time management is essential to remain competitive. BIM is a powerful technology, but the current method of sharing and collaborating with BIM, typically on a shared screen where viewpoints are controlled by one person as others passively observe, limits interaction with the building information model which, in turn, may hinder cross-discipline communication and understanding of issues. In this dissertation, a 3D virtual world as a collaboration medium is examined as a potential way to engage a team with BIMs for more effective and efficient collaboration. Participants were asked to navigate the 3D models by creating an avatar and entering a virtual world into which their building models had been imported. The ability to explore the avatar-sized model in a 3D environment with members of the team also present in the virtual space allowed the team members to find and reach agreement about issues in the model at a much faster rate than those who were sharing their model on a shared screen with one person in control of the viewpoint, indicating that viewing 3D models in a 3D environment with members of the team increases productivity during the construction design and coordination process.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Dossick, C |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | 3D models; building information model; building information modeling; collaboration; communication; coordination; productivity; time management; visualization |
| Index terms: | becoming, building information modelling, virtual worlds, time management, productivity, 3D model, coordination, dissertation, avatar, interaction, collaboration, visualization |
| Subjects: | project controls, information systems, management, design practice, visualization, computational design, research dissemination and communication, philosophical process, behavioral psychology, digital design |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Time Control, Organizational Design, Design Practice, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here