Tag

Architect

Collaborative Architecture Tool Arkio Runs On Oculus Quest, iPad, And More

Collaborative world-building software Arkio runs on Oculus Quest as well as other devices and can import models from Revit, Rhino and SketchUp for a cross-platform multiplayer service which could save builders time and money.

Arkio allows real-time revisions to 3D designs live in collaboration with others. We’ve tested a promising version of the software on Oculus Quest, with both Oculus Touch controllers and controller-free hand tracking. Arkio’s interface is very interesting with tools that snap and slide for careful sizing of walls and buildings. You can easily view models at full 1:1 scale to get a look from a specific perspective, or size the world down into a miniature and make big changes.

The team behind Arkio is launching the service publicly out of its previous beta for free until September 1. After that, there will be a free tier planned alongside monthly payment tiers for pro and enterprise level services.

“Arkio is for architects and anyone that wants to design spaces. We have seen Arkio used by professionals and hobbyists alike, designing buildings, interiors and entire urban areas. Some people are using Arkio for game level design, stage design and landscape design. We have seen people with no prior 3D modeling experience design their house in VR in less than a day,” says Founder and CEO of Arkio, Hilmar Gunnarsson.”Arkio is completely free until September 1. Our goal is to make Arkio affordable and available to as many people as possible so we will have a Free tier along with our Pro and Enterprise plans starting in September. The main difference between the free and paid tiers will be around the collaborative aspect, e.g. size of meetings, and the workflow integration available.”

Arkio multiplayer architecture building VR

“We know we are just getting started and that there are many things we need to improve in version 1.0 and beyond,” Gunnarsson wrote in a blog post. “This includes enabling users to add precise dimensions inside Arkio, the ability to create more complex geometry and making working with imported 3D models as seamless as possible. Our ambition is also to make Arkio even easier to use, so that anyone can start designing within minutes.”

You can download Arkio and check it out for yourself at https://www.arkio.is/get-started with links to download the software across all major platforms.

Building in VR is something of a holy grail. Early efforts like SculptrVR and Tilt Brush sparked imaginations and expression, and varying levels of creative freedom in VR are unlocked in apps like Tvori, Rec Room, even Facebook’s Horizon and the game engine Unity. So while Arkio is geared toward professionals in architecture, the founders see a chance that it could be useful beyond that market as well.

We’re planning to have Arkio’s team in our studio for a live interview soon, so tune into our channel and let us know if you have a question for the developers.

Quelle:

https://uploadvr.com/arkio-architecture-artchitects-vr/

15. Juni 2021 0 comment

Examples

Arkio is a Collaborative Tool for Architecture Design & Review, Available Now on Quest, PC, & More

Arkio is a collaborative VR tool built for quickly sketching architectural ideas and for reviewing designs with a group. In addition to a focus on speed, Arkio also aims to be cross-platform and easy to use, with the ability for VR and non-VR users to collaborate together. The 1.0 version of the tool is available starting this week across Quest, Rift, SteamVR, iOS, Android, and Windows.

Built by a self-funded Iceland-based startup, Arkio aims to bring intuitive, fully-featured architectural sketching to VR. But not just on powerful PCs; the team says it built its own modeling kernel to make rapid modeling and complex operations like booleans work even on Quest. And with support for Quest, Oculus PC, SteamVR, Windows, and smartphones, almost anyone can jump in to collaborate in real-time.

After a year in beta, Arkio 1.0 launched this week and its full version with all features will be free through September 1st. Following that, a free tier will allow for continued use of full modeling tools, though some other features will be reserved for paid tiers starting at $55 per month.

Speaking with Road to VR, the Arkio team says it has a clear focus on real architecture workflows. Rather than sketching out its own proprietary geometry, Arkio is designed to also be able to import existing 3D models from industry standard tools like Revit, Rhino, Sketchup, and BIM 360. And when you’re done sketching, you can sync your work back to the same applications.

Of course, you might run into performance issues with heavier models on Quest. The team says the Quest version of Ariko can currently support models up to some 400,000 polygons, though they’re hoping to be able to handle larger models in the future.

