konstructor.heshangalahitiyawa.comkonstructor.heshangalahitiyawa.com/docs/konstructor-final-report.doc · Web viewIn addition, the research team carried out questionnaires and interviews

Konstructor – 3D based Intelligent Interactive House Building System

Submitted to

Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Degree of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

Specializing in Interactive Multimedia Technology

August, 2013

DeclarationWe hereby declare that the project work entitled “Konstructor – 3 D based Intelligent

Interactive House Building System”, submitted to the Sri Lanka Institute of Information

Technology is a record of an original work done by us, under the guidance of our Supervisor

Mr. Dilhan Manawadu. This project work is submitted in the partial fulfillment of the

requirement for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

Specializing in Interactive Multimedia Technology. The results embodied in this report have

not been submitted to any other University or Institution for the award of any degree or

diploma. Information derived from the published or unpublished work of others has been

acknowledged in the text and a list of references is given.

Project Title : Konstructor – 3D based Intelligent Interactive House Building System

Project ID :

Names of the Authors :

Student ID Student Name Signature

IT 11 1562 84 Laknath K.L.I

IT 11 2259 66 Sumanasena R.E.L.K

IT 11 0784 56 Ariyawansa A.R.M.D.P

IT 11 2265 74 Wijerathne B.N

IT 09 0755 28 Galahitiyawa H.M

IT 09 6121 98 Iddamalgoda I.M.D.H.S

IT 11 1773 88 Harankahawa R.D.B

Date of Submission:

Internal Supervisor:

Mr. Dilhan ManawaduName Signature Date

Acceptance by Lecture in charge:

Mr. Dilhan Manawadu

i

Name Signature Date

AbstractTo keep pace with projected global growth through 2030, the world will have to spend $57 trillion on infrastructure [1]. When it comes to building infrastructure, anyone from large construction companies that build skyscrapers to individuals who are trying to build their dream house, have to consume a large amount of data, before starting the construction process. One of these is the compression of soil. If the proper calculations are not done, there is a high risk of subsidence. In addition, traditional architectural fables (“Vastu Vidya”) also play a significant role in building construction, especially in the South-Asian countries like Sri Lanka [2]. Currently, if a building plan has to be altered in order to reduce the risk of subsidence, there is no option for anyone to see how the changes would affect the final appearance of the structure, and whether it would match their beliefs, until an architect makes all the necessary changes and completes a new 3D model. This research is aimed at tackling these issues and coming up with a real time 3D, intelligent and interactive virtual environment that will be integrated with a new algorithm specially designed to calculate the impact that a building’s weight has on the soil. The solution consists of two main components, an interactive 3D construction component and a soil compression calculator, which are integrated through special algorithms. The soil compression calculator performs calculations for any changes that are made to the 3D model and compares it with the maximum weight level that particular land can bear. The changes can also be cross-checked with traditional architectural fables. This offers a chance for the users to make changes to the building plan before starting the actual construction process.

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Table of Contents

Declaration..................................................................................................................................iAbstract......................................................................................................................................iiTable of Contents......................................................................................................................iiiList of Figures and Tables..........................................................................................................vList of Abbreviations................................................................................................................vi1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................1

1.1 Research Problem........................................................................................................11.2 Background Context....................................................................................................21.3 Research Gap...............................................................................................................41.4 Research Questions.....................................................................................................5

2. Overall Research Description.............................................................................................62.1 Addressing the literature..............................................................................................62.2 Methodology..............................................................................................................10

2.2.1 Reasons for Selecting the Prototype Development Methodology.....................112.2.2 Purpose of Using Prototype Development Method...........................................112.2.3 Phase 1– Planning..............................................................................................112.2.4 Phase 2 –Analysis..............................................................................................112.2.5 Phase 3 – Design................................................................................................122.2.6 Phase 4 – Implementation..................................................................................122.2.7 Resources...........................................................................................................312.2.8 Reasoning for Resource Selection.....................................................................322.2.9 User Experience.................................................................................................32

2.3 Research findings......................................................................................................333. Results & Discussion........................................................................................................34

3.1 Evidence....................................................................................................................343.2 Discussion..................................................................................................................44

4. Conclusion........................................................................................................................464.1 Importance of the outcome........................................................................................464.2 Limitations.................................................................................................................474.3 Future work...............................................................................................................47

References................................................................................................................................48Appendices...............................................................................................................................50

Appendix A: Konstructor - The Logo..................................................................................50Appendix B: Sample Questionnaire.....................................................................................50Appendix C: Sample Interview Outline...............................................................................51Appendix D: Interview #1....................................................................................................52

iii

Appendix E: Interview #2....................................................................................................53Appendix F: Login Interface................................................................................................54Appendix G: Prototype Screen-Shots...................................................................................54Appendix H: Use Case Diagram..........................................................................................56Appendix I: Models..............................................................................................................57Appendix J: Consolidation Test Paper - Soil Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, University Of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka...............................................................61

iv

List of Figures and TablesFigure 1 - Causes of Delay [3]...................................................................................................1Figure 2 - Walls damaged due to subsidence.............................................................................2Figure 3 - How people responded when they were asked whether they believe in traditional architectural fables.....................................................................................................................3Figure 4 - System Diagram........................................................................................................4Table 1 - Konstructor vs. other related or competing products in the market...........................4Figure 5 - Prototype Development Methodology....................................................................10Table 2 - WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)..........................................................................12Figure 6 - Main House Model..................................................................................................13Figure 7 - Login Interface........................................................................................................34Figure 10 - Check Astrology....................................................................................................37Figure 11 - Change Wall Colors..............................................................................................38Figure 12 - Go to Aerial View.................................................................................................39Figure 13 - Move Objects........................................................................................................40Figure 14 - Preset Models........................................................................................................41Figure 15 - View Preset Model................................................................................................42Figure 16 - Instructions Page...................................................................................................43Figure 17 - Konstructor - The logo..........................................................................................50Figure 18 - Login Interface......................................................................................................54Figure 19 - Prototype Screen-Shot (01)...................................................................................54Figure 20 - Prototype Screen-Shot (02)...................................................................................55Figure 21 - Unity Workspace...................................................................................................55Figure 22 - Use Case Diagram.................................................................................................56Figure 23 - House Models........................................................................................................57Figure 24 - Other Models (01).................................................................................................58Figure 25 - Other Models (02).................................................................................................59Figure 26 - Other Models (03).................................................................................................60

v

List of Abbreviations

2D Two-dimensional

3D Three-dimensional

AR Augmented Reality

CGI Computer-generated Imagery

ICT Information and Communication Technologies

IT Information Technology

MS Microsoft

TC Test Case

VR Virtual Reality

WBS Work Breakdown Structure

vi

1. Introduction

1.1 Research ProblemConstructing a building is not as easy as it seems. There are many reasons that can jeopardize

a construction project or delay the project delivery time [see figure 1]. All of them, both short

and long term, have to be considered before starting a construction project.

Figure 1 - Causes of Delay [3]

There are many difficulties when building a house on compressed soil and in different areas

which have diverse raining patterns. Before starting the construction process, proper

calculations have to be done. At present, these calculations are done manually using

calculators, which is highly time consuming.

At the beginning of this project, the research team made inquiries about building construction

from architects, contractors and customers. They stated that sinking of the buildings (due to

subsidence) and problems regarding traditional beliefs were two of the main issues they

regularly encountered.

