Collision: The New Methodology for Future Architecture by Ng Jee Hong

S-I LAB 3D SCANNING AND VR MSD

COLLISION & TRANSITION ARTHUR WIBISONO JEE HONG (DARREN) NG JUSTEEN TSAI YUHAN (PSYCHE) HOU

A. INTRODUCTION. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

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CONTENTS A. INTRODUCTION (P. 4–5) B. POINT (P. 6–19) C. LINE (P. 20–41) D. SURFACE (P. 43–55) E. PHOTOGRAMMETRY (P. 56–69) F. INSTALLATION DESIGN (P. 71–77)

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A. INTRODUCTION. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

A. INTRODUCTION (PP. 4-5)

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B. POINT. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

B. POINT (PP. 6-19)

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B. POINT. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

Week 1 Readings: Alberti’s Media Lab by Mario Carpo Digital Doppelgängers: Future Scanscapes by Matthew Shaw and William Trossel

The article “Alberti’s Media Lab” discusses the curious resonation between the technological predicament in the late Middle Ages and the contemporary digital revolution. There are a few essential turning points in Alberti’s machinations that are highlighted. One of the main problems he faced was “mouvance” in which he tried to solve it by refusing to convey information through visual means, but only through methods of text. By doing so, Alberti managed to create an Alphabetical text system that could traverse space and time without losing its fidelity. The texts he used are elementary and well-known, in which we see the same advantages as in the current binary code. The word he chose is clear, intelligible, and repeatable, which reduces the risk inherent in the transmission. The data is organized systematically, making it possible to be reproduced precisely by others (Carpo & Lemerle,

regenerated through means of a specific instrument. Later, as shown in the diagram, the same principle is applied in recording a three-dimensional object – Da status. He highlights that the parts of the same status can be manufactured in varied places and time, in which we found the shared advantages in contemporary computer-aided manufacturing (Carpo & Lemerle, 2008). It is believed that Alberti’s failure sits between his intent of achieving identicality and the lack of modern mechanical means. With the revolution of industrial design, identical reproduction has been widely introduced. The contemporary architects and artists tend to pursue digital variation which takes the advantages of mass production but also value the organic variabilities inherent in late manual production (Carpo & Lemerle, 2008).

2008).

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When Alberti was attempting to draw the city of Rome, words could not adequately achieve this, Therefore, he began using numbers instead. Through the means of polar coordinates, Alberti digitised the plan. This “digital” information would then be

We will continue exploring Alberti’s logic of store, organise and reproduce information under the facility of emerging advanced technology and to see how the future change can be informed by reconstructing the past. P. 9

Images:

Sources: Carpo, Mario, and Lemerle, Frédérique. (Eds.). (2008). Perspective,

Projections, and Design: Technologies of Architectural Representation. Routledge

01. Pianta di Roma. (n.d). Retrieved March 18, 2021 from https://geoportale. cittametropolitanaroma.it/ cartografia-storica/20/35/piantadi-roma

B. POINT. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

Week 1 Research: Displaced Witness ScanLab.

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The large-scale 3D laser scanning in architecture informs new ways of defining and constructing the space. With the fully-coloured point cloud that has been precisely measured, the dimensional property of the past is frozen, available for future revisiting and inspecting. Compared to the traditional survey, it dissects the site with less bias and high accuracy. It creates another version of space without the limits of time and context, making it accessible to a wider digital audience (Shaw & Trossell, 2014). However, it is criticized that the digital representation of a space as x, y, z coordinates and numbers disregards its experiential properties in the real world (Shaw & Trossell, 2014). Facing the future challenges of 3D scanning, our group will examine its potential in reconstructing and re-materializing the spatial data to inform new ways of inhabiting space .

The project we studied is Displaced Witness undertaken by ScanLab, which uses 3D scanning technologies to provoke key life moments that took place along the coastlines of Lesvos (Displaced Witness | ScanLAB Projects, n.d.). It gives the viewer a firsthand experience of a refugee seeking protection in a foreign country. These moments are often sensory and cannot be recreated through visual means alone. Therefore, other stimuli are utilised to create an immersive environment transporting the viewer to the target space. Using “transplanted” 1mx1m textures from the Island and stereophonic sounds of refugees, the artists are able to give people a haptic experience of the environment and a multidirectional audible perspective of the scene.

Our group will further investigate the role of 3D scanning in architecture, question ways of perceiving and inhabiting space, explore the link between spatial data and physical constructs and project how humans engage with digital spaces in the future.

