A Component-Based 3D Geographic Simulation Framework and its Integration with a Legacy GIS

Disaster management requires the ad-hoc integration of different types of geo-information from different sources. In recent years, Web services have become important, since they dynamically provide up-to-date information about disasters. This paper proposes a generic application framework for the integration of geo-information Web services with 3D geographical simulation systems that can be used for disaster management. Our framework provides a set of 3D visual components required for the development of new 3D visual geographical simulation systems. It integrates 3D geographical simulation systems with related geo-information Web services using highly interactive and visual environments. In this paper, we describe its framework and present an application to prove its effectiveness.

Legacy application systems have been widely used by user communities, and by individual users. They are currently providing a variety of functions required by system development requirements. For the development of a new 3D system using such legacy systems, we need both (i) the migration of legacy systems into a new 3D system environment, and (ii) interoperations among these systems. This paper proposes a framework for the ad hoc integration of a 2D legacy GIS, legacy simulators, and legacy databases, which are not a priori assumed to be integrated with each other. For this purpose, we first propose a mechanism to migrate a 2D legacy system with its GUI into a 3D environment. This mechanism is based on a special coordinate transformation for both the texture mapping and the event dispatching. It enables us to use a 3D terrain model with a shadow copy of a 2D legacy GIS. As for legacy geographic simulators and legacy databases without any GUI, we provide them with their proxy objects. These proxy objects can interoperate with each other, and also with the shadow copy of a 2D legacy GIS through their slot connections. As a result, our approach enables us to dynamically integrate multiple independent legacy simulators and/or legacy databases with a 2D legacy GIS simply through the composition of their 3D display objects

In this paper, we propose a component-based framework for generating simple 3D applications that aid users in the use of Web services without the need for programming. These days we can get lots of information through Web services. By using Web services, we can reduce the need to buy data packages and construct special databases in order to generate 3D information visualization systems or 3D simulation systems. Basically, we need to write some scripts or programs to access Web services. Therefore, it is difficult for users to use interactively through a graphical user interface, especially in a 3D virtual environment. Our framework uses the 3D meme media system IntelligentBox as its platform. All functions for accessing Web services are provided by 3D proxy components. Users have only to operate 3D interactive components and create composite components in order to create applications that use Web services. Users input values by means of specialized interface components, thereby creating requests to Web services, and changing visualization parameters. In this way, users can easily compose simple applications with a combination of arbitrary 3D components

The purpose of this study is to develop 3D dynamic fashion garments with changeable styles, colors and textile patterns, especially using a 3D virtual simulation system, and to examine their potential possibilities in online fashion platforms. For designing and developing 3D dynamic fashion garments, CLO3D and Aftereffects were used with a design collaboration between a fashion designer and a motion graphic artist group. Ten samples of a ready-to-wear collection were developed to visualize aesthetic and technological explorations of 3D dynamic fashion garments, composed of short videos. This study also evaluated the potential of 3D dynamic fashion garments along with 3D virtual simulation systems through focus group interview with professional fashion designers and digital experts, which indicated social and industrial possibilities toward them. This survey showed a list of findings in terms of current status of 3D virtual simulation systems and their impact on companies, discourses on the uncanny valley surrounding avatars, changes in fashion design process derived from 3D virtual simulation systems, co-design and customization in online platforms, and future prospects of 3D virtual garments in the fashion and gaming industries. Finally, this study led to discussions on future possible digital fashion design with several implications, based on design criteria, including digital technology, dynamic range, wearability, expressivity, interactivity, sustainability, and context.

State of the art 3D simulation applications like virtual testbeds for space robotics, industrial automation or even forest inventory require a highly flexible but still real-time capable data management system. For this, we combine a high-performance internal simulation database with external object-oriented databases into a new real-time capable data management architecture for database-driven 3D simulation systems. To achieve this, we apply well-known database techniques to a 3D simulation system's internal object-oriented data management. Such a simulation database can dynamically adopt completely new data schemata, even at runtime. New simulation applications can then be designed by putting a domain specific schema and the corresponding data into an otherwise empty simulation database. To seamlessly combine the two databases we use a flexible interface that synchronizes schema and data.

Although the theories and methods about 3D GIS interactive editing are scarce and primitive, the need to develop them has become gradually urgent. For the purpose of resolving it, in this paper, a method on editing geographic features in 3D GIS visualization environment is proposed. By the digital control surface, the method can deal with some geometric shapes effectively such as point, path, and ring. Moreover, based on OpenGL and COM technologies, a 3D GIS editor plug-in module in the form of toolbar that can be embedded in ArcGIS 3D environment is developed. The practical results indicate that the method is easy and feasible, and can support much work greatly in geoscience field including glaciology.

