Usually when we discuss new product launches in the virtual reality (VR) space they are in Europe, the US, or Asia with the majority of non-South Korean (i.e. from Samsung) announcements coming from China. Developers Tenebris Lab, who were founded this year are based in Cape Town, South Africa. They have just announced the launch of LUX Walker – a piece of VR software design for the architecture and design community.
LUX Walker is a globally shared VR interaction space, allowing users to walk through and interact with others either from the next room or from two continents over. In LUX Walker users are immersed in a 3D true-to-life-scale project, teleporting to different areas of a model and interacting with design features with their team or client. Whilst showcasing the design, users can show of how it would look ‘in action’ and are able to switch between various design layers, make notes on the design from any feedback in real-time, switch up materials being used, or alter the setting by adding plants or changing the lighting to reflect various points in the year. The aim is to make project development far more interactive and engaging and to streamline workflow.
“We can see the walkthrough of the building and get a 3D understanding of what is happening in specific junctions of the architectural concept.” Explains Tenebris Lab Founder Gerard Slee. “Feeling the proportions of spaces, sun studies, materials, view of landmarks (panoramic photo) and offering a real-time experience for ‘design and showcase’ to clients. We have developed a tool that we are truly proud of, for a small team here in Cape Town, our software provides a variety of tools and materials that offer great value for the design community. As an architect myself, and introducing this to my peers, we have had a great reaction from the beginning, and it is only getting better. We have a lot of features on the list to add in the coming months, such as video capture, and we are excited for the next phase of development.”
Compatible with either Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, LUX walker acts as a plug-in application which is compatible “with most 3D modelling programs”. Specifically namechecked are Revit, SketchUp, 3Ds Studio Max, Rhino and Blender. You can see a walkthrough demo of LUX Walker in a video below.
VR continue to be used in all manner of industries, VRFocus will be bringing you more VR and AR news from around the world soon.
via Mint VR