Unity creates new open source tool for architects • Hacker News Board

Re: Unity creates new open source tool for architects

#31

Post by bhouston » Sun, Oct 27, 2019, 2:09 PM UTC

There is current a war between UE4/Epic and Unity in the AEC market (Architecture, Engineering and Construction.) You need to understand this in that context.

https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/feed/all/AEC

https://unity.com/solutions/architecture-engineering-constru...

The first move happened with Autodesk releasing Stringray and tying it tightly to 3DS Max. Stingray was not super popular (from what I hear) but its business motivations were real -- there was real-time visualization needs in AEC. UE4 and Unity then started to build out in this area.

I haven't actually seen numbers to back up that there is a viable market here, but there is belief there is a market by all involved parties (Autodesk with Stingray, Epic and Unity.)

Re: Unity creates new open source tool for architects

#32

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Oct 27, 2019, 2:20 PM UTC

simonsarris wrote: post #17

eps wrote: post #2

We made a foray into designing and building a brand new house and let me tell you, my fellow HNers, the state of affairs with the design part is ABYSMAL, even in a reasonably modern architect firm. Basically you first design, for look and feel, then you calculate technical details, then you build. Or rather the architect does all three, but you would normally want to "chip in" during the design phase - change the lay…

I designed/built my own house too[1], giving sketches to an architect and working with him. Some major takeaways for others who have yet to build: * No one will care about your project as much as you and this includes the architect :( * Few(???) architects and zero builders seem to understand light/wind/circulation like people apparently intuitively did 200 years ago. You might be better off with the average curious…

[deleted]

Re: Unity creates new open source tool for architects

#33

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Oct 27, 2019, 2:20 PM UTC

simonsarris wrote: post #17

eps wrote: post #2

We made a foray into designing and building a brand new house and let me tell you, my fellow HNers, the state of affairs with the design part is ABYSMAL, even in a reasonably modern architect firm. Basically you first design, for look and feel, then you calculate technical details, then you build. Or rather the architect does all three, but you would normally want to "chip in" during the design phase - change the lay…

I designed/built my own house too[1], giving sketches to an architect and working with him. Some major takeaways for others who have yet to build: * No one will care about your project as much as you and this includes the architect :( * Few(???) architects and zero builders seem to understand light/wind/circulation like people apparently intuitively did 200 years ago. You might be better off with the average curious…

[deleted]

Re: Unity creates new open source tool for architects

#34

Post by galfarragem » Sun, Oct 27, 2019, 2:35 PM UTC

eps wrote: post #2

We made a foray into designing and building a brand new house and let me tell you, my fellow HNers, the state of affairs with the design part is ABYSMAL, even in a reasonably modern architect firm. Basically you first design, for look and feel, then you calculate technical details, then you build. Or rather the architect does all three, but you would normally want to "chip in" during the design phase - change the lay…

Architect here.

I use computer hardware everyday. Does this allow me to give relevant opinions on what are the best processes to build it? Some folks are thinking about it for decades.

Architectural rendering is overrated, it only exists as a way to sell the project to clumsy end users, investors and city planners. The same house but with a different sky, flying ducks, evergreen trees, people dancing and ferraris will look an order of magnitude better. The time wasted on this could be used to better the house itself. Don't forget also that what seems clearly an anachronism is not: 10 years ago computer hardware and software were not nearly there for the "3d revolution" you are asking for.