Most of the people do not think of the soil constitution of the land before starting to build a

house. Some may use marsh lands for construction after being filled with soil, which

1

magnifies the risk of subsidence later on. If the construction is done through a company, the

end customer might not even be aware of this matter. It should however be kept in mind

before choosing a land and before starting construction. If not many problems will arise after

the construction is completed.

Figure 2 - Walls damaged due to subsidence

The traditional architectural fables and astrology plays a huge role in building construction in

Asian cultures. Even if a particular customer does not pay much attention to these views at

the onset, he might have some doubts later, while the construction is going on or once it is

finished. This may create problems as it is difficult to change plans at this stage. It will also

cause distress to the customer as well as to the architect giving an unsatisfied outcome.

Even after searching thoroughly for an effective way to solve all these problems, the team did

not come across any system that would satisfactorily give solutions to all these issues.

1.2 Background ContextThe proposed software solution can be used in several aspects, such as defining the soil

constitution, calculating the weight of the building the soil can endure and using the

architectural fables in an appropriate manner.

Even though the main target groups of the soft-ware are architectures and building

constructors, any other person or group who is interested in constructing buildings can use

the software. They do not need much knowledge in IT to use this product.

Defining the soil constitution is somewhat difficult using manual methods. The team was able

to get data related to soil compression and subsidence through one of the companies that

deals with these type of work. After deciding the soil constitution of the particular land using

2

that data, the users have the ability to enter those values into Konstructor. The user will then

be able to plan the house/building construction plan accordingly. This will also help get an

idea as to whether it is possible to add more walls or sections to the building or whether some

parts of it need to be removed in order to reduce the weight of the building to match the

weight which the soil can endure.

Most of the Sri Lankans believe in architectural fables such as Vastu Vidya and astrology.

Therefore the research team has integrated a database of traditional architectural fables into

the system. The research done by the team showed that about 81% of the Sri Lankan

population believes in traditional architectural fables. However, if someone does not have

much belief in such architectural fables, they can ignore that facility.

Figure 3 - How people responded when they were asked whether they believe in traditional architectural fables

Other than the facilities mentioned above, the end user can have a look or even have an

interactive tour inside the building he is planning to construct, before the construction is

started. They can also decide on the interior decoration using this software. Through the

research, the team members found out that more than 95% of the people prefer being able to

check out a 3D model of a building before starting the construction process. However, only

about 38% of people have had the chance to do so.

3

Figure 4 - System Diagram

1.3 Research GapBelow is a comparison of Konstructor with other such products in the market.

Software Can calculate

weight

Consider

architectural fables

Virtual

tour

Interior

designing

User-

friendly

Probuilder [4] X X √ X √

Maya [5] X X √ √ √

3Ds Max [6] X X √ √ √

Unity [7] X X √ √ √

AutoCAD [8] X X X X √

Konstructor √ √ √ √ √

Table 1 - Konstructor vs. other related or competing products in the market

As no systems or software can currently offer the services that the research team expects to

deliver at the end of the project, they decided to go forth with it.

4

1.4 Research Questions How to measure the weight of 3D models designed using particular algorithms and

predict weight of buildings?

How to incorporate the astrological and traditional architectural fables into a virtual

3D environment?

How to integrate 3D models into Unity 3D environment in order to build a

comprehensive interactive virtual world?

5

2. Overall Research Description

2.1 Addressing the literatureUsually, before starting the construction of a building, proper calculations have to be done to

calculate the compression of soil. At present, these calculations are done manually using

calculators, which is highly time consuming. Many researchers have done researches

regarding this problem and they are described within this section.

One of the main components of the project was calculating the subsidence. And soil

compaction is the most important factor that determines the subsidence value of a land. The

definition of soil compaction is - “Compaction is densification of soil by removing air using

mechanical equipment. The degree of compaction is measured by its dry unit weight”. Back

in 1980, W. E. Larson recognized that “Compression curves determined for soils at different

water contents were approximately parallel to each other over the range of initial pore water

potentials from −0.05 to −1.0 bar.[9]” They have used some methods to get the results,

“determined on 36 world agricultural soil samples at given water content were linear over the

range of stresses from about 1 to 10 kg cm−2.[9]”

Another soil compression research, done in 2011, states that, “Simulated soil compression

and piling, vehicles leaving tire traces spinning, skidding and even sinking. This first step is

the simulation of the soil object system at a discretization scale that can be termed

"intermediate". A subsequent step consists of the simulation of a finer physical soil model in

order to account for smaller scale dynamic phenomena.[10]”

Another section the project is focusing on is, Interactivity. According to J. F. Jensen, “In

summary, it can be said that while ‘interaction’ in the sociological sense refers to a reciprocal

relationship between two or more people, and in the informatic sense refers to the

relationship between people and machines (but not communication between people mediated

by machines), in communication studies it refers, among other things, to the relationship

between the text and the reader, but also to reciprocal human actions and communication

associated with the use of media as well as (para-social) interaction via a medium.[11]”

Interactivity can also be defined as “Computer program, device, game, etc., that (in response

to a user's action or request) presents choices (paths) depending on where in the program the

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user initiated the action. By following different choices, the user can accordingly control or

change the action of the device or outcome of a game or program.” There are also some

researches regarding interactivity. In 1998, University of Kansas Lawrence has conducted a

research which says “The current paradigm evaluates speech recognition technology in terms

of word recognition accuracy on large vocabulary transcription tasks, such as telephone

conversations or media broadcasts.[12]”And they have introduced a solution for that

problem, “more productive and more accessible paradigm for spoken language research, in

which research advances are evaluated in the context of interactive systems that allow people

to perform useful tasks, such as accessing information from the World Wide Web, while

driving a car.[13]”

3D designing is another aspect of Konstructor. The definition of 3D is “Three-dimensional

model that displays a picture or item in a form that appears to be physically present with a

designated structure. Essentially, it allows items that appeared flat to the human eye to be

display in a form that allows for various dimensions to be represented. These dimensions

include width, depth, and height” A number of researches regarding 3D designing have

already been conducted. In 1997, the Department of Computer Science and Graduate School

of Architecture have done a research which says “We introduce an application that presents

information about our university's campus, using a head-tracked, see-through, head-worn, 3D

display, and an untracked, opaque, hand-held, 2D display with stylus and track pad. We

provide an illustrated explanation of how our prototype is used, and describe our rationale

behind designing its software infrastructure and selecting the hardware on which it runs.[14]”

Another research in Sientific.net says “face recognition system based on 3D head modeling

that is able to tolerate facial rotation angles was constructed by leveraging the Open source

graphic library (OpenGL) framework.[15]”

The project then features a Virtual Environment. The definition of virtual environment is “a

computer-generated, three-dimensional representation of a setting in which the user of the

technology perceives themselves to be and within which interaction takes place”. In 1997, the

Northeastern University Boston has conducted a research project. They have produced a

virtual driver simulator and they say “when the lead driver in a car-following situation

suddenly brakes, the following car driver needs to respond as quickly as possible to avoid a

collision. Such driving paradigms suggest that broadcasting and dead-reckoning may be

applicable only if the human controlled actors are further apart than some delta time value.

[16]” Another research was conducted in freepatentsonline.com and it says “The system

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consists of a server and client architecture. Within this architecture, the server or controller

plays a "master" role, puffing, storing, and delivering media content from a plurality of client

sources. The master server or controller manipulates the storage and delivery of these streams

through an intelligent database and programming architecture.[16]”

Above are some of the key previous researches related to this project. There are also some

projects that are somewhat similar to Konstructor, but do not present the same outcome.

