Efficient Creation of Urban Environments through Procedural Techniques

Pascal Mueller

Computer Vision Laboratory

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Date: Friday, March 7, 2008
Place: Buchanan 1940
Time: 2:00 pm — 3:00 pm


Abstract:

Creating digital content for virtual worlds remains a significant challenge, especially for urban environments, which are among the largest and most complex. As display capabilities improve and audience expectations grow, procedural modeling techniques are becoming an increasingly important supplement to traditional modeling software. In this talk, we present grammar-based, image-based and interactive methods for the efficient creation of urban environments. Thus extensive architectural models of high visual quality and geometric detail can be produced at low cost. Selected examples demonstrate solutions to previously unsolved modeling problems, especially to consistent mass modeling with volumetric shapes of arbitrary orientation. Furthermore, we show massive urban models with unprecedented level of detail, with the virtual rebuilding of the archaeological site of Pompeii as a case in point.

PASCAL MULLER is researcher at the Computer Vision Laboratory of the ETH Zurich and CEO of the recently founded spin-off company Procedural Inc. located in Zurich, Switzerland. His main interests lie in the field of computer graphics: procedural modeling, generative design, visual effects production pipelines and computer-aided media art. He developed the architectural modeling tool CityEngine and is co-developer of the multimedia engine Soundium. He has published various scientific papers including SIGGRAPH, and his body of artistic work includes videos, short movies, over fifty live visuals performances, and several interactive installations exhibited in museums like the Ars Electronica Center. Pascal Mueller received a master degree in computer science from ETH Zurich in 2001. For two years, he worked as a 3D artist and technical director for the Swiss production company Central Pictures.

Host: Dr. Stefan Muller Arisona, Media Arts and Technology