In this study we analyze how 57 Spanish university students of Education developed a learning process in a virtual world by conducting activities that involved the skill of self-management. The learning experience comprised a serious game designed in a 3D simulation environment. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used in the analytical process. An analytical rubric was taken as a reference to enable an expert observer to collect the relevant information. Our results show that the students generally achieved good levels of self-management in this technological environment. Senior university students presented higher scores than freshmen in this particular skill. We also found that students tended to develop better learning activities that involved analytical work than those that involved action or development. The students' perceptions about 3D environments regarding self-management were mostly satisfactory, especially for planning activities. These results provide relevant information on how students develop activities that involve self-management components in a technological environment. However, the research design did not allow us to determine how this environment increases the level of this specific skill.

Abstract. The survey phase is an essential prerequisite for effective management and improvement of existing buildings. The low accessibility of information regarding the design and construction phases and the current state of the buildings, are the main causes of inefficient actions on existing buildings. The lack of “As Built” documentation (building components, installations, etc.) and the complex task of detecting their current status in terms of use (intended use and space dimensions, environmental context, etc.) and maintenance (conservation status of building components, age of the technological installations, previous maintenance work, compliance with current regulations, etc.) causes deep difficulties in planning, scheduling and controlling appropriate interventions. Starting from these assumptions, this paper shows the findings of a research, aimed at testing the integrated use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and 3D Geographic Information Systems (3D GIS) in order to structure knowledge. The research concerns a case study and it has actually led to the development of a BIM- 3D GIS workflow which formalizes knowledge and information involved of a significant building, according to its management: the INA houses by Enrico Mandolesi, a residential complex for about 2500 inhabitants built around 1960 in the eastern suburbs of Cagliari (Italy).

3D Virtual Environment System Applied to Aging Study – Biomechanical and Anthropometric Approach

3D Geographic Information System (3D GIS); 3D symbol library; Modeling. Abstract. The 3D symbol is the basic approach to represent geographic themes in 3D GIS. In this paper, a multi-scale data model for 3D symbol library is designed to solve the problems in the organization, storage and display for multi-scale symbols. The particle system and animation technology are utilized in dynamic display of 3D symbols. A multi-scale and dynamic 3D symbol library system prototype is constructed and applied in many 3D visualization systems. The results show that the 3D symbol library based on multi-scale and dynamic technology presents high performance.

The renovation and refurbishment market is rapidly expanding within the construction industry, bringing the role of the Facilities Management (FM) department to the forefront. Operating and maintaining a facility however, takes the biggest proportion of the lifecycle cost of a building, which can be costly and time consuming. The wide spread and use of advanced technologies within the construction industry can be used to drive the productivity gains by promoting a free-flow of information between departments, divisions, offices, and sites; and between themselves, their contractors and partners. The paper describes a scope in the INTELCITIES project undertaken by 75 partners including 18 cities (Manchester, Rome, Barcelona, etc), 20 ICT companies (Nokia, IBM, CISCO, Microsoft, etc) and 38 research institutes (University of Salford from UK, CSTB from France, UPC from Spain, etc) across Europe to pool advanced knowledge and experience of electronic government, planning systems, and citizen participation across Europe. The scope includes capturing digital data of existing buildings using 3D laser scanning equipment and showing how this data can be used as an information base for enhancing the refurbishment process and maintenance. Furthermore, the paper discusses the state of the art for operating and maintaining facilities, describing the prevailing methods of building maintenance, highlighting their limitations with proposed alternatives, such as 3D Geographic Information Systems ‘3D GIS’ to enable the spatial analysis and static visualisation of critical of query outputs and 3D laser scanning technology for obtaining the digital information of existing buildings for construction maintenance.

Los entornos virtuales 3D son sistemas tecnológicos avanzados, con múltiples potencialidades en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje.En los últimos años diferentes instituciones han impulsado la necesaria adquisición de una serie de competencias clave para el siglo XXI tales como la iniciativa, el trabajo en equipo, la creatividad, la flexibilidad o la competencia digital. Los entornos virtuales multiusuario o espacios de simulación 3D son sistemas inmersivos, interactivos, personalizables, accesibles y programables, que permiten diseñar actividades complejas de carácter educativo dando respuesta a estas competencias clave. Para ello resulta necesario establecer una adecuada estrategia didáctica que permita poner en acción conocimientos y habilidades, y diseñar adecuados mecanismos de registro y sistematización.En el presente artículo se exponen las potencialidades de estos entornos y se presentan dos experiencias realizadas en estos espacios 3D: (1) para el desarrollo de la competencia de trabajo en equipo y autogestión, y (2) para la evaluación de la competencia digital en futuros maestros.