In 2002, Fuzhou University has conducted a similar project. They have done a virtual plant

project which says “The purpose of the software package is to provide an integrated software

solution to realistic plant modeling, real-time scene rendering, growth simulation and

applications at different scales from individual, stand (population, community) to landscape.

We are used to build individual plant model. Para Tree combines geometric modeling and

parameterized modeling.[17]” The most important thing is that this software does not require

much knowledge of biology from the users.

Another project has been done for producing a VR visualization experience and they say

“The system aims towards a cost-effective, clearly presented and timely accessible system

that follows a threefold approach; It entails managing the extensive amount of the daily

produced medical data, combining the scattered information related to one patient in one

interface with a filtering criteria to the required information, and visualizing in 3D the data

from different sources, in order to improve 3D mental mapping, increase productivity and

consequently ameliorate quality of service and management.[18]” Medical industries can get

more advantages using this system.

There is another project that has been done targeting the crane operators. This says “The

proposed system has a function called multimodal display which presents various kinds of

operational assistance. We consider the realization of the training system by adaptation of the

strength of operational assistance based on operator’s state; we focus on the operator’s skill

level.[19]” Someone who likes to be a crane operator can get training using this crane system.

There is another project that has been done regarding cultural heritage assets, and says “our

approach for an asset management is described. This includes the system configuration and

asset creation method. Finally, we address how to present the virtual heritages. Here, we

show two approaches, Web-based and virtual reality theater-based system. We also address

the networking issues for transcontinental cultural heritage exchange and our future plan for

8

the 3D cyber museum through the Trans-Eurasia Information Network.[20]” The importance

of this project is that any user can easily walk through this virtual museum and see what the

cultural heritage assets are.

Another project has been done for E-Learning using 3D technology. They say “This

application gives the student the ability to perform all experiments in a certain crucial. The

second application is an on-line English language education system. This application gives

the students the ability to learn the language audile and visual via on line interactive system.

X3D is used as the main implementation tool which give the systems users the full

visualization and interactivity of all learning steps.[21]” Through this project, every student

can learn the real manner of using a 3D object.

Another project, which has been done regarding a 3D photo Gallery on mobile says “The

system will allow users to take pictures with the mobile device and exhibit in the form of

virtual 3D gallery and navigate or walk through in the gallery by pressing the button or

moving the device. The device has the computational unit which is capable of determining

motion data from the g-sensor or accelerometer sensor. The motion data describes the

movement of the device including a rotation of the device. Therefore, the benefit of the

sensor could be applied such as modifying the view displayed on the screen vertically or

horizontally automatically.[22]” This software allows the users to view 3D photos on their

mobile devices.

There is a virtual museum project which uses a different approach than the others. It says

“conducted indicate that previous experience with ICTs (Information and Communication

Technologies) did not correlate with perceived AR objects’ presence or VR presence while

exposed to a virtual heritage environment. Enjoyment and both AR objects’ presence and VR

presence were found to be positively correlated. Therefore, a high level of perceived presence

could be closely associated with satisfaction and gratification which contribute towards an

appealing experience while interacting with a museum simulation system.[23]” By using this

system, every user can walk through whole museum and see all the heritage things.

A project which produces a virtual 3D city says “We present a technique to automatically

generalize a given virtual 3D city model consisting of building models, an infrastructure

network and optional land coverage data; this technique creates several representations of

increasing levels of abstraction. Using the infrastructure network, our technique groups

building models and replaces them with cell blocks, while preserving local landmarks.[24]”

9

Using this 3D virtual city system, the users can get some idea about the roads in the city

without actually going there.

The Konstructor also expands into Vastu Vidya. According to Vastu Vidya Australia - “Vastu

(pronounced with a long a) is a Sanskrit word meaning “the science of structures”. It is a

traditional science of architecture that guides the design and construction of buildings in

harmony with the laws of nature and the universe. [25] ”

“ProBuilder” is a commercial product which is somewhat similar to Konstructor, but does not

have any weight calculation functionalities. This is a brief introduction of ProBuilder -

“ProBuilder is a tool for building, editing, and texturing custom meshes right in Unity 3D. It

is a fast, intuitive, and dead-simple way to create everything from environment details, to

structures, to entire levels. ProBuilder is also great for quickly adding volumes, zones,

triggers, occlusion areas, collision boxes and more. Best of all, you can do all this without

ever leaving Unity.[4]”

2.2 MethodologySelecting a good methodology helps in creating a high quality software product. Out of

various types of software development methodologies, the research group decided to use the

Prototype development methodology. With this approach, when the basics of analysis and

design are performed, the work on a system prototype starts immediately, and a “quick-and-

dirty” program that provides minimal amount of features is developed.

Figure 5 - Prototype Development Methodology

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2.2.1 Reasons for Selecting the Prototype Development Methodology

Prototyping, as a methodology, is important in building fast, more reliable and better quality

systems. Here is why and how. This method is based on building a model of a system to be

developed. Moreover, the initial model should include the major program modules, the

database, screens, reports, and the inputs and outputs that the system will use for

communicating with others.

Because of that, the research team decided to select prototype development methodology for

this project.

2.2.2 Purpose of Using Prototype Development Method

When using the prototype model, users can easily get a clear idea and feel about the final

product. So the users can suggest the changes and modification that they expect to see in the

final product. This was the reason why that the research team decided to use prototype

development model for Konstructor.

2.2.3 Phase 1– Planning

In the planning phase, the team held a number of meetings and came up with some decisions

on how to proceed with the project.

It was decided to conduct questionnaires in order to collect data about the customer

satisfaction. These questionnaires were designed to get a clear idea about how architectural

fables and damages due to subsidence affected the customer satisfaction. The team decided to

use Google forms to create the questionnaires.

Moreover, it was also planned to carry out interviews with architects, construction

professionals, such as Civil Engineers and Quantity Surveyors, and building contractors.

2.2.4 Phase 2 –Analysis

In the analysis phase the research team gathered details about past researches that could be

helpful for the project and for overcoming the risks and problems they might come across in

the future. The team went through a lot of research papers to find out what has already been

done by previous researchers. They also requested and received the assistance of the SLIIT

lecturers in order to decide which software to use for the project. In addition, the research

team carried out questionnaires and interviews to get an outlook of the current building

construction process in Sri Lanka.

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2.2.5 Phase 3 – Design

The design phase of the project consisted of few steps.

Architectural design – The plan for the hardware, software and communications

infrastructure for the new system.

Process design – Different procedures that are used in the system.

Data Storage design – Logical Structure of the database.

3D model design – All the model designs of the system.

2.2.6 Phase 4 – Implementation

This was the most important phase of the research. This was also the longest phase of the

project. In this phase, the research team built the prototype, and checked it for bugs and errors

of both, the model and algorithms that were designed. Each member of the research team had

a specific task to perform, which were rendered together in the end to build the final solution.

Proper and timely execution of each of these tasks was critical to the success of the project.

Below is a WBS that gives an idea about the individual contribution of each team member of

the research team.

Team Member 1st Responsibility

2nd Responsibility

3rd Responsibility

4th Responsibility

Isuru Coding Documentation Sound Algorithm Programming - (Vastu Vidya)

Buddika Database Implementation

Coding Algorithm Programming - (Vastu Vidya)

Video Editing

Heshan Documentation 3D Designing Algorithm Programming - (Soil Compression)

Sound

Lilanga 3D Designing Coding Sound Video Editing

Dhanushka Algorithm Programming - (Soil Compression)

Sound Coding Documentation

Hasitha 3D Designing Video Editing Coding Documentation

Ruvisanka Video Production

Sounds Database Implementation

3D Designing

Table 2 - WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

12

The first step of implementation was creating the 3D models. Below is the main house model

used in Konstructor.

