Integrate BIM and Virtual Reality to Assist Construction Visual Marketing

Abstract

The process of displaying the 3D model enables the on-site construction personnel to experience the full view of the building to improve construction efficiency if the BIM model can be integrated with other rendering software or virtual reality software and presented in a first-person perspective and a third-person perspective. Moreover, the building can be shown to people who are not familiar with the project, and the design concept can be conveyed easily so that the people have a better understanding of the building. In this way, the purpose of visual marketing is achieved. Although virtual reality (VR) software has evolved considerably, it has limited interoperability with various software applications, which has hindered its adoption within the industry. Thus, this research explores how to integrate the interoperability of BIM models with rendering and VR software to improve the effectiveness of 3D visualization. The results demonstrate that in the process of integrating the BIM model with VR environments, model conversion, attachment of materials, and light and shadow settings require the greatest attention. After the importation of a BIM model into a VR environment, the faces of the model are too high to execute the system smoothly, limiting the model’s ability to completely supplant models constructed in VR environments. Therefore, modifying the BIM model through model reduction or textural modifications is necessary. The material of the model may also change during the conversion process, demanding that the model be rendered again in the VR environment. Furthermore, real-time light and shadow rendering may reduce system performance. However, the use of baking textures to paste lightmaps onto the model is an effective method of enhancing realism.