ISPRS, Vol.34, Part 2W2, “Dynamic and Multi-Dimensional GIS", Bangkok, May 23-25, 2001 
409 
3D COMPUTER SIMULATION OF ANCIENT CHINESE TIMBER BUILDINGS 
Yixuan ZHU Jie YANG Deren LI 
(Faculty of Information Engineering, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping, Wuhan, P. R. China.) 
Key words: 3D model, computer simulation, dynamically virtual display 
ABSTRACT 
A pilot research work was carried out by investigators of surveying and mapping describing ancient Chinese timber buildings by 3D 
frame graphs with a computer. Users can know the structural layers and the assembly process of these buildings if the frame graphs are 
processed further with a computer model. 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 lignification simulation for larg-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 in 
situ 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- 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, Ql, 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 AUTOCAD12.0, 3DS MAX and OpenGL as the basic 
tools for the simulation process. A series of small programs 
have been developed to implement this study. 
2. from 3D frame graphic to surface model