Figure 6 - Main House Model

Following are some of the coding that the team members developed in order to add different

functionalities to Konstructor.

The code below is used to move the objects such as windows, doors, roofs, etc. according to

users choice.

———————————————————————————#pragma strict

private var screenPoint:Vector3; private var offset:Vector3;

function OnMouseDown() { screenPoint =

Camera.main.WorldToScreenPoint(gameObject.transform.position);

offset = gameObject.transform.position - Camera.main.ScreenToWorldPoint(new

Vector3(Input.mousePosition.x, Input.mousePosition.y, screenPoint.z));

}

function OnMouseDrag()

{ var curScreenPoint:Vector3 = new Vector3(Input.mousePosition.x, Input.mousePosition.y,

screenPoint.z);

13

var curPosition:Vector3 = Camera.main.ScreenToWorldPoint(curScreenPoint) + offset;

transform.position = curPosition;

}

———————————————————————————The code below is used to change Material/Texture of the objects such as floor and roof according to users choice.

———————————————————————————#pragma strict

var roof: Texture2D;

function OnGUI()

{

if(GUI.Button(Rect(600,850,200 ,50),"ROOF UP SMALL2"))

{

renderer.material.mainTexture = roof;

}

}

———————————————————————————The code below is used to delete the 3D objects such as windows, doors, roofs, etc. It also

allows re-adding those 3D objects.

———————————————————————————#pragma strict

var icon : Texture2D;

var toggleBool = true;

var target : GameObject;

var target2 : GameObject;

var wall_window_main: GameObject;

var wall_window_main2: GameObject;

function OnGUI ()

14

{

if(minM == false)

{

windowRect0 = GUI.Window (0, windowRect0, DoMyWindow, " Modification Tools");

}

if(minM == true)

{

GUI.Box (Rect (1720,10,200,30), " Modification Tools");

if(GUI.Button (Rect(1720,10, 30, 30), "+"))

{

minM = !minM;

}}}

function DoMyWindow (windowID : int) {

if (GUI.Button (Rect (250,20,200,30), "Wall Main Door")) {

target.SetActive(true);

}

———————————————————————————The code below is used to toggle between the Aerial View and the Controller View of the

house model.

———————————————————————————#pragma strict

var cam : GameObject;

var cam2 : GameObject;

function Start () {

cam = GameObject.Find("Top_cam");

cam2 = GameObject.Find("Main Camera");

cam.active = false;

}

function OnGUI() {

15

if (GUI.Button(Rect(15,10,100,50),"Top View"))

{

cam2.active = false;

cam.active = true;

}

if (GUI.Button(Rect(130,10,100,50),"Controler View"))

{

cam.active = false;

cam2.active = true;

}

}

———————————————————————————The code below is used to change the colors of the objects such as windows, doors, roofs, etc according to user’s choice.———————————————————————————var wallDoor: Renderer;

var bumpMap : Texture;

function OnGUI()

{

GUI.Box(Rect(5,755,200,100),"Colours");

GUI.color = Color.yellow;

if(GUI.Button(Rect(10,800,50 ,50),"Yellow"))

{

if(wallDoor.material.color == Color.yellow)

{ wallDoor.material.color = Color.white; }

else{ wallDoor.material.color = Color.yellow;}

}}

———————————————————————————

16

The code below is used to calculate the Coefficient of Volume Compressibility of a soil

sample and then use that value to calculate the subsidence of the land.

———————————————————————————if( GUI.Button( new Rect(30, 350, 200, 40 ), "Enter" ))

{

Debug.Log( Tload );

P= float.Parse(Tload);

Debug.Log( TTikn );

h= float.Parse(TTikn);

Debug.Log(THigh);

H=float.Parse(THigh);

CoefficientOfCompressibility = (h) / (P * H);

Subsidence = CoefficientOfCompressibility * H * (totalWeight * 1.5f / (14.0f * 11.0f));

c=1;

GUI.Label( new Rect(30, 400, 200, 50 ), "Subsidence = " + Subsidence +" Kg");

GUI.Box(new Rect(20,450,300,150), "");

if(Subsidence>0.5 && c==1)

{

GUI.Label( new Rect(30, 460, 300, 40 ), "The soil is not strong enough to support your

building. Please consult a professional!");

}

if(Subsidence<0.5 && c==1)

{

GUI.Label( new Rect(30, 490, 300, 40 ),"The soil is strong enough to support your

building");

}

}

———————————————————————————

17

The code below is used to handle the architectural fables.

———————————————————————————void Update () {

if (Input.GetKeyDown("t"))

{

y=1;

}

if(Input.GetKeyDown("r"))

{

print("Space key was pressed");

y=0;

}

if(Input.GetMouseButtonDown(0))

{

x=1;

}

if(Input.GetMouseButtonUp(0))

{

x=0;

}

voidOnGUI()

{

if(x==1)

{

Ray ray = Camera.main.ScreenPointToRay(Input.mousePosition); // camera

position select

RaycastHit hit;

if (Physics.Raycast(ray, out hit))

{

if (hit.transform.gameObject != null)

{

varthisObject = hit.transform.gameObject;

if (thisObject == null) {

return;

18

}

MeshFilter mf = thisObject.GetComponent(typeof(MeshFilter)) asMeshFilter;

if (mf == null)

{return;}

Mesh mesh = mf.sharedMesh;

if (mesh == null)

{return;}

if(x==1)

{

name1 =hit.transform.gameObject.name;

}

}

}}

GUI.Box(newRect(1750,550,150,280), "Check Astrology"); // create gui box

if (GUI.Button(newRect(1760,580,120,40), "Windows"))

{

count= GameObject.FindGameObjectsWithTag(name1).Length; // count the values

if ( count % 2 == 0) // check even or odd

{

output = "According to Astrology Correct Modification";

Suggest = "You can submit your model. Congratulations!!!! ";

// print out pusts

}

else

{

output = "According to Astrology Wrong Modification";

Suggest = "You have to modify your model again";

}

test = "Wall with Windows are "+count;

}

// create lables

GUI.Label(newRect(1500, 600, 200, 30 ), test);

19

GUI.Label(newRect(1500, 650, 200, 50 ), output);

GUI.Label(newRect(1500, 710, 200, 50 ), Suggest);

if (GUI.Button(newRect(1760,620,120,40), "Doors"))

{

// get the count of wall

count= GameObject.FindGameObjectsWithTag("doorwithwall").Length;

if ( count % 2 == 0) // chekvaluse are odd or even

{

// print the out put

output = "According to Astrology Wrong Modification";

Suggest = "You have to modify your model again";

}

else

{



}

test = "Wall with Doors are "+count;

}

// create lables

GUI.Label(newRect(1500, 600, 200, 30 ), test);



if (GUI.Button(newRect(1760,660,120,40), "Foundation Length"))

{

length=11; // give length value for selected object

if (length % 2 == 1) // check the value is odd or even

{



20

}

else

{

output = "According to Astrology Foundation Length can't be an even value ";

Suggest = "You have to change Foundation Length";

}

Lengthobj= " Foundation Length is : " + length;

}

GUI.Label(newRect(1500, 600, 200, 30 ), Lengthobj);



if (GUI.Button(newRect(1760,700,120,40), "Foundation Width"))

{

width=15;; // give width value for selected object

if (width % 2 == 1)

{

// print the outputs



}

else

{

output = "According to Astrology Foundation width can't be even

value ";