P. 11 Sources: Shaw, M., & Trossell, W. (2014). Digital doppelgängers: Future scanscapes. Architectural Design, 84(1), 20–29. https:// doi.org/10.1002/ad.1698 Images:

Displaced Witness. (n.d). Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://scanlabprojects. co.uk/work/displaced-witness/

B.POINT. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 01 TASK - POINT

Images: 1. St. Paul - Overall 2. St. Paull - Detail 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail

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JUSTEEN TSAI

2 & 4. This image was created to capture details that we cannot experience in real life due to its physical location, and distance.

B.POINT. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 01 TASK - POINT

Images: 1. St. Paul - Overall 2. St. Paull - Detail 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail

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ARTHUR WIBISONO

1. This image echoes the depth of the St Paul Catherdal. Despite the camera located in the center, certain elements are blurred creating an image that are only visible

3. This image of MSD facade aims to understand how the scanner are able to pick up the ornamentation despite being blocked by the tree foilage.

B.POINT. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 01 TASK - POINT

Images: 1. St. Paul - Overall 2. St. Paull - Detail 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail

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DARREN NG

2. This image was created to highlight the depth of the image via a flat plane. Even though there is only a single layer of points, a sense of depth still exists due to the machine’s inability to read the obscured elements above the window sills and protruding arches.

4. This is a close-up view of the Joseph Reed facade. The balusters obstruct the vision of the scanner, creating a negative projection of the balusters on the wall behind.

B.POINT. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 01 TASK - POINT

Images: 1. St. Paul - Overall 2. St. Paull - Detail 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail

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YUHAN HOU

1. This image emphasizes the depth of the Gothic building. By placing the camera at the plane where point vaults connect, the horizontal extension of the Cathedral is highlighted.

3. This image is taken from a single person’s perspective, emphasizing the flatness of the facade. From a distant view, the MSD old facade becomes the static image of the activities. When moving closer, the facade starts to fade out as a background.

C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

C. LINE (PP. 20-41)

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C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

Week 2 Readings: Digital Fabrications: Designer Stories for a Software-Based Planet by Galo Canizares Newish Media by John May In the lecture “Newish Media: A conversation with Lucia Allais and John May,” John May acknowledges the technical continuation from the orthographic to the “postorthographic” (Newish Media, n.d.). Postorthographic is a term used by May to substitute for the term digital which he argued has lost its meaning. He noted that Images are “inherently dynamic” unlike drawings or photographs as it fixed on a stable surface (Newish Media, n.d.). By contrast, Image is not based in a historical time, and exist in real time which “continuously relates the present to all possible future at once.” Driven by computer’s ability to process multiple iterations, possibilities, and outcome all at once. A process that cannot be traced from our inherited past and not a lineage of our traditional method, the process can be done almost instantaneously at such speed that is often inexplicable to human. The lecture revolves on the question that the efficiency granted by such technology is not done without sacrifice.

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In the reading “Digital Fabrications: designer Stories for a Software-Based Planet,” Canizares noted that digital technologies and media has altered our minds and more importantly our idea of space, resulting in a shift of relationship with space. He argued that a software that we intreracts with everyday is invisible by design that has led to it not being acknowledged and disregarded in the realm of the digital. May and Canizares shared a similar concern that having understanding of the impact of going digital is crucial for architecture to move forward. The diagrams are mainly about understanding the impact of digital ecology on architectural design. The top three diagrams show the primordial origins of drawing a line with the computer.

Sketchpad is the first introduced computeraided drafting (CAD) program by Ivan Sutherland (Canizares, 2019). The drawing procedure is understood as an act. The rubber banding mechanism indicates the immaterial property of the program. When the first point is drawn, the temporary line allows humancomputer interaction before finalizing the line. The bottom diagram indicates the first time that the CAD is introduced. We are trained to manipulate virtual objects through a variety of gestures. The immaterial property of the Rubber banding mechanism is embedded in these gestures, as our hand muscle types the command and as we visually interact with the virtual objects. It is the time that the self is extended into the space of the screen. It is the time we are injected with digital consciousness. However, it is essential for us as future architects to understand the functional logic of the program, the infinite property of digital space before we are able to manipulate data and even reshape our environment. The second drawing views the interface as a program as deep three-dimensional space. The orthographic grid indicates its infinity. The highlighted region is the imaged grave for deleted lines, floating in nowhere of the digital universe. It is the question of how the data is structured at the back-of-house. It is the suggestion that data need to be understood within its context, those of creation and those of use. It is a suggestion of how the data is structured at the back-of-house. It is the suggestion that data need to be understood within its context, those of creation and those of use.

