3pointD.com

The BBC has an interesting story on urban design work being done in virtual 3D models created by France’s Center for Building Technology. Especially in the areas of light and sound, the Center has apparently created 3D virtual mockups that mimic the properties of the real materials at a number of locations (including seafront towns and the bridges of Paris) so that designers can see in advance the effects that changes will have on the urban environment. “Each place has had detailed studies of the materials from which they are made and the computer-generated model reveals how various surfaces react to different light.” This sounds like high-powered technology that won’t be available to multi-user virtual worlds for some time, but it’s a nice demonstration of how 3pointD technology can be applied to the real world. And along similar lines, Glitchy links to a new book by Michael Batty, Professor of Spatial Analysis and Planning and Director of the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis at University College London, titled Understanding Cities with Cellular Automata, Agent-Based Models, and Fractals. That sounds fascinating.