Suggest = "You have to change Foundation width ";

}

Widthobj= " Foundation width is : " + width;

}

GUI.Label(newRect(1500, 600, 200, 30 ), Widthobj);



21

// check the scale value

if (GUI.Button(newRect(1760,740,120,40), "Foundation Scale"))

{

length=11;

width=15;

// get length and width value from the previously assigned

Scale = length*width;

if (scale % 2 == 1) // check values are odd or even and if odd go inside the

code

{

answer = scale/8; // get the value after dividing the scale

value according to the astrology

// divide the answer into two parts

float value = answer ;

string a= value .ToString ();

string []b = a.Split ('.');

int firstValue = int .Parse (b[0]);

int SecondValue = int .Parse (b[1]);

int i = Mathf.Abs(SecondValue);

while(i >= 10)

i /= 10;

// check values according to the astrology

If ( ( i==1 && (scale == 9 || scale == 73 || scale == 97 || scale == 161 ))

|| ( i==3 && (scale == 3 || scale == 67 || scale == 91 || scale == 155 ))

|| ( SecondValue==625 && (scale == 21 || scale == 85 || scale == 149 ||

scale == 213 ))

|| ( SecondValue==875 && (scale == 15 || scale == 67 || scale == 79 || scale == 143 )))

{

output = "According to Astrology for Foundation this scale value is not good";

22

Suggest = "You have to change Foundation width or length to another odd value ";

}

else

{



}

}

else

{

output = "According to Astrology Foundation Scale can't be even value ";

Suggest = "You have to change Foundation width or length. Double check that values.

";

}

Scaleobj="Scale of the Foundation is : "+ scale;

}

GUI.Label(newRect(1500, 600, 200, 30 ), Scaleobj);



// clear the values inside the lables

if (GUI.Button(newRect(1760,780,120,40), "Clear Astrology"))

{

test = "";

output = "";

Suggest = "";

Scaleobj="";

Lengthobj="";

Widthobj="";

}

}

}

23

———————————————————————————The code below is used to handle the database connection for functions such as user login etc.

———————————————————————————using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Data;

using System.Data.SqlClient;

using System.Linq;

using System.Text;

using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace Logging_Ruvisanka

{

class DBTools

{

static SqlConnection conn = null;

public static int ExecuteNonQuery(SqlConnection connection, string procedureName, params

SqlParameter[] commandParameters)

{

return ExecuteNonQuery(connection, CommandType.StoredProcedure, procedureName,

commandParameters);

}

public static int ExecuteNonQuery(SqlConnection connection, CommandType

commandType, string commandText, params SqlParameter[] commandParameters)

{

if (connection == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("connection");

24

if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(commandText)) throw new

ArgumentNullException("commandText");

int retval = 0;

// Create a command and prepare it for execution

using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand())

{

bool mustCloseConnection = false;

PrepareCommand(cmd, connection, null, commandType, commandText,

commandParameters, out mustCloseConnection);

retval = cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

// Detach the SqlParameters from the command object, so they can be used again

cmd.Parameters.Clear();

if (mustCloseConnection) connection.Close();

}

return retval;

}

public static int ExecuteNonQuery(SqlTransaction transaction, string procedureName,

params SqlParameter[] commandParameters)

{

return ExecuteNonQuery(transaction, CommandType.StoredProcedure,

procedureName, commandParameters);

}

public static int ExecuteNonQuery(SqlTransaction transaction, CommandType

commandType, string commandText, params SqlParameter[] commandParameters)

25

{

if (transaction == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("transaction");

if (transaction != null && transaction.Connection == null)

throw new ArgumentException("The transaction was rollbacked or commited,

please provide an open transaction.", "transaction");

int retval = 0;

using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand())

{


PrepareCommand(cmd, transaction.Connection, transaction, commandType, commandText,


retval = cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

cmd.Parameters.Clear();

}

return retval;

}

public static SqlDataReader ExecuteReader(SqlConnection connection, string

procedureName, CommandBehavior behavior, params SqlParameter[] commandParameters)

{

return ExecuteReader(connection, null, CommandType.StoredProcedure, procedureName,

behavior, commandParameters);

}

public static SqlDataReader ExecuteReader(SqlConnection connection, CommandType

commandType, string commandText, CommandBehavior behavior, params SqlParameter[]

commandParameters)

26

{

return ExecuteReader(connection, null, commandType, commandText, behavior,

commandParameters);

}

public static SqlDataReader ExecuteReader(SqlTransaction transaction, string

procedureName, CommandBehavior behavior, params SqlParameter[] commandParameters)

{





if (procedureName == null || procedureName.Length == 0) throw new

ArgumentNullException("procedureName");

return ExecuteReader(transaction.Connection, transaction, CommandType.StoredProcedure,

procedureName, behavior, commandParameters);

}

public static SqlDataReader ExecuteReader(SqlTransaction transaction, CommandType

commandType, string commandText, CommandBehavior behavior, params SqlParameter[]

commandParameters)

{





27

return ExecuteReader(transaction.Connection, transaction, commandType,

commandText, behavior, commandParameters);

}

[System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Reliability",

"CA2000:Dispose objects before losing scope")]

private static SqlDataReader ExecuteReader(SqlConnection connection, SqlTransaction

transaction, CommandType commandType, string commandText, CommandBehavior

behavior, params SqlParameter[] commandParameters)

{

if (connection == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("connection");


SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand();

try

{

PrepareCommand(cmd, connection, transaction, commandType, commandText,


SqlDataReader dataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader(behavior);

// Detach the SqlParameters from the command object, so they can be used again.

bool canClear = true;

foreach (SqlParameter commandParameter in cmd.Parameters)

{

if (commandParameter.Direction != ParameterDirection.Input) canClear = false;

}

if (canClear) cmd.Parameters.Clear();

28

return dataReader;

}

catch

{

if (mustCloseConnection) connection.Close();

throw;

}

}

[System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Security",

"CA2100:Review SQL queries for security vulnerabilities")]

private static void PrepareCommand(SqlCommand command, SqlConnection

connection, SqlTransaction transaction,

CommandType commandType, string commandText, SqlParameter[]

commandParameters, out bool mustCloseConnection)

{

if (command == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("command");

if (commandText == null || commandText.Length == 0) throw new

ArgumentNullException("commandText");

if (connection.State != ConnectionState.Open)

{

mustCloseConnection = true;

connection.Open();

}

29

else mustCloseConnection = false;

command.Connection = connection;

command.CommandText = commandText;

if (transaction != null) command.Transaction = transaction;

command.CommandType = commandType;

// Attach the command parameters if they are provided

if (commandParameters != null) AttachParameters(command, commandParameters);

return;

}

private static void AttachParameters(SqlCommand command, SqlParameter[]

commandParameters)

{

if (commandParameters != null)

{

foreach (SqlParameter p in commandParameters)

{

if (p != null)

{

// Check for derived output value with no value assigned

if ((p.Direction == ParameterDirection.InputOutput || p.Direction ==

ParameterDirection.Input) && (p.Value == null))

30

{

p.Value = DBNull.Value;

}

command.Parameters.Add(p);

}

}

}

}

public static SqlConnection CreateConnection()

{

conn = new SqlConnection("Data Source=.;Initial Catalog=Logging;Integrated

Security=True");

conn.Open();

return conn;

}

}

}

———————————————————————————

31

2.2.7 Resources

Microsoft Visual Studio 2012

Microsoft SQL Server 2012

Autodesk Maya 2012

Unity 4.0

SONY Vegas PRO v12.0.0.486

MS office package 2010

Adobe Photoshop CS 5

2.2.8 Reasoning for Resource Selection

There were two software options that the research team could have used for the interactive

3D implementation of the project. They were Unity and Cry-engine. As Cry-engine is a non-

commercial software, it is not possible to create a final “.exe” using it. And in order to run a

project created on one computer using Cry-engine (on top of the engine) on another

computer, the latter must also have the exact same performance level as the computer that

was used to design the project. Therefore, the team decided that Unity was the best option for

the project.

