Entries Tagged 'collaboration' ↓

An article by my long-time colleague Prof. John Danahy of the Centre for Landscape Research, University of Toronto related to work using digital design collaboration tools to help inform, educate, and engage in real collaborative debate around a future waterfront region of the Greater Toronto Area. The tools and imagery are generated using the original design collaboration software - Polytrim - that John and I (amongst several others key people - hi Shannon, hi Steve!) worked on in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. Thanks to Steve’s great work and efforts the program still survives and runs today and is one of the most flexible interactive design collaboration tools out there.

A next-generation of these capabilities (and more of course) is under development as the OrbisRT project I’ve mentioned here several times. 

I finally got my hands on a copy of the June 2007 issue of Canadian Architect. This issue features a number of articles by the Canadian Design Research Network, of which I am a Board Member. One of those articles is entitled The Changing Face of Practice which highlights the PWL software Poetic Dimensions (which is now merging into the new OrbisRT). Of specific note is the use of PD in an Immersive Media Lab environment, and for collaborative use.

Firstly, let us get the lie out of the way - it was last Friday when I went up to York University to talk to Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, whom I have known for some years now but we have not had a strong enough connection to work together directly yet even though we have circled many similar ideas.

He updated me (and showed me brilliant demos) on his CoViD - Collaborative Virtual 3D Design immersive workdesk which is very compelling, and fits well with the Immersion Cinema and Media Lab work I’ve done in the past. While he focuses upon direct SHARED collaboration, I’ve always liked to offer more PUBLIC/PRIVATE options through networked user stations. Both have their place and in the shared space, CoViD is pretty impressive!

Further, we demo’d and discussed the potential for integrating ideas from his SESAME sketch-style solids modelling/manipulation tools into the new Pwl Client app OrbisRT that we are starting to develop with contributions also from the University of Toronto and University of Waterloo.

 Hopefully this will yield exciting collaborations! In any case look at his website/papers - they are worth it. Also of interest for the UI geeks out there is the work on Facades.