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Sources: Canizares, G. (2019). Digital fabrications: Designer stories for a softwarebased planet. ORO Editions.

Newish media: A conversation with lucia allais and john may. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqCUh16R4yw

C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

Week 2 Research: Eternal Return | STRP / SXSW / CPH:DOX

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Eternal Return (2019) produced by ScanLab {rojects with Lundahl and Seitl, is an immersive installation that combines VR technology, physical artifacts, and choreography. Eternal Return aims to connect and contact the past and future of the Earth. “Audience explore a memory archive containing replicas from Earth’s deep past through its postAnthropocene future” (Eternal Return, n.d.). The memory acts an artifact that is experienced through an agglomeration of medium, through digital spaces, physical artefacts, and acoustic environment. The installation aims to immerse visitors into a dual presence of both physical and virtual worlds. The installation is choreographed, one-to-one and guided by the visitors; the experience of the installation is reinforced with the visitor’s participation, touch, and senses.

ScanLab in collaboration with Lundahl & Seitl With the context of an image production, the installation links to May’s statement that an image exist in real time, and “continuously relates the present to all possible future at once.” As each visitor perceive the works differently, the image is constantly challenged, manipulated, resisted, by the visitors.

Sources:

Eternal return. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://scanlabprojects.co.uk/ work/eternal-return

Eternal return—Strp. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://strp.nl/program/ eternal-return? Images:

Eternal return. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://scanlabprojects.co.uk/ work/eternal-return

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C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 02 TASK - LINE

Images: 1. St. Paul - Overall Section 2. St. Paull - Detail Elevation 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall Section 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail Section

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JUSTEEN TSAI

C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 02 TASK - LINE

Images: 1. St. Paul - Overall Section 2. St. Paull - Detail Elevation 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall Section 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail Section

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3. The image shows the extraction process of a linework from point cloud data. It compares the difference between extraction process of a nature object, humans, and building fabric. JUSTEEN TSAI

4. This image is a section of MSD facade, it showcases the possibility and ease of image manipulation once the data is gathered.

C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 02 TASK - LINE

Images: 1. St. Paul - Axonometric Section 2. St. Paull - Detail Elevation 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall Elevation 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail Section

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1. This axonometric shows multiple lines extracted from the point cloud data. It intends to dissect the data into a workable lines that represent the fabric. ARTHUR WIBISONO

2. This image shows detail elevation of St. Paul Cathedral. The image showcases the machine’s process of collecting data. The elevation is cut at different layers to create an elevation that best represent the fabric.

C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 02 TASK - LINE

Images: 1. St. Paul - Overall Section Perspective 2. St. Paull - Detail Elevation 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall Elevation 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail Section

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ARTHUR WIBISONO

C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 02 TASK - LINE

Images: 1. St. Paul - Detail Elevation 2. St. Paull - Detail Elevation 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall Elevation 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail Elevation

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DARREN NG

C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 02 TASK - LINE

Images: 1. St. Paul - Detail Elevation 2. St. Paull - Detail Elevation 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall Elevation 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail Elevation

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3. The image shows multiple sections of the MSD front elevation extracted from the point cloud as vector curves. The point cloud information is placed underneath for contextual information. DARREN NG

4. The image shows sections of the MSD facade doorway extracted from the point cloud as vector curves. The curves display discrepancies in the point cloud scanning process as well as machine generated approximations of the vector curves

C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 02 TASK - LINE

Images: 1. St. Paul - Overall Eelvation 2. St. Paull - Axonometric Section 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall Elevation 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail Elevation

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YUHAN HOU

1. The Gothic building is formed with varied configurations of elements. The configuration is created based on the figures. Fundamentally, the Gothic building is digital. This image intends to uncover the statistical relationship between the elements.

2. This axonometric section intends to demonstrate the spatial meaning of figures discovered in the precious image. The height of the column contributes to varied proportion, function and depth of the space.