For programming, Unity allows only 3 languages : Boo, C# and JavaScript. As the team

members were not particularly familiar with Boo, C# and JavaScript were selected for the

project. JavaScript in Unity is different and more advanced than the normal JavaScript

language that the team members were working with earlier. So they had to use a combination

of C# and JavaScript to achieve the research goals.

In order to address the security concerns, the team decided to define each user by giving them

their own user account with a unique username and a password. To serve this purpose, a login

interface was integrated to the solution. As the team members had a lot of prior working

experience with Microsoft SQL, it was used to store the user information.

2.2.9 User Experience

After logging into an account, a user can enter the main interface. Before designing the

interfaces the research team did some UX research to find out how they can offer a better

user experience for the users. According to the findings the team decided to add large buttons

with icons and use simple interfaces.

32

The interfaces in Konstructor are designed in a way that helps the users get their work done

easily within a short time period. Therefore it is very convenient for the users with busy

schedules, as well as for the ones who do not have much prior knowledge or experience of

working with the solution. The team also decided to use a red color exit button at the bottom

of the page, which allows the users to leave the page whenever they wish.

Overall, the team managed to design the interfaces in the system in a simple, logical and

attractive way.

2.3 Research findings The research team was able to calculate the weight of each component of the 3D

model

The research team was able to measure the weight of the whole 3D model

The research team was able to move each component of the 3D model individually

The research team was able to integrate architectural fables into the system

The research team was able to remove and add components to the 3D models

The research team was able to change the color and texture of each surface

The research team was able to implement a soil compression calculator and integrate

it into the solution using Unity 3D

The research team was able to add a 1st person walkthrough into the software solution

33

3. Results & Discussion

3.1 Evidence

User Login

TC# Sequence # Test Description Input Value Expected Result

1 1.1 Enter username and

password

Username,

Password

N/A

1.2 Click Login button N/A Login to the system and

go to the home interface

34

Figure 7 - Login Interface

Create New Model


2 2.1 Click "Create New

Model" button

N/A Go to the main interface

and load the default

model for modification

Figure 8 - Main Interface

Once users are on this interface, they can modify the model by adding or removing walls.

Users can also input the soil compression data through this interface. In addition, they can

also move the items inside the model and change the colors of the walls.

35

Soil Calculation


3 3.1 Mouse click each

wall of the model

N/A Add the weight of each

wall to the total weight

of the model

3.2 Input the values

needed to

calculate

subsidence

Load, Sample

Subsidence, Sample

Height

N/A

3.3 Click Enter N/A Calculate subsidence

and indicate whether the

house can be built on

that land

Figure 9 - Calculating Subsidence

36

Check Astrology


4 4.1 Check the length of

the foundation by

clicking "Foundation

Length" button

N/A Show the foundation

length and whether it is

correct according to

astrology

Figure 10 - Check Astrology

37

Change Wall Colors


5 5.1 Select a wall and click

on one of the colors

Blue Change the color of

the selected wall to

blue

Figure 11 - Change Wall Colors

38

Go to Aerial View


6 6.1 Click the "Top View"

button

N/A View the house model

from top

Figure 12 - Go to Aerial View

39

Move Objects


7 7.1 Click and drag the

walls of the house

model

N/A Move the walls

Figure 13 - Move Objects

40

Preset Models


8 8.1 Click the "Preset

Model" button on the

home interface

N/A Go to preset models

Figure 14 - Preset Models

41

View Preset Model


9 9.1 Select one of the

preset models

N/A View the selected preset

model

Figure 15 - View Preset Model

42

View Instructions


10 10.1 Click "Instructions"

button on home

interface

N/A Go to the instructions

page

Figure 16 - Instructions Page

43

3.2 DiscussionThroughout the research project the research team faced many issues and had to resolve or

work around them in order to reach the final goal.

One of the main issues that came up after deciding to add architectural fables into the solution

was deciding which ones to choose. In many Asian sub-cultures, including Sri Lanka, people

believe in many traditional architectural fables, which include Vastu Vidya, Feng Shui and

astrology. Even though the team decided to focus the research, in order to narrow the scope

of the project, on only one Sri Lankan tradition, namely Vastu Vidya, they still had to study a

lot about it. To overcome this issue, two team members were appointed to thoroughly study

the architectural fables. They then had the task to give the other members of the research

group a general idea about these fables. In order to simplify the project and to manage time

frame, the team decided to focus only on implementing few of them in the system.

While implementing the software solution, the team had issues with importing the 3D models

that were made using Maya into Unity 3D. As none of the team members had any prior

knowledge of working with Unity 3D, a lot of research had to be done to find solutions.

After importing the 3D models from Maya to Unity 3D, there were scaling problems. The

models that were in the same scale in Maya were imported to Unity 3D in different scales.

Thus the research team had to find a solution to this issue before going forward with the

project.

When they started implementing the soil compression algorithm, it had to be done from

scratch. There were no software solutions made for this purpose. So team members had to

visit actual construction sites and meet up with architects and engineers to get data about the

current manual soil compression calculation techniques.

Even after getting the data about soil compression from the construction industry specialists,

the team had to go through the algorithms they provided and understand them one by one. As

the most difficult task was grasping and dealing with the symbols and terminology used in

the construction industry, the team had to request help from some of the professionals

working in the construction field (civil engineers, quantity surveyors).

44

While going forward with implementing the soil compression calculator, the research team

had to face many other obstacles. The team managed to get through them using their Internet

research skills and, on few occasions, by requesting assistance on online forums.

45

4. Conclusion

4.1 Importance of the outcomeThere are many user groups that would benefit from the outcome of this project, including

Maya users, Unity 3D users, students, Architects, Vastu Vidya gurus and customers.

Maya Users

The research team found many methods that Maya users can use in order to keep their models

on the same scale in Unity 3D. This will be helpful for many people who are planning to

work with Maya and Unity 3D in the future.

Unity 3D Users

As a direct result of this research, the research team have come up with a way to implement a

soil compression calculator into an interactive 3D model in Unity 3D. This will be highly

useful for anyone who is planning to use Unity 3D for a project related to the construction

industry.

In addition, the team have shown that it is possible to incorporate architectural fables into an

interactive 3D model using Unity 3D.

Students

The results and the findings of the project will be important to students in a number of fields,

including construction, interior design, 3D animation, 3D modeling, architectural fables

(Vastu Vidya), and CGI.

Architects

Architects are one of the groups that directly benefit from the final product of this project.

They can use it to for the projects of their clients.

Vastu Vidya Gurus

Vastu Vidya gurus can use this system to check the issues in their work. In addition, they can

use it to justify the changes that they make to a certain building plan, by using it to

demonstrate the issues in the current plan.

46

Customers

Konstructor is made in a highly user friendly manner. So anyone can use it to check the

issues in the construction of their house. In addition, they can ask their contractors to use this

product to make sure that their house does not get affected by subsidence.

