![]() The three-dimensional models are downloaded from the Web onto your computer and you are then able to freely explore the streets and view details from any angle. Figure 3 shows a screen-shot of their "out-of-town" virtual retail park.įigure 2 : Planet 9 Studios's Virtual Tokyoįigure 3 : CompuServe's 3D virtual retail park One of the most interesting is produced by Superscape ( ) which CompuServe is using to create virtual cities for online shopping. In addition to the VRML route a number of innovative companies offer proprietary VR modelling technologies that are being used in virtual city construction. Figure 2 is a screen-shot of a VRML model of part of Virtual Tokyo, constructed by Planet 9 Studios ( ). VRML provides a flexible and powerful, platform independent, tool to model the urban form of virtual cities. These objects can be any scale, from models of molecules to buildings and cities. The most popular approach is using VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language), a Web modelling language able to construct objects in three dimensions. Three-Dimensional Models of Virtual CitiesĪ variety of virtual reality (VR) technologies are being used to create three-dimensional models of virtual cities on the Web that people can go into and walk around. The possibilities of constructing true virtual cities on the WWW are discussed later in this article.įigure 1 : Virtual Bologna's "flat" map interface To fulfil this demanding criteria a true virtual city must have a sufficiently realistic built form interface, a rich diversity of services, functions and information content, and crucially, the ability to support social interaction with other people. "True" Virtual Cities are ones which are an effective digital equivalent of real cities, providing people with a genuine sense of walking around an urban place.We will look at several interesting examples in the next section. 3D Virtual Cities use virtual reality technologies to model the built form of cities, to varying degrees of accuracy and realism.A nice example is Virtual Bologna which uses a stylised town map of familiar landmarks and buildings as a graphical interface to detailed online information (shown in figure 1). "Flat" Virtual Cities use "flat" maps of cities or buildings as an interface to further information.Many examples are available, a typical example being "Virtual Brighton & Hove" ( ). They are often created solely for advertising purposes, particularly for tourism promotion and make no attempt to represent the built form of cities. Web Listing Virtual Cities are Web sites which describe themselves as virtual cities, but in reality are merely on-line guides, menus and listings.We categorise them into these four broad groups : However, important distinctions need to be made in the type of virtual cities that you can find on the WWW. The term 'Virtual City' is widely used on the World-Wide Web to describe a diverse range of different information interfaces and content. We will conclude by looking at current research into creating "true" virtual cities with realistic built form, useful information content and, importantly, a sense of urban life. Consequently, the virtual city is being used as an interface metaphor to information and services on the In this article we shall begin by discussing the nature of virtual cities, before examining ways of creating, on the Web, three-dimensional models of the buildings for virtual cities. The urban form and layout of cities are familiar to most people. Many thousands of people are using these virtual cities to carry out everyday activities like shopping, relaxing and meeting friends.Ĭities are geographic centres of people, activities and services. There is currently a building "boom" on the World-Wide Web (These new electronic cities are popularly known as virtual cities, digital cities or cyber-cities. Martin Dodge, Andy Smith & Simon Doyle Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) University College London Towards a Virtual City Information System Draft of a article entitled "Urban Science" in GIS Europe, October 1997, Vol. ![]()
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