C. LINE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 02 TASK - LINE

Images: 1. St. Paul - Overall Eelvation 2. St. Paull - Detail Section Perspective 3. MSD Old Facade - Overall Elevation 4. MSD Old Facade - Detail Elevation

7.6 m

IONIC ORDER

8.6 m

CORINTHIAN ORDER

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YUHAN HOU

D. SURFACE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

D. SURFACE (PP. 42-55)

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D. SURFACE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

Week 5 Readings: Everything is already an image John May

The Politics of Image. In the article “Everything is already an image”, John May uncovers the fundamental difference between image, drawing and photography. From a technical perspective, an image is formed with discrete measurable and electrical signals, which make the image inherently dynamic. The image as the storage of human memory and thought are now able to be calculated and manipulated. The image – a kind of statistical seeing, becomes the primary domain of politics. The new politics of the image will not just be the content but more of how the image is structured and composed (May, 2017). Our group will further examine how the varied structure of the image could shape the different perceptions and understandings of the message. Body and Machine.

John May compares the notion of mechanization with signalization, as mechanization automates manual labour while signalization automates the mental process. In repeated gestures of workers, it is the organic extension into the machine. It is a new enmeshment of consciousness (May, 2017). Our group is interested in these new physiological processes and new lived experiences informed by the immersive digital environment. And we will further investigate the relationships between body and machine, consciences and data.

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Sources: May, J. (2017). Everything is already an image. Log, 40, 9–26.

D. SURFACE. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

The suits are shimmery and textured, aimed at making the laser light ricochet unpredictably, sending an image back to the camera that is muddled and distorted.

Outcome 01

Week 5 Research: Where the City Can’t See | LIDAR Camouflage Costume

materiality

Liam Young Outcome 02

The Escapes.

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In the article “City is not a computer”, it is claimed that the ubiquitous cameras, camouflaged antennae and hovering drones make the city an apparatus for record-keeping information management (Mattern, 2017). With technologies such as LIDAR scanners, Google Maps and surveillance cameras, the urban management system not only maps the city but also governs it. Information within the urban context is now used as a political tool. Architect Liam Young reimagines a world where people intend to escape this digital cage by wearing antiLIDAR-detection suits. With a driverless vehicle scanning for places that are intentionally erased from the map, a young groups of artists seek the wilds beyond the machine (Liam Young, Where the City Can’t See - University of Salford Art Collection- University of Salford Art Collection, n.d.).

Within the context of this dystopian universe, we can imagine the people’s vision of a Utopia can only exist within the (whether intentional or unintentional) glitches of the machine’s vision. As a group, we also wish to explore how we can exploit glitches and errors within the machine vision to create special moments within a dystopian universe.

Sources:

Liam Young, Where the City Can’t See University of Salford Art Collection. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2021, from https:// artcollection.salford.ac.uk/liam-youngwhere-the-city-cant-see/ Mattern, S. (2017). A City Is Not a Computer. Places Journal, 2017. https:// doi.org/10.22269/170207

Outcome 03

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D. SURFACE GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 03 TASK - SURFACE

Images: 1. St. Paul 2. MSD Old Facade

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1. This image of St Paul’s aims to recreate a rendered fragment that represent the reality when the building is used as an event space.

JUSTEEN TSAI

2. This image of the window at MSD facade emphasizes the machine ability to pick up depth.

D. SURFACE GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 03 TASK - SURFACE

Images: 1. St. Paul 2. MSD Old Facade

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1. This image demonstrates the level of detail the scanner pick ups. Rendered in white with a lighting effect to showcase the intricate details of the fragment.

ARTHUR WIBISONO

2. This image demonstrates how the machine is able to pick up depth and details such as corners and curves.

D. SURFACE GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 03 TASK - SURFACE

Images: 1. St. Paul 2. MSD Old Facade

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DARREN NG

1.. This image is meant to illustrate the differences between the machine vision and the human vision. A rotation of this model displays the hidden spaces which cannot be perceived by the machine, and are a potential space for architectural exploration.

2. This image references Liam Young’s film “Where the City Can’t See”. It was composed to illustrate the possibility of post or pre manipulation of the image data to exploit the weaknesses in the machine vision within the urban environment.

D. SURFACE GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 03 TASK - SURFACE

Images: 1. St. Paul 2. MSD Old Facade

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YUHAN HOU

1. This image demonstrates how machines collect spatial information in the way that humans perceive the world. The message is read from surfaces. However, it will be challenging for the machine to “understand” the depth of material and the other side of the surface.

