Virtual 3D Collaboration Environments

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A virtual 3D collaboration environment is a cloud-based immersive 3D environment that multiple users from various physical locations can view and interact with. The user can add and move items and elements and can insert spacial notes into scenes. The user is also free to enter the same scene an unlimited number of times and run an unlimited number of scenarios. These 3D landscapes have been used by our clients to promote discussions of complicated 3D quandary when 2D scenarios did not provide enough information. Users at government and commercial port operations, airports and any facility that deals with large moving and stationary objects can jump into their own virtual 3D environment and have a discussion about placement of new equipment, modifications and updates to existing equipment and how these changes will affect the other structures surrounding this equipment. We at Synergy Software Design can manage and complete the entire process of creating a 3D environment by developing CAD (Computer-Aided Design) models and providing the interface that leads to the interaction within the 3D scene.

Below are some of the things we have made that involve 3D collaboration.

Telestrator

Telestrator was produced for NAVFAC (Naval Facilities Engineering Command) to promote discussion of the Navy’s ship-to-shore interface. This program brings demonstrations of ship interaction with ports and port equipment into a computerized, 3D world rather than the 2D paper worlds of the past. A Telestrator session can be held with users from multiple locations at the same time, offering efficient use of time and savings on travel costs.

The program gives users the ability to control the positioning of constrained movable objects such as portal cranes, as well as control over movement and placement of ships and other naval equipment. Users can add objects to a scene (the port or area being discussed) and have free movement over all objects within that scene. Also, users can run multiple scenarios using the same scene.

BIM

BIM (Building Information Modeling) is a process of managing data associated with buildings and other structures. We are working with NAVFAC (Naval Facilities Engineering Command) to use BIM to efficiently manage supporting information for all navy-owned existing and newly-acquired facilities and equipment.

BIM will standardize files and information being delivered for a new construction from contractors to the U.S. Navy. We are creating BIM standards that will describe to the contractor what file formats and supporting documents are required to track new construction projects.

The data that is described by these BIM specifications can be accessed in 3D environment programs such as Telestrator. Instead of storing data in individual models, we require that data be segregated and stored in an enterprise-level database, creating an enterprise-level BIM architecture. This data can be access, used and analyzed by multiple enterprise-level applications. We are leading the way to creating this new data management structure for the U.S. Navy.

CAD

CAD (Computer-Aided Design) is used for drawing detailed, computerized objects in 2D or 3D for design purposes. CAD can also contain documentation associated with these objects. We use CAD to create the ships, buildings and objects that are put into our 3D collaborative environments contained in our Telestrator program.