As for collaborating with others, the team says upwards of 10 users can be modeling at the same time. For review sessions (touring, discussing, and annotating models), they say you could have some 20 users in a single session.

Those users could be spread out across VR and non-VR platforms alike. While the VR apps have the easiest to use and most feature-rich modeling capabilities, the Arkio smartphone apps retain a surprising range of capabilities, including being able to annotate, measure, model, and edit. There’s even AR support for easily navigating large models.

Arkio running in AR mode on an iPad | Image courtesy Arkio

Another goal for the Arkio team was to make collaboration easy. And they’ve gotten a long way there thanks to a no-account approach and the ability for someone on any supported device to join any session as long as you’ve got the room name and password.

While Arkio is presently designed primarily around sketching and concepting larger structures and even campuses, the team says it hopes to improve the app’s modeling capabilities so that users can just as easily design smaller spaces like homes and even individual rooms.

Quelle:

Arkio is a Collaborative Tool for Architecture Design & Review, Available Now on Quest, PC, & More

8. Juni 2021 0 comment

Examples

Architects Can Now Access A Powerful VR Tool On Oculus Quest

Turn boring 2D floor plans into fully immersive 3D walkthroughs with the first Quest app designed specifically for architects.

When it comes to planning and design, a proper 2D floorplan can provide you with a bounty of critical information. Translating those measurements into a 3D format, however, can often be a difficult and time-consuming process.

As a result, many Architect, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) professionals have begun turning to SENTIO VR, a software used in over 100 countries that can take 2D plans and transform them into fully immersive environments, allowing clients to view floorplans as 3D designs prior to construction.

In a recent press release, SENTIO VR has announced that they have officially launched their design app for Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2 headsets through the Oculus App Lab, a new program by Facebook that allows developers to share unpolished apps that have yet to receive official store approval.

SENTIO VR, however, is far from unpolished. This is a fully operational 3D design tool that helps bridge the communication gap between businesses and their clients. The software also makes it easier for designers to bring their 2D visions to life as 3D walkthroughs. The app even works with software such as SketchUp and AutoDesk Revit, allowing you to easily import your designs directly into SENTIO VR without the need of any additional plug-ins or downloads.

Last month Shawn Whiting of Rec Room tweeted out a Rec Room slack message that read, “The actual number is prob more like 2-3M Quest 2s in Q4. We saw 1M *new* Quest users in the past 3 months. Guessing our attach rate is 40% or lower. We def haven’t gotten to all of them yet.”

This information is important because this tells us that there are a lot of Oculus Quest 2 headsets out there. Not only is this a great indicator for what’s happening in the industry, but it also shows us that people are embracing VR in their homes and businesses, which opens up the possibility of someone like an AEC professional sending a SENTIO VR presentation to a client for review. Of course, they could also view the 3D model on a PC, but there’s nothing quite like standing inside your own creation in VR.

But there is more to SENTIO VR than 3D walkthroughs. The software can also be used to create 360-degree virtual tours for real estate professionals, as well as host collaborative virtual meetings with up to 5 clients or business partners in the room using a simple 6 digit code and password to enter.

You can also cast what you’re seeing in VR to a computer. This can be especially useful when conducting in-person meetings where not everyone has access to a VR headset.

This use of VR technology by AEC professionals and their clients could have a significant impact on VR adoption. SENTIO VR co-founder and CEO Chaitanya Ravi said, “With a high-quality standalone VR headset like Quest 2 at an affordable price point, easy-to-use software that integrates with design workflows, the barrier to entry to engage clients early and avoid communication errors in the design process using VR and SMBs (small or mid-sized business) has been reduced drastically.”

SENTIO VR has become a leader in the adoption of immersive tech for SMBs around the world. The Oculus App Lab has made it a lot easier for companies like SENTIO VR to distribute their software to designers all around the world and accelerate VR adoption.

You can download SENTIO VR’s free app through the Oculus App Lab now. If you have questions, feel free to email the company at hello@sentiovr.com.

Quelle:

Architects Can Now Access A Powerful VR Tool On Oculus Quest

Feature Image Credit: SENTIO VR

31. März 2021 0 comment