One company that is using Unreal Engine to develop immersive master planning assets is V2i Realtime, a creative studio and software developer based on Australia’s Gold Coast. V2i Realtime has decades of experience in property consulting and is now using real-time technology to give decision makers the confidence to make the necessary calls.
Accelerating pre-concept planning
V2i Realtime uses a large portfolio of tools, consolidating all project data into a single interactive 3D environment, and providing project stakeholders with the ability to freely explore the virtual project from any device with a web browser via Pixel Streaming. The idea is that a common visual language cuts down on confusion, errors, and misinterpretation, making it easier for all involved to understand a proposal, and empowering them to ask more informed questions and make better decisions. While enabling the unconstrained exploration and control of the 3D scene with an easy-to-use interface is the main focus, other communication collateral ranging from 8K cinematic perspectives and 4K animations to 360° panoramas and VR experiences, can also be generated with great speed.The company switched to Unreal Engine after using traditional visualization software and huge render farms, which proved to be expensive and time-consuming. “Unreal Engine has been the most transformational industry tool that I’ve seen in 37 years,” says Luke Brannelly, Founder, Managing Director, and Creative Director at V2i Realtime. “It eliminates so much wasted time, energy, and dollars that we often see as a result of the need for third-party interpretation of traditional, and often technical, 2D data and reports. Unreal Engine enables the decision maker, or indeed anyone, to understand an outcome through the creation of a common visual language that all involved in the process can understand.”
This kind of digital storytelling is helping V2i to make the complex planning processes across the entire lifecycle of a project faster and more efficient. “It brings a smile to my face when I sit in meetings and witness firsthand how quickly people can understand an outcome and have informed conversations leading to faster, more informed decisions,” says Luke. “We can now move through a process that traditionally might have taken hours, days, or even weeks in a matter of minutes on some occasions.”
Communicating size and scale
Showcasing the support that V2i Realtime’s approach gives to the early planning stage is its work with real estate and investment group Lendlease. V2i Realtime worked with Lendlease on the Figtree Hill project, the first precinct of a new community in south west Sydney, Australia. Boasting 1,700 new homes, the development is focused on sustainability, comprising smart homes that run on 100% renewable energy.
Source: Unreal Engine Blog