Purpose: Various studies have shown the benefit of three-dimensional (3D) systems over two-dimensional (2D) systems in endoscopic surgery. However, few studies have focused on pediatric endosurgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of 2D and 3D environments on the time taken and forceps manipulation by comparing experts and trainees using a laparoscopic hepaticojejunostomy simulator. Methods: We have developed a simulator of laparoscopic hepaticojejunostomy for congenital biliary dilatation. Seventeen participants of pediatric surgeons (4 experts and 13 trainees) performed hepaticojejunostomy using our simulator in both 2D and 3D environment. We evaluated the required time, total path length, and average velocities of bilateral forceps in both situations. Results: Obtained results show the findings for the required time (seconds; 2D, experts: 810.43 ± 321.64 vs. trainees: 1136.02 ± 409.96, P = .17) (seconds; 3D, experts: 660.21 ± 256.48 vs. trainees: 1017 ± 280.93, P = .039), total path length of right forceps (mm; 2D, experts: 38838.23 ± 30686.63 vs. trainees: 52005.47 ± 31675.02, P = .48)(mm; 3D, experts: 24443.09 ± 12316.32 vs. trainees: 45508.09 ± 26926.27, P = .16), total path length of left forceps (mm; 2D, experts: 131635.54 ± 71669.94 vs. trainees: 245242.48 ± 130940.25, P = .48)(mm; 3D, experts: 88520.42 ± 56766.63 vs. trainees: 230789.75 ± 107315.85, P = .024), average velocities of right forceps (mm/second; 2D, experts: 44.80 ± 21.85 vs. trainees: 44.37 ± 18.92, P = .97) (mm/second; 3D, experts: 37.28 ± 16.49 vs. trainees: 42.58 ± 14.40, P = .54), average velocities of left forceps (mm/second; 2D, experts: 156.65 ± 38.69 vs. trainees: 202.58 ± 63.80, P = .20) (mm/second; 3D, experts: 125.64 ± 44.30 vs. trainees: 219.42 ± 43.82, P < .01). Conclusion: The experts performed more effectively when using the 3D system. Using 3D, the total path length of the left forceps of expert pediatric surgeons was significantly shorter than trainee pediatric surgeons, and the average velocities of the left forceps tip of expert pediatric surgeons was significantly slower than trainee pediatric surgeons. These results suggest that training of assisting hand is necessary for advanced pediatric endosurgery to avoid organ injury.

The aim of this study is to develop upper bodice pattern for obese girls aged 10~12 by using 3D virtual garment simulation system. The criteria for subjects in this study were girls who had over 1.46 of the R<TEX>$\ddot{o}$</TEX>hrer Index. A total of 229 schoolgirls who met these criteria were enrolled. The results of this study are as follows: First, by using 3D virtual garment simulation, new upper bodice pattern considered obese-schoolgirls was development. The basic numerical formula were as follows ; bust girth B/2+4.5, armhole depth B/4-1, waist girth W/4+0.5+dart amount, front chest width B/6+2, back width B/6+2, neck width B/12-0.5 and neck depth B/12+0.5. Second, armhole darts were added to compensate the loose amount of front armhole and dart manipulation was used to ensure a better appearance on armhole in the design. The dart side line was modified concavely to help cover the protruding stomach. Curved lines on the armhole were significantly relieved using dart manipulation and the darts side line was modified concavely to reduce the tightness around the front waist darts. Third, according to the results of the new upper bodice pattern's appearance evaluation, it estimated more highly than existing pattern in silhouette and ease amount, confirming that new upper bodice pattern was appropriate for the obese-schoolgirls. This study is expected to serve as one of important basic data for ensuing studies that may utilize 3D virtual garment simulation system with 2D patterns.

Introduction: Fibroblast growth factor, nerve growth factor neurotrophins, and insulin-like growth factor 1 are considered 3 families of growth factors that can be involved in the process of otic neurogenesis. In this respect, otic neurons can also be connected with mechanoreceptors in the ear, the hair cells (HCs), as well as the central nervous system. As a growth factor is combined with gene transfer technology, it can be used for hair cell regeneration. Gene therapy can be similarly employed to introduce genes into a system in order to induce the expression of genes for therapeutic agents, to replace defective genes, or to re-program supporting or surrounding cells to acquire the phenotype of lost or damaged cells in order to repair or regenerate the damaged tissue. Objective: The purpose of this review article was to investigate the epigenetic and growth factors involved in the differentiation pathway of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into HCs and auditory neurons (ANs). Methods: To this end, the databases of Directory of Open Access Journals, Google Scholar, PubMed (NLM), LISTA (EBSCO), as well as Web of Science were searched. Results: Given the results available in the related literature, the differentiation efficacy of ESCs toward the ANs and the HCs, the important role of growth factors, and 3 different strategies of application of miRNA, epigenetic regulation, and preparation of three-dimensional (3D) environments were suggested to be taken into consideration in order to improve these studies in the future. Furthermore, the role of epige­netic mechanisms and miRNA in this differentiation process became quite obvious; hence, the utilization of such procedures in the near future would be significant. Conclusion: Combining several techniques with a synergic effect (such as growth factor gene therapy and 3D environments) seemed to lead to obtaining the best results as a therapeutic strategy.