2. This image uncovers the material that is difficult for a machine to collect, including the floating mesh and glazing material of the façade. The model with missing points interestingly generates a distorted geometry.

E. PHOTOGRAMMETRY. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

E. PHOTOGRAMMETRY (PP. 56-69)

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E. PHOTOGRAMMETRY. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

Week 6: 3D Scan - Photogrammetry Creating Natural 3D Environments Photogrammetry is the process of extracting 3D information from 2D photographs. Before beginning the photoscanning process, the subject should be well lit with soft lighting to avoid harsh shadows. Since the process uses captured images from the camera, the ideal surface would be something with a grey/ white matte colour instead of a dark reflective surface. P. 58

The quality of our images will be important to ensure we get a high quality mesh. The camera settings should be consistent to aid the calculation process later on.. Lower ISO settings help reduce the image noise which gives a cleaner mesh. If not shooting on a tripod, high shutter speeds will help to ensure minimal motion blur. Meanwhile, small aperture/high f-stop will reduce the foreground/background blur and further improve the suitability of the images for the photoscan. Images are captured at 10° intervals around a

| Alex Alvarez central point of interest. This process is done 1-3 times at different pitch angles depending on the complexity of the object. The goal is to make sure that most of the subject is captured from different angles and not obscured by itself. As soon as the pictures are captured, they are placed into an image editing program such as Lightroom to “flatten” the images. This can reduce the amount of shadows baked into the final texture of the mesh. The flattened images are then imported into Agisoft Metashape and are masked. The masking process places emphasis on the unmasked region in which the program will perform its calculations.

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E. PHOTOGRAMMETRY. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

After the images are masked, we can align the photos in 3D space. Metashape will now estimate the position, rotation and camera lens length in 3D space by comparing the similarities in between pixels of different images. With that information, it will also build a basic point cloud which we can use to define the region to proceed with the dense point cloud calculation. Once the bounding boxes have been established, we can then proceed to build a dense point cloud. (1)

Using the dense point cloud, we can then build a mesh. Density of the mesh is dependent on the users settings, and will increase mesh resolution in sacrifice of hardware performance. The final mesh can then be refined or decimated to further improve its usability. It can then be exported to be used in other programs.

(2)

(3)

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1. A point cloud model generated of the photographed object. a movement of 10 degree rotation interval around the object is depicted once the photos area aligned on metashape. , creating a “tie points”. Approximately 18 images is needed for a 180 degree rotation. 2. Mesh surface is generated.

(4)

E. PHOTOGRAMMETRY. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 04 TASK - PHOTOGRAMMETRY

Images: 1. MSD Old Facade 2. Goddess Statue

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1. In this image, during the photogrammetry process the door way was open allowing for the capturing of depth as information.

JUSTEEN TSAI

E. PHOTOGRAMMETRY. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 04 TASK - PHOTOGRAMMETRY

Images: 1. MSD Old Facade 2. Goddess Statue

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2. This image illustrates the possibilities and opportunities of post manipulation of image data. In certain scenarios, where it is impossible to scan, the possibilities of manipulation arise. ARTHUR WIBISONO

E. PHOTOGRAMMETRY. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 04 TASK - PHOTOGRAMMETRY

Images: 1. MSD Old Facade 2. Britannia Statue

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DARREN NG

2. In the image above, the viewer is given a miniature’s perspective of the Britannia statue, previously impossible to be seen using the human eye. The process allows the use of inexpensive equipment to generate a high-quality replica of an object, which can be coined as a form of physical piracy. The ease of this technology brings forward the question of the “authenticity” of scanned information, and what variables affect the value of a scanned image.

E. PHOTOGRAMMETRY. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

WEEK 04 TASK - PHOTOGRAMMETRY

Images: 1. MSD Old Facade 2. Goddess Statue

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1. This image is produced using photogrammetry. The density of the point is intently decided at the time of collecting data. YUHAN HOU

F. INSTALLATION DESIGN PROPOSAL. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

F. INSTALLATION DESIGN PRPOSAL (PP. 70-77)

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F. INSTALLATION DESIGN PROPOSAL. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

INSTALLATION DESIGN Key Words: Manipulation / Collision and Transition / Threshold / Fragments of Reality

Our group is interested in the space that machine cannot see. We see this “missing space” as the opportunity to manipulate spatial data and shape people’s perception of space.

The people in the VR world have the most visual capability. (S)he is the active factor in the system that decides from which perspective the virtual world is perceived.

