Application of Computer Technic in the Reconstruct of Chinese Ancient Buildings
Deren Li?, Yixuan Zhu?, Jie Yang? , Fuling Bian?
a National Laboratory for Information, Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University
Luoyu Road 129,Wuhan 430079,P.R.China
mailto:dli@wtusm.edu.cn
Commission V, Working Group V/5
KEYWORDS: 3D model, computer simulation, dynamically virtual display
ABSTRACT:
This paper offers an introduction of computer assemble and simulation of ancient building. A pioneer research work was carried out
by investigators of surveying and mapping describing ancient Chinese timber buildings by 3D frame graphs with computer. But users
can know the structural layers and the assembly process of these buildings if the frame graphs are processed further with computer.
This can be implemented by computer simulation technique. This technique display the raw data on the screen of a computer and
interactively manage them by combining technologies from computer graphics and image processing, multi-media technology,
artificial intelligence, highly parallel real-time computation technique and human behavior science. This paper presents the
implement procedure of simulation for large-sized wooden buildings as well as 3D dynamic assembly of these buildings under the
3DS MAX environment. The results of computer simulation are also shown in the paper.
1 INTRODUCTION
The art of ancient Chinese architecture is the essence of the
Chinese cultural heritages. It has important significance for the
studying and learning Chinese culture and civilization. It’s of
great difficult, however, to learn the complicated structure of
ancient Chinese architecture due to the lack of reference data
because of the factors of time and natural or human-made
disasters. In the project of reconstruction of Zhi-Lian Nnunnery,
the Tang Dynasty Temple Reproduction, Hongkong, the
architectural supervisor, Wuhan Technical University of
Surveying and Mapping, reconstructs the sampled data of the
building by using a 3D model with a computer, and use it for
quality checking as well as used for the reference data for
forever preservation of the building. This will provide accurate,
objective and detailed line and frame data of the building for the
studying, maintaining and reconstructing it in the future. It also
provides a new method for protecting ancient cultural heritages.
However, though the graphs of line and frame of a building are
convenient for surveying and mapping, it is not for architects to
study it profoundly. Computer simulation is a vivid research
field developed in the 1980's. It combines of several key
techniques from computer graphics, multi-media technology,
artificial intelligence, highly parallel real-time computation and
human behavior science. Computer simulation displays data
flow on a computer screen, managing these data interactively by
means of simulated graphs and images, so as to provide the end
users a virtual realistic experience in order to provide
convenient way for observing and studying macro- world and
micro-world which are impossible for direct observation due to
various of influences. If this technique is combined with virtual
simulation technology, creating various layers and virtual
models rich of details, then it is convenient to common users to
see the structure layers and interior feature of the building. This
is also useful to archaic culture experts, ancient architects and
construction engineers to locally or globally observe, analyze
and study the building upon a computer. For instance, the
re-occurring of how the pillars, horizontal tablets, square wood
that connects two pillars, DOU , GONG, FU, ANG, QI, LIANG
(all in Chinese Pinyin), etc. are connected by mortises and
tenons, and then mounted them to setup palaces, great halls,
mansions, pavilions and pagodas will provide intuitive materials
to study ancient buildings! !]. If the computer simulated
re-occurring procedure is coordinated with dynamic simulation
and commentary, music, then the explanation of the
characteristics of ancient Chinese architecture will be not only
visually but also in an entertainment environment. This paper
studies wood texture simulation and dynamically virtual
simulation and provides our primary results.
After carefully learning the structure of ancient buildings,
knowing the order and regulations for mounting a building, we
employ AUTOCADI2.0, 3DS MAX and OpenGL as the basic
tools for the simulation process. A series of small programs
have been developed to implement this study.
20THE MAKING PROCESS
Collection of original data — Making of separate parts of the
building — Combination of part structure drawings —
Combination of the whole building.
2.1 Collection of Original Data
There are four methods of collection required by different
practical conditions.
2.1.1 On the practically measure. The original data of the
example of Pagoda of Thousands of Buddha is obtained by
measuring the actual parts of the building.
2.1.2 Making of 3D drawings based on plane figure. Under the
condition that no processed actual part has been made, the 2d
data can be transformed into 3d data according to the design
drawings.
2.1.3 Obtaining 3D data of parts with complex surface by
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