| Robert Amor's Publications in 2003 |
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Moloney, J., Amor, R., Furness, J. and Moores, B. (2003) Design Critique Inside a Multi-Player Game Engine, Proceedings of the CIB W78 Conference on Construction IT Bridging the Distance, Waiheke Island, New Zealand, 23-25 April, pp. 255-262. |
Abstract: The design critique process, used to provide expert feedback on a building design concept to students in architecture schools throughout the world, is reinterpreted within the context of an IT-based collaborative virtual environment. IT support for design critique allows new modes of participation where the experts do not have to be co-located to carry out their tasks and, through the ability to record criticisms, can join, or leave, a critique session as their time pressures allow. Students can guide tours through their virtual designs, yet those making the critique still have the ability to explore other aspects of the design which intrigue or concern them. Commentary and annotation on the design is attached to various aspects and views within the model and dialogues between the student designer and those making the critique can be built up over time. The resulting discussions recorded against the design can then be used for future reference by the student or as instructive commentary for newer students reviewing previous design approaches. A game engine provides the real-time 3D visualisation, base interactivity and multi-participant support upon which critique specific functionality has been incorporated.
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Grundy, J., Bai, J., Blackham, J., Hosking, J. and Amor, R. (2003) An architecture for efficient, flexible enterprise system integration, Proceedings of IC’03 the International Conference on Internet Computing, CSREA Press, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 23-26 June, pp. 350-356. |
Abstract: Integrating complex enterprise systems is challenging and reliability and performance of the integrated systems can be problematic when using typical solutions of distributed transactions or on-demand message-based querying. We describe a data-oriented approach for enterprise system integration that uses information brokering. A broker application isolates the interactions between a local enterprise application server and a wide variety of remote systems, performing data acquisition, storage, transformation, update and status management. We describe a prototype book brokering system developed using Java 2 Enterprise Edition, CORBA, Java Messaging Service and Web Services and using our integration strategy. We outline the architecture, design and implementation of this prototype and summarise our experiences with this information integration technique.
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Amor, R. and Kloep, W. (2003) E-Product Catalogues, Proceedings of the EIA9 Conference on E-Activities and Intelligent Support in Design and the Built Environment, Istanbul, Turkey, 8-10 October, pp. 75-82. |
Abstract: Online product catalogues for construction have tended to mimic traditional paper-based catalogues. This approach adds very little value to the electronic format and does not integrate well with the object-based design world which is starting to become accepted within CAD systems. The development and mass deployment of new Internet-based technologies such as XML, SOAP, UDDI, WSDL, etc appear to offer a route to new approaches to online product catalogues. The potential benefits provided by these technologies include: identification of products via actual parameters; a single data transport mechanism; dynamic identification of available products as required; the ability to handle multiple information formats from manufacturers; support for product differentiation by manufacturers; and manufacturer control of their information base. These potential benefits have been tested in example projects which show that difficulties still remain in creating an open framework for product brokering. The lessons learned from these projects and paths for future work are presented here.
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Amor, R. (ed) (2003) Proceedings of the CIB W78 Conference on Construction IT Bridging the Distance, Waiheke Island, New Zealand, 23-25 April, ISBN 0 908689 71 3, CIB Publication 284, 494pp. |
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Moloney, J. and Amor, R. (2003) StringCVE: Advances in a Game Engine-Based Collaborative Virtual Environment for Architectural Design, Proceedings of CONVR 2003 Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality, Blacksburg, USA, 24-26 September, pp. 156-168. |
Abstract: The University of Auckland has been utilizing a multi-player game engine to develop an application (StringCVE) to coordinate architectural design and critique within a collaborative virtual environment (CVE). The initial emphasis of the research was to provide a low cost but feature rich alternative to commercial Virtual Reality (VR) in order to facilitate virtual design studios for architectural education. This paper summarizes case study feedback from beta tests, reports on current development, and positions the application relative to commercial VR systems and 3D CAD software. We propose that the most suitable use of game engine-based CVE is to support the early stages of design where teams can collaborate and evaluate iterations at a relatively low level of detail. In order for this to be a useful part of the design cycle the easy transfer of data (geometry and embedded information) from the game engine to 3D CAD software is crucial. We describe an integrated project database that allows correspondences between CAD representations and game engine resources to be maintained. This will allow a level of interchange between the game engine and typical CAD software sufficient to enable efficient use of StringCVE in the design and construction process.