K2Vi Features

Technically, K2Vi is a Virtual-Reality Interface to Spatial Data.

Virtual Reality describes the environment that you are in while immersed in your spatial data. In K2Vi it includes pseudo 3-D images on a flat monitor screen, true 3-D glasses, the Virtual Workbench, and The Cave. K2Vi also supports true 3-D sound.

Interface means that while you are immersed in your data, you can manipulate the data. You can query it, perform analysis with it, change it, add data, delete data, and save all these things back into your database from within the virtual reality environment.
Spatial Data - This is data which has a spatial component. Most commonly, it refers to GIS data and 3-D model data. For full description of the spatial data types supported by K2Vi see TECHNICALS.

What this really means is that the K2Vi software allows you to step inside your spatial data and interact with that data from within the Virtual Environment.

K2Vi is quite different from other 3D visualisation packages in that it is NOT just about visualization alone, but allows the user to interact with GIS and 3D CAD data in real time from within a virtual Reality Environment.

You can take a wide range of spatial data and:

Visualise it.
Query it (and perform analysis).
Move it.
Animate it.
And save your changes to the database in real time from within the VR environment.

The following describes some of the many features of K2Vi's extensive suite of functions for visualization, manipulation, analysis and animation of GIS and 3D CAD data.

> Real-time shadow analysis in K2Vi
One of the more exciting new features of K2Vi is real-time shadow analysis. It is now possible to select an object in K2Vi and analyse the shadow it is casting in real-time.

Figure 1 shows the shadow of a high building in down town Auckland. Figure 2 shows the shadow 2 hours later. You can analyse the shadow effect over time, but it is also possible to make the building taller or smaller in real-time and see what effect this has on the casted shadow (figure 3).
This functionality can be very beneficial when applied to the resource consent application process.

> Visualization

The following visualization methods are supported:

Real-time shadow analysis; select an object and see how its shadow effects other objects in the scene depending on position of the sun in real-time.
Real-time visibility analysis; calculate visibility from a point in the 3D scene. This is a true 3D analysis whereby 3D CAD objects will be taken into account.
Color GIS objects or use a Look Up Table to classify the GIS objects.
Link 3D CAD models to a GIS dataset. A single CAD model can represent one GIS object, a group of GIS objects or can be linked to every selected GIS object individually.
Link texture bitmaps to 2D/3D GIS objects and drape texture bitmaps over TIN terrain surfaces.
Position GIS objects with their CAD models on top of a TIN terrain surface.
View your GIS and CAD data simultaneously in 2D, 2.5D and 3D views.
Position indicator in 2D View while navigating in 3D.

> Terrain texture variation:

K2Vi allows you to drape any kind of thematic texture over the terrain. For example you are able to drape a topographical map across the terrain - as shown. This theme could of course be representative of anything, for example property boundaries, vegetation maps, noise zones. The 'styles' functionality allows you to toggle between the themes in real-time.

> True 3D

The K2Vi software supports true 3D immersive viewing.

Use CrystalEyes glasses to view your data in full stereo.
Experimental 3D user interface widgets.
A specialised version of K2Vi is available for high-tech VR systems such as the Virtual Workbench and the CAVE.

> Navigation

Various methods of navigating within your spatial data are supported:

Navigate by mouse, joystick or MAGELLAN Spacemouse.
Zoom to rectangle
Fly to a user defined point in the 3D world.
Walk on the terrain surfaces (terrain following).
Collision detection.
Record multiple flight paths for later play back.

> Manipulation

Manipulate your spatial data:

Select by object, layer or polygon.
Move and rotate the selected objects use the mouse or Spacemouse.
Undo changes.
Save the changes in the GIS database. Changes can be saved directly to the original data.
Collision Detection. Before the actual saving of the changes, K2Vi carries out a collision detection in the K2Vi scene as well as in the GIS database.
Delete individual or groups of GIS objects in the K2Vi scene.
Delete individual or groups of GIS objects in GIS database.
Save new GIS objects to the GIS database.
Scale and rotate CAD model to fit the GIS object boundaries (footprint).
Save CAD model file location, position and scaling parameters with the associated GIS object.
Save linked texture bitmaps parameters (filename, bitmap offset, UV tiling, angle, transparency, shading) with the associated GIS object.

> GIS Analysis

GIS analysis can be performed on your spatial data from within the VR environment:

Identify individual GIS objects. The database information is displayed as 3D "Billboarded" text always facing the viewer. K2Vi supports the Identify functionality for SDE objects, shape file objects (direct) and local K2Vi file objects.
Select GIS objects within a user-defined range using a 2D spatial buffer algorithm (SDE data only).
Select by SQL query (SDE data only).
Measure distances between GIS and 3D CAD in 3D space.

> Animation

Perhaps the most spectacular feature of K2Vi is that your spatial data can be animated to allow visualisation of the movement of objects:

Select one or a group of objects and attach a animation file. The animation file consists of time/position data (path) recorded by the user.
Play the animation while navigating through the scene and experience animated GIS and 3DCAD objects.
Stop the animation at any time.
Attach the viewpoint to the moving object and look around while moving with the object.

> True 3D Sound

True 3D sound is supported for added realism or for studying the effects of objects that produce sound:

Select an object in the K2Vi scene and attach a sound source (this object can of course also be animated).
Play the sound while navigating through the scene and experience the changes in sound volume and direction depending on distance from the sound source.
Set the sound rolloff value while navigating.

> Export data

K2Vi can export the textured 3D scene to the following formats:

ESRI 3D shapefile.
The popular VRML format for distrubution on the web.
WorldToolKit NFF file.
GeoTIFF (terrain file).
Local K2Vi file format.

> Magic Carpet

The Magic Carpet improves performance on low end systems and where complex scenes are displayed:

Interactively adjust the inner and outer boundaries of the K2Vi scene to enhance performance.
Switch to 'Wireframe Only' mode while navigating'
Calculate the optimum visible K2Vi scene depending on desired frame rate.

> System

Overview of the K2Vi system:

Client/server application. K2Vi is a TCP/IP client on the Spatial Database Engine by ESRI and Oracle Spatial 9i.
Multithreading is supported for database actions to and from SDE and Oracle.
Based on the WorldToolKit by Sense8.
Support for Virtual Reality hardware like Spacemouse, Head Mounted Display, Crystal Eyes Stereo goggles.
Support for OpenGL.
Cross platform: runs on Windows, SGI, SUN and HP. We have a specialised version for high-tech VR systems such as the Virtual Workbench and the CAVE.