4.2 LimitationsWhen coming up with the system, the research team had to go through many difficulties due

to limitations in software; specially Unity 3D. Due to that reason, the team had to limit the

scope of the project to a number of Sri Lankan architectural fables and to soil compression.

Although there are thousands of architectural fables, and other factors such as weather and

quality of the building materials, it was impossible to implement them all in Konstructor

within the short time period that the team had. The soil compression calculator of Konstructor

is also limited to only few input options, due to issues regarding software compatibilities.

4.3 Future workFuture researchers can improve Konstructor in several ways. One of these is by integrating

Feng Shui and architectural fables from other parts of the world in to the system. Another is

by adding additional factors that affect building construction process such as weather

conditions and building materials. The soil compression calculator of the Konstructor can

also be improved by providing more input options. Finally, translating the final solution into

different languages is another improvement that can be made to the system.

47

References[1] “Rethinking infrastructure,” Feb. 2013. [Online]. Available: http://www.mckinsey.com/features/infrastructure [Accessed: Feb. 15, 2013].

[2] A. Pieris, Architecture and Nationalism in Sri Lanka: The Trouser Under the Cloth. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2013.

[3] Ayman H. Al-Momani, “Construction delay: a quantitative analysis,” International Journal of Project Management, vol. 18, pp. 51–59, Feb. 2000.

[4] Sixbyseven, “PROBUILDER”, Available: http://www.probuilder3d.com/. [Accessed: March 29, 2013].

[5] Autodesk Inc, “Maya”, Available: http://www.autodesk.com/products/autodesk-maya/overview. [Accessed: March 29, 2013].

[6] Autodesk Inc, “3Ds Max”, Available: http://www.autodesk.com/products/autodesk-3ds-max/overview. [Accessed: March 29, 2013].

[7] Unity Technologies, “Unity”, Available: http://unity3d.com. [Accessed: March 29, 2013].

[8] Autodesk Inc, “AutoCAD”, Available: http://www.autodesk.com/products/autodesk-autocad/overview. [Accessed: March 29, 2013].

[9] W. E. Larson, S. C. Gupta and R. A. Useche, “Compression of Agricultural Soils”, Soil Science Society of America Journal, pp. 450–457, 1980.

[10] B. Chanclou, A. Luciani, A. Habibi, “Physical models of loose soils dynamically marked by a moving object”, Computer Animation '96. Proceedings, 2011.

[11] J. F. Jensen, “Interactivity. Tracking a new concept in media and communication studies.” Nordicom Re-view, 1998. Available: http://www.organicode.net/jenson.pdf. [Accessed: Feb. 26, 2013].

[12] Cole, R.A, A new approach to spoken language research, Conference Publication, vol.2, pp. 1037– 1040, 1998.

[13] S. Feiner, B. MacIntyre, T. Hollerer, A. Webster, A touring machine, Personal Technologies, pp. 208–217.

[14] C. T. Hsieh, C. S. Hu, M. S. Shih, Innovation for Applied Science and Technology, Sientific.net, pp. 2950–2954.

[15] R.R. Mourant, Virtual driving simulator, Conference Publications, pp. 1087–8270, 1997.

[16] Upton, S. Kevin, Weiner, Brian, Tata, Christopher, Virtual Environment with shared video on Demand, research and communities, 2013.

[17] T. Glander, J. Dollner, interactive visualization of virtual 3D city models, Elsevier Ltd, 2009.

[18] L. Tang, C. Chen, J. Zou, Y. Lin, D. Lin, J. Li, “OntoPlant: An integrated virtual plant software package for different scale applications”, 2011 IEEE International Conference on Spatial Data Mining and Geographical Knowledge Services (ICSDM), pp. 308–314, June 29-July 1, 2011.

[19] S. F.M. AlFalah, D. K. Harrison, V. Charissis, Dorothy Evans, “An investigation of a healthcare management system with the use of multimodal interaction and 3D simulation”, Journal of Enterprise Information Management, pp. 183–197, 2013.

48

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0198971509000544

[20] M. Yoneda, Interligent Crane System, Conference Publication, pp. 224–229, Sep. 29-Oct. 1, 1997.

[21] Y. Kwon, I. Kim, S. C. Ahn, H. Ko, H. Kim, “Virtual heritage system: modeling, database & presentation”, Seventh International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia, 2001. Proceedings, pp. 137–146, 2001.

[22] H.M. Abdul-Kader, E-Learning Systems in Virtual Environment, Conference Publication, 16-18 Dec. 2008, pp. 71–76.

[23] C. Sinthanayothin, N. Wongwean, W. Bholsithi, Interactive virtual 3D gallery, Conference Publications, pp. 120–125, 26-28 Sept. 2011.

[24] S. Sylaiou, K. Mania, A. Karoulis, M. White, virtual museum, Elsevier Ltd, 2010.

[25] Vastu Vidya Australia. Available: http://vastu-vidya-australia.com/about/. [Accessed: Feb. 26, 2013].

49

Appendices

Appendix A: Konstructor - The Logo

Figure 17 - Konstructor - The logo

Appendix B: Sample Questionnaire1. Name:2. Area:3. Age:

a. Below 20b. 20 < 30c. 31 < 40d. 41 < 50e. Above 50

1. When did you finish building your house?a. Within last 6 monthsb. Within last 12 monthsc. Before 1 yeard. 1 < 5 yearse. More than 5 years ago

2. The size of your house:a. Smaller than 1000 sq ftb. 1000 < 5000 sq ftc. 5000 < 10000 sq ftd. 10000 < 50000 sq fte. Bigger than 50000 sq ft

3. Number of floors in your housea. 1b. 2c. 3d. 4e. More than 4

4. How much did your house change from the initial planning at the end of the construction?a. Below 25%b. 25% < 50%c. 50% < 75%d. 100%

5. How satisfied are you about your house?a. Extremely dissatisfiedb. Somewhat dissatisfiedc. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

50

d. Somewhat satisfiede. Extremely satisfied

6. Do you believe in traditional architectural fables, such as vassthu vidya and astrology?a. Not at allb. Believe to some extentc. Strongly believe them

7. Did you have to change the original plan of the house due to fit it into an architectural fable (Vassthu Vidya, Astrology)?

a. Yesb. No

8. Did you check the soil compression of the land before you started constructing your house?a. Yesb. No

9. Has your house been damaged due to subsidence?a. Yesb. No

10. Did you get the chance to check out the appearance of your house in 3D before starting the construction?a. Yesb. No

11. If "yes", how?a. 3D videob. Printout of a 3D modelc. 3D model on a PC (on a modeling software)

12. Do you think it is important to check the 3D appearance of a house before starting the construction?a. Yesb. No

Appendix C: Sample Interview OutlineName

Company

Position

1. How many years have you been working in the construction industry?2. In which sector have you been mostly working in? (Buildings, Houses)3. Are you currently working on any projects? If not, what was your last construction project?

a. Size (sq ft)b. Estimated cost

4. What type of software do you use, and for which aspects?a. 3D modelingb. Soil compression

5. Do you believe in traditional architectural fables, such as vassthu vidya and astrology?6. How important is it to check the soil compression of a land before starting a construction project, and why?7. Are your clients usually interested in using traditional architectural fables?8. Are they usually interested in checking the soil compression before start building a house?9. Have you ever had to change a plan of a building, in the middle of a project, to address a client’s issue related

to traditional architectural fables?10. Do you think a system like ours will be helpful for you in your future construction projects? (Describe our

system) And which aspects of the system do you think will be more useful?a. Soil compression calculatorb. Client preview

51

c. Being able to cross-check with traditional architectural fables on the go11. What advantageous do you see in our proposed system?