After understanding the flatness of the MSD façade and the depth of the Gothic building, we see the opportunity to composite two space together. The facade could potentially become the mask of the Cathedral. The Cathedral becomes the extension of the façade. The threshold of space will be where the collision and transition happened. The people in the virtual world will be subtly transited from one space to the other when (S)he approaches the threshold. At the moment of transition, people in the virtual world will be fully exposed to the process of one space erose the other, generating an illusion between real and unreal.

02 Observer – Screens

Besides, we are interested in how the message is conveyed and perceived through 4 different interfaces, including VR, Screen, Projector, and physical model. We emphasize the field of vision and the type of interpretation that is informed by the interfaces. P. 72

01 Generator – VR World

The screen shows an instant view captured from the generator. Only the fragment of the virtual world is visible. The message is restricted, can only be received passively but potentially has a larger exposure. 03 Tracker – Projector

The trajectory of how the generator explore the virtual world will be projected on the ground like a map. It becomes the imprint of people’s motion, linking the activity in the past, present and future. 04 Hinter -Physical Model The fragment of the virtual world or the specific texture will be 3D printed, creating a physical link to the immaterial world. question of how the data is structured at the back-of-house. It is the suggestion that data need to be understood within its context, those of creation and those of use.

Images: 1. Plan 2. Elevation 3. Render 4.render

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F. INSTALLATION DESIGN PROPOSAL. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

FINAL INSTALLATION MOCK UP

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PLAN

ELEVATION

F. INSTALLATION DESIGN PROPOSAL. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

FINAL INSTALLATION MOCK UP

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RENDER

G. FINAL INSTALLATION DESIGN. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

G. FINAL INSTALLATION (PP. 78-69)

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G. FINAL INSTALLATION DESIGN. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

Project Description Collision: The New Methodology for Future Architecture

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“ALL IMAGING TODAY IS A PROCESS OF DETECTING ENERGY EMITTED BY AN ENVIRONMENT AND CHOPPING IT INTO DISCRETE, MEASURABLE ELECTRICAL CHARGES CALLED SIGNALS, WHICH ARE STORED, CALCULATED, MANAGED, AND MANIPULATED THROUGH VARIOUS STATISTICAL METHODS.” - JOHN MAY

As inspired by Galo, in the post-orthographic age, we should think of architecture through telematic means instead of geometric terms. The Image defined by John May is composed of discrete signals which are fundamentally manipulatable and dynamic. As mentioned in the quote, we see the discrete nature of the image as an opportunity to design future architecture and establish new meaning. Imaging is the post-orthographic approach that we use, in which we understand it as the art of data processing. In this process, we deconstruct the buildings into elements, as columns, walls, floors, stairs… We first identify the spatial qualities of the architectural elements. These architectural ele ments are recomposed to generate architectural spaces with new spatial qualities. We have coined this methodology “Collision”. These collided spaces are predominantly experienced through the virtual media. We see the collision as a projection for future architectural spacemaking. With the aid of computational software, the data is extracted, scaled, and rearranged, resulting in the collision of different architectural spaces. The varied collision becomes architectures that are comprised of different aesthetics, functions, and significance. The project outcome will interact through the exhibition, which consists of projections of render images, drawings, 3D printed model, animation, and VR experience. The varied architectural media stimulate varied approaches of perceiving the new collided space.

Since the scanning process captures the human inhabitation, the imaging process also indicates how future architecture can be inhabited. We use VR technology to create immersive spatial experiences of new spaces. Users are able to travel between varied composited Heritage buildings through architectural thresholds. 3D printed models provide a physical connection between the real world to the virtual world, which also brings a tactile experience to the project. In conclusion, we are interested in extracting and recreating the architectural meaning through data manipulation. We are finding ways of future architectural space-making through imaging and experiencing through virtual media.

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FINAL DESIGN CONCEPT DESIGN Key Words: Manipulation / Collision and Transition / Threshold / Fragments of Reality

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ORIGINAL POINT CLOUD RENDER Images: 1. St. Paul Cathedral - Elevation 2. St. Paul Cathedral - AXO

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Our group investigates 5 Heritage buildings in Melbourne through 3D scanning, in which the history and memory of the spaces are able to be stored and represented through various statistical methods. We see the opportunity of extracting new meaning from the spatial data of these Heritage buildings.

