Data Space: Agent Based Models, SketchUp, Visualisation, ArcGIS and Lumion

Over the past few weeks we have been exploring exploring new methods and techniques for visualising data. Developed as part our Masters course in Advanced Spatial Analysis and Visualisation we are now looking into issues of scale, realtime rendering, rapid visualisation and 3D exhibition spaces.

Regular readers will know we have been exploring Unity due its interactive nature and ability to import various file types into its game engine (see Particles, Agents and Emergent Behaviour ). Unity is still an option but for rapid visualisation Lumion also offers distinct possibilities. The movie below details our first draft example of building an exhibition space (SketchUp), retexturing and adding various crowd/delegate models (3DMax) and the Twitter map (ArcGIS) using Lumion:




If Lumion offered a stand alone viewer rather than purely movie based output then it would be our engine of choice. As such it is currently a weigh up between Lumion and Unity, our Unity example is under development, we will post it soon as we can...

Survey Data, Simulation and Workflows

At the moment we are locked away in a room at the University of Leeds talking about the next steps to integrate survey data, traditional data and simulation output via grid based services.

It's going to be interesting - pictured below is a first step with SurveyMapper running in MyExperiment:



Shortly you will be able to run a population reconstruction model, complete with crowd based data input with a view of gaining an insight of future transport, health and housing needs. Mixing crowd sourced data with simulation and modelling provides a new and interesting step in spatial analysis...

Location:Back Moorland Terrace,Leeds,United Kingdom

NetLogo and Repast to 3DMax to Unity: ABM Visualisation

Our work on Unity stalled for a while due to another projects and deadlines, but we are back on the case from next week with the aim of providing a quick and easy route to visualise agent based models with an urban theme .

The movie below details where we left off:



The ultimate aim is go from popular agent based modelling packages such as NetLogo or Repast into 3D Max and subsequently out to a game engine.

The movie below shows basic agent based models created directly inside of 3D Max:

Crowd and Delegates - Emergent Behaviour from digitalurban on Vimeo.

Finally, below is output from NetLogo visualised in Max - this is now up and running in Unity so the proof of concept seems to work:

Flocking in NetLogo exported to 3D Max from digitalurban on Vimeo.

All being well we should have a plugin for 3D Max available in the next quarter allowing direct input for agent based models.

Crowds and Delegates in 3D Max - Agent Based Modelling and Emergent Behaviour

Crowd, transport and urban simulations are at their roots down to 'Agents' or 'Objects' that are assigned a set of rules as to how to moves in relation to both the environment and other agents around them. 3D Studio Max has a built in 'Crowd and Delegate' system which can be used to assign behaviour and therefore create realistic traffic of pedestrian systems in 3D space.

The movie below displays our first tentative steps to explore emergent behaviour via the introduction of simple rules. The movie starts out with a basic 'wander' behaviour where the agents only knowledge is the shape of the surface. Moving on we assign each of our 'cubes' (of which we have become quite fond of...) a level of vision so they can see ahead and therefore avoid each other and objects in their environment.

Crowd and Delegates - Emergent Behaviour from digitalurban on Vimeo.

Thirdly, the agents seek a 'sphere' which could be viewed as a source of food. While being aware of each other and tweaking the way the cubes move a swarm behaviour emerges. Finally, we introduce competing groups with two priorities, firstly to eat and secondly to stay as a group. The majority choose the group over the food but a couple stray off in search of sustenance and lose the other members.

All of these models are going into our exhibition space previewed below to allow a step by step guide to the principles of agent based modelling.



The virtual exhibition space should be online for Windows and Mac in the next few weeks.