Appendix D: Interview #1Name K.G.L.V. Warunika

Company State Engineering Corporation

Position QS (Quantity Surveyor)

12. How many years have you been working in the construction industry?I have been working in the construction industry as a Quantity Surveyor for 2 years now.

13. In which sector have you been mostly working in?In building construction sector (Big, multi-storied buildings).

14. Are you currently working on any projects?Yes, I am. (Aaurweida Clinic - Diwulapitiya)

a. Size (sqft.) - 2 floors, 72*55b. Estimated cost - Rs.22 Million

15. Do you believe in traditional architectural fables such as Vassthu Vidya and astrology?Yes, I do.

16. How important is it to check the soil compression of a land before starting a construction project and why?We build a house or any other building for long period usage purposes. So we have to build it well. And we can stop cracks and reduce the subsidence risk if we do a soil compression test. So I think it is very important aspect.

17. Are your clients usually interested in using traditional architectural fables?No

18. Are they usually interested in checking the soil compression before start building a house?Yes

19. Have you ever had to change a plan of a building, in the middle of a project, to address a client’s issue related to traditional architectural fables?No

20. Do you think a system like ours will make it easy for you in construction projects? (Describe our system) And which aspects of the system do you think will be more useful?

a. Soil compression calculatorb. Client previewc. Being able to cross-check with traditional architectural fables on the go

All these things are import. But while both, astrology and soil is more important for house building, for bog construction projects, soil compression is more important.

21. What advantages do you see in our proposed system?Client will be able to know what we are building before starting the construction. In the industry we have big problem with customer satisfaction, due to differences between the final output and construction plan. I think this software might help to reduce it.

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Appendix E: Interview #2Name K.G Sirisena

Company –

Position House Planner

22. How many years have you been working in the construction industry?More than 40 years.

23. In which sector have you been mostly working in?House building.

24. Are you currently working on any projects? If not, what was your last construction project?No.

a. Size (sqft.) - 28.5*33.7 (3floors)b. Estimated cost - Rs.7,500,000 (before 5 years)

25. Do you believe in traditional architectural fables such as Vassthu Vidya and astrology?Yes.

26. How important is it to check the soil compression of a land before starting a construction project and why?It is important for the safety of a building.

27. Are your clients usually interested in using traditional architectural fables?Yes.

28. Are they usually interested in checking the soil compression before start building a house?Most of the time they don’t. But it’s better if we can always do it before starting construction.

29. Have you ever had to change a plan of a building, in the middle of a project, to address a client’s issue related to traditional architectural fables?Yes.

30. Do you think a system like ours will make it easy for you in construction projects? (Describe our system) And which aspects of the system do you think will be more useful?

a. Soil compression calculatorb. Client previewc. Being able to cross-check with traditional architectural fables on the go

I think if we can get correct measurements, all the features will be very important for house building projects.31. What advantages do you see in our proposed system?

I think that the user-friendly soil compression calculator you have in your system will be very useful to house builders.

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Appendix F: Login Interface

Figure 18 - Login Interface

Appendix G: Prototype Screen-Shots

Figure 19 - Prototype Screen-Shot (01)

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Figure 20 - Prototype Screen-Shot (02)

Figure 21 - Unity Workspace

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Appendix H: Use Case Diagram

Figure 22 - Use Case Diagram

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Appendix I: Models

Figure 23 - House Models

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Figure 24 - Other Models (01)

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Appendix J: Consolidation Test Paper - Soil Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, University Of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

CONSOLIDATION TEST

Consolidation is defined as the reduction of the volume of a soil due to the expulsion of water. This will be accompanied by the dissipation of pore water pressures.

A laboratory consolidation test is performed on an undisturbed sample of a cohesive soil to determine its compressibility characteristics. The soil sample is assumed to be representing a soil layer in the ground.

A conventional consolidation test is conducted over a number of load increments. The number of load increments should cover the stress range from the initial stress state of the soil to the final stress state the soil layer is expected to experience due to the proposed construction.

Increments in a conventional consolidation test are generally of 24 hr duration and the load is doubled in the successive increment.

In this practical class one load increment of a multi increment consolidation test is conducted and the data will be analysed to obtain the compressibility characteristics of the soil.

The compressibility characteristics of the soil are;

(a). Parameters needed to estimate the amount of consolidation settlement

(b). Parameters needed to estimate the rate of consolidation settlement in the field.

Using the data from a single load increment of the test, only the coefficient of volume compressibility mv can be estimated. Data from all the load increments should be combined to draw the e vs log σ graph and to obtain the compression index Cc - the other parameter used to estimate the consolidation settlement.

The rate of consolidation settlement is estimated using the Coefficient of consolidation Cv. This parameter is determined for each load increment in the test. In this laboratory assignment, the coefficient of consolidation should be estimated using two methods - the root time method (Taylor's method) and the log (time) method - Casagrande's method.

Course work report - Important points to remember

1. Outline the objectives of the test 2. List the equipment used in the test 3. Draw a diagram of the apparatus 4. Describe the test procedure in your own words 5. Enter the observations in the sheets provided 6. Carry out the computations, draw the necessary graphs in the sheets provided and estimate (a). The

coefficient of volume compressibility for the load increment (b). The coefficient of consolidation for the increment by both the root time method and the log (time) method.

7. Discuss the importance and relevance of the test, the parameters obtained, shortcoming and possible ways of improvement.

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Laboratory Consolidation Test and Analysis

Data obtained from one increment in a conventiional multi increment Consolidation Test

Sample Diameter (mm) = 50.00

Initial Sample tickness (mm) = 20.00*

Dial gauge reading at the stat of the test (mm) = 0.000

Dial gauge reading at the stat of the = 3.744

current increment (mm)

Initial Moisture content of the sample % = 43.43

Specific gravity of the particles = 2.20

Current load increment is from 60 kN/m2 to 120 kN/m2

Date Time Time

Elapsed (min)

Root Time

(min 1/2 )

Dial Reading Dial Reading

(mm)

Settlement (mm) Major Minor

26/06/2009 2:00 PM 0.00 0.00 3.6 72 3.744 0.000 0.25 0.50 3.8 28 3.856 0.112 0.50 0.71 3.8 42 3.884. 0.140 1.00 1.00 3.8 62 3.924 0.180 2.00 1.41 3.8 94 3.988 0.244 4.00 2.00 4.0 38 4.076 0.332 8.00 2.83 4.0 94 4.188 0.444 15.00 3.87 4.2 44 4.288 0.544 30.00 5.48 4.2 84 4.368 0.624 60.00 7.75 4.4 6 4.412 0.668 120.00 10.95 4.4 21 4.442 0.698

1440.00 37.95 4.4 58 4.516 0.772

* Sample thickness is 20 mm at the start when the load is 0 kN/m 2. At the beginning of the load increment 60 – 120 kN/m2, sample has already settled 3.744 mm and the sample thickness is 16.256 mm.

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Specimen Calculations

Coefficient of Volume Compressibility(mv)

= 7.91 x 10-4 m2/kN

Coefficient of Consolidation (Cv)

a) By the Square Root Time (Taylor’s) Method

= 1.84 m2/year

b) By the Log (Time) – Casagrande’s Method

= 0.35 mm

= 1.46 m2/year

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Documents

konstructor.heshangalahitiyawa.comkonstructor.heshangalahitiyawa.com/docs/konstructor-final-report.doc · Web viewIn addition, the research team carried out questionnaires and interviews