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ORIGINAL POINT CLOUD RENDER Images: 1. MSD Old Facade - Elevation 2. MSD Old Facade - AXO

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ORIGINAL POINT CLOUD RENDER Images: 1. Chapter House - Elevation 2. Chapter House - AXO

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ORIGINAL POINT CLOUD RENDER Images: 1. State Library - Elevation 2. State Library - AXO

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ORIGINAL POINT CLOUD RENDER Images: 1. Town Hall - Elevation 2. Town Hall - AXO

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COLLISION | PLAN

C H A P T E R H O U S E + S TAT E L I B R A R Y + S T. PAU L

C H A P T E R H O U S E + TO W N H A L L + S T. PAU L

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The plan drawing is an amalgamation of different architectural elements from St Paul Cathedral, Chapter house, and Melbourne Town Hall. Reimagined as a concert hall that can facilitate experiencing an immersive concert virtually. The concert hall embraced the characteristics of a concert hall; the balcony, the centre stalls, and the stage albeit composed with architectural elements that are often not paired together. With the rise of cancelled events this past year, there is a need for a “fourth space” to experience world leisure virtually. Without leaving the sofa, concert goers can be immersed not only in the music, but also the architecture. An interface that marries virtual and physical experience.

S TAT E L I B R A R Y + S T. PAU L

G. FINAL INSTALLATION DESIGN. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

COLLISION | SECTION

C H A P T E R H O U S E + S TAT E L I B R A RY + TO W N H A L L

M S D + S T. PAU L + S TAT E L I B R A R Y

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The section above is the upper floor and the ceiling of State Library Victoria extracted and reimagined as a future digital archive. In a fictional future where the collision of spaces becomes the new design methodology for architecture, the Digital Archive becomes a necessary form of architecture to facilitate the browsing, reading and experiencing of virtual spaces. As this new form of architecture also serves as an interface between the physical and the virtual world, the collision of spaces not only occurs within the virtual realm but also between the physical and the virtual spaces.

M S D + S T. PAU L

G. FINAL INSTALLATION DESIGN. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

COLLISION | PERSPECTIVE

C H A P T E R H O U S E + S TAT E L I B R A R Y + S T. PAU L

C H A P T E R H O U S E + TO W N H A L L + S T. PAU L

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The perspectives indicate how space can be experienced in the virtual world by frames. When people are travelling linearly, the columns and roof of the Town Hall generate an infinite structure for varied space to be infilled. The fragment of Heritage Buildings sectioning the continuous journey into discontinuous spatial experiences. It is when the column of St Paul meets the ceiling of the Town Hall, an intimate gathering space is generated. The same approaches are used to generate the Library and the Stores by extracting the fragments from the State Library and Chapter House. In this process of segmenting and reframing, the detail, function, and atmosphere of varied Heritage buildings are able to be collided, generating new types of architecture through imaging.

S TAT E L I B R A R Y + S T. PAU L

G. FINAL INSTALLATION DESIGN. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

COLLISION | AXO

TO W N H A L L + S TAT E L I B R A R Y + S T. PAU L

CHAPTER HOUSE + MSD + TOWN HALL P. 100

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The axonometric images comprise architectural elements from Chapter House, MSD Joseph Reed’s Façade, and Melbourne Town Hall. Reimagined as a rooftop club that can facilitate having a night out virtually. Without having to leave the four walls of our home; we see friends for cocktails, beers, and dance all night long. Consisting of three spaces that are inseparable in experiencing a night out: the threshold, the liminal spaces, and the destination. A new type of experiencing leisure, beyond the zoom party that transports you to an architecture that facilitates leisure.

S TAT E L I B R A R Y + S T. PAU L

G. FINAL INSTALLATION DESIGN. GROUP 2, S-I LAB - 3D SCANNING AND VR

OTHOGRAPHIC DRAWING | PLAN

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OTHOGRAPHIC DRAWING | SECTION

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OTHOGRAPHIC DRAWING | AXO

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CREATING MESH A series of programs are used to create a composited mesh for 3D print. Varied approaches are tested to maintain the high quality of the surface. The procedures are as following:

1. The point cloud is segmented in the Cloud Compare.

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2. Import point cloud to Agisoft. 3. Build mesh with 1,500,000 faces and export mesh surface. 4. Import mesh surface to Mesh Mixer and inspect the holes to be repaired. 5. Transform and scale the mesh surface to fit with the selected 3D printer. 6. To give thickness to the surface, we firstly offset the mesh with 2.5 mm. With this method, both the front and backside of the mesh will maintain high quality.