Re: Unity creates new open source tool for architects

#35

Post by buboard » Sun, Oct 27, 2019, 2:41 PM UTC

eps wrote: post #2

We made a foray into designing and building a brand new house and let me tell you, my fellow HNers, the state of affairs with the design part is ABYSMAL, even in a reasonably modern architect firm. Basically you first design, for look and feel, then you calculate technical details, then you build. Or rather the architect does all three, but you would normally want to "chip in" during the design phase - change the lay…

For rough sketches, you can run an opensimulator server and use a second life viewer to build and walk through it

Re: Unity creates new open source tool for architects

#36

Post by buboard » Sun, Oct 27, 2019, 2:44 PM UTC

galfarragem wrote: post #34

eps wrote: post #2

We made a foray into designing and building a brand new house and let me tell you, my fellow HNers, the state of affairs with the design part is ABYSMAL, even in a reasonably modern architect firm. Basically you first design, for look and feel, then you calculate technical details, then you build. Or rather the architect does all three, but you would normally want to "chip in" during the design phase - change the lay…

Architect here. I use computer hardware everyday. Does this allow me to give relevant opinions on what are the best processes to build it? Some folks are thinking about it for decades. Architectural rendering is overrated, it only exists as a way to sell the project to clumsy end users, investors and city planners. The same house but with a different sky, flying ducks, evergreen trees, people dancing and ferraris wil…

... without feedback

Re: Unity creates new open source tool for architects

#37

Post by LegitShady » Sun, Oct 27, 2019, 3:12 PM UTC

PedroBatista wrote: post #21

LegitShady wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope industry running on small margins and client with atypical expectations who probably doesn't want to pay for what the extra work costs

I think he was talking about architecture, not software consulting. ;)

You mean an industry where you make something once and sell it infinitely vs an industry where you build a specific thing and have to make all your money during design and construction that one time?

Software guys don't know what small margin means.

Re: Unity creates new open source tool for architects

#38

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Oct 27, 2019, 3:16 PM UTC

pavlov wrote: post #23

eps wrote: post #2

We made a foray into designing and building a brand new house and let me tell you, my fellow HNers, the state of affairs with the design part is ABYSMAL, even in a reasonably modern architect firm. Basically you first design, for look and feel, then you calculate technical details, then you build. Or rather the architect does all three, but you would normally want to "chip in" during the design phase - change the lay…

The funny thing is, even these cumbersome tools are so much better than what the software industry has. Small changes take only hours to complete? It takes only weeks to converge to a general design? Most software project managers would kill for that level of efficiency and predictability. (A bunch of pictures made in Sketch is not the design. You can surely do that in a few days, but it’s essentially the same as mak…

[deleted]

Re: Unity creates new open source tool for architects

#39

Post by narnianal » Sun, Oct 27, 2019, 3:23 PM UTC

bhouston wrote: post #31

There is current a war between UE4/Epic and Unity in the AEC market (Architecture, Engineering and Construction.) You need to understand this in that context. https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/feed/all/AEC https://unity.com/solutions/architecture-engineering-constru... The first move happened with Autodesk releasing Stringray and tying it tightly to 3DS Max. Stingray was not super popular (from what I hear) but its…

also great desire by infrastructure investors since they often also have to deal with what comes out of the architecture company as design concepts

Re: Unity creates new open source tool for architects

#40

Post by eps » Sun, Oct 27, 2019, 3:24 PM UTC

galfarragem wrote: post #34

eps wrote: post #2

We made a foray into designing and building a brand new house and let me tell you, my fellow HNers, the state of affairs with the design part is ABYSMAL, even in a reasonably modern architect firm. Basically you first design, for look and feel, then you calculate technical details, then you build. Or rather the architect does all three, but you would normally want to "chip in" during the design phase - change the lay…

Architect here. I use computer hardware everyday. Does this allow me to give relevant opinions on what are the best processes to build it? Some folks are thinking about it for decades. Architectural rendering is overrated, it only exists as a way to sell the project to clumsy end users, investors and city planners. The same house but with a different sky, flying ducks, evergreen trees, people dancing and ferraris wil…

I'm not asking for embellishments.

I just want to understand if I will have the sun shining in my eye on summer mornings when I'm lying in bed, how the hallway will look at night, what the view will be from the kitchen and into the living space, etc. Just trying to place _myself_ in the house and see what I should fix before it's built.

You wouldn't buy a car after merely looking at its 2D projections and a sketchy looking rendering, so I don't think that asking to see how a house would look and feel before committing to building it is such an unreasonable thing to do.