The Process
In order that the elevations were accurate in each area, we used TIN data, or Triangulated Irregular Network, which in all essence is a vector-based representation of the physical land surface, compiled as a derivative of elevation data. (It looks like virtual tin foil.) This TIN was was imported into Sketchup, and the buildings were placed atop it respective to their position in reality. The members extruded those footprints, and then "textured" each face with an image taken of the building, respectively.
So, each building went from this, a footprint of the E.J. Ball Plaza...
.
...to this, an extruded model of the building...
...and finally, a completely textured model of E.J. Ball Plaza.
Project workers gathered the textures by taking pictures of each building within the Master Plan District. Pictures from every angle were needed in order to create a detailed, realistic, textured 3D model of the buildings.
They were then imported into a larger SketchUp file containing a region of the "master plan" in it's respective location.
Click thumbnail for larger image.
Certain buildings held higher priority than others, thus recieving more effort and greater detail in the texturing process. A map containing all the buildings in the "priority area" depicts each building's or area's priority via color. Click here to view Priority Map.
Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST), University of Arkansas
http://www.cast.uark.edu
contact: Malcolm Williamson malcolm@cast.uark.edu or Snow L. Winters snowball@cast.uark.edu