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7. However, the part of the model with internal volume fail to be offset in the average normal direction of the surface. 8 The mesh is extruded with 2.5mm instead. With this method, the complex surface of the MSD façade able to be thickened continuously. But the backside of the surface will be distorted. P. 108 9. The St Paul cathedral finds it hard to be thickened

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continuously because of the complexity of the surface. Through analysis, we slice St Paul mesh into 4 surfaces (Orange, Purple, Blue and White) with the relative same surface normal direction. each surface is extruded separately. 10.Extruded surfaces are turned into solid. 11. All other elements are prepared with the same approach and unionid into one model. 12. The bottom of the model is cut with a horizontal plane to provide a stable base for later 3D Printing.

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POINT CLOUD IN REAL-TIME To present our project in a virtual interface, we have to be able to bring the point cloud data into a real-time rendering engine such as Unreal Engine 4. The following are the procedures for bringing the point cloud into UE4.

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1. Extract the point cloud necessary in cloud compare. Export point cloud data from CloudCompare as ASCII cloud format (*.txt). Point cloud data will be saved as 7 columns of information. XYZ coordinates, RGB values and Colour Intensity. 2. Launch UE4 and enable LiDAR Point Cloud Support in Plugins. Restart the engine. 3. Import PointCloud into Unreal Engine 4 and assign the correct column to Loc XYZ, RGB and Intensity. 4. Drag the point cloud into the scene.

Unreal Engine 4 uses Octrees to subdivide the point cloud into managable chunks of information. Hence, points that are close enough together will be merged into a single point, where the point size is determined by the number of points merged together. Now that we have our point clouds in the UE4 scene, we can change some of the point cloud settings to suit the purpose of our project. 5. In the point cloud properties, we can reduce

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performance, or increase it to improve point cloud resolution 6. We can also change the transparency of the point cloud by changing the maximum point sizes. 7. Through the colour adjustments we can also manipulate the RGB values of the point cloud.

Exporting the point cloud from

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VR EXPERIMENTATION Developing the PointCloud animation in Unreal Engine 4 To simulate the VR experience of transitioning in between the collision spaces, we decided to develop a walkthrough animation that can easily be shared in video format. 1. After importing the point clouds, we assembled them together in the scene. 2. Using the window as a threshold, the two spaces are collided together. 3. A camera is placed at the starting point of the animation. The camera is keyframed to fly through the space in the sequencer. 4. The visibility of the Cathedral is disabled so that the Cathedral is not visible initially behind the MSD facade.

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5. The visibility of the Cathedral is reenabled when the camera approaches the collision point. 6. For the purpose of the animation, the standard 30 FPS target is not necessary, hence we can afford to increase the point budget to increase the resolution of the model for the animation.

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7. The animation can be exported as a video or individual frames.

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Exporting the point cloud from CloudCompare Export point cloud data from CloudCompare as ASCII cloud format (*.txt). Point cloud data will be saved as 7 columns of information. XYZ coordinates, RGB values and Colour Intensity.

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3D PRINT MODEL

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BIBLIOGRAPHY: Canizares, G. (2019). Digital fabrications: Designer stories for a software-based planet. ORO Editions. Carpo, Mario, and Lemerle, Frédérique. (Eds.). (2008). Perspective,

Projections, and Design: Technologies of Architectural Representation. Routledge Eternal return. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://scanlabprojects.co.uk/work/ eternal-return

Eternal return—Strp. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://strp.nl/program/eternalreturn?

Liam Young, Where the City Can’t See - University of Salford Art Collection. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2021, from https://artcollection.salford.ac.uk/liam-young-where-the-city-cant-see/ Mattern, S. (2017). A City Is Not a Computer. Places Journal, 2017. https://doi. May, J. (2017). Everything is already an image. Log, 40, 9–26.

Newish media: A conversation with lucia allais and john may. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqCUh16R4yw Shaw, M., & Trossell, W. (2014). Digital doppelgängers: Future scanscapes. Architectural Design, 84(1), 20–29. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1698

IMAGES: Displaced Witness. (n.d). Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://scanlabprojects.co.uk/work/displaced-witness/ Eternal return. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://scanlabprojects.co.uk/work/eternal-return Pianta di Roma. (n.d). Retrieved March 18, 2021 from https://geoportale.cittametropolitanaroma.it/cartografiastorica/20/35/pianta-di-roma