Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do or see in a 3D Visualisation?

The short answer is "almost anything"

A virtual environment isn't limited by the rules of the real world. If you want to fly, that's fine. If you want to be able to see through walls and into enclosures, it's easy. If you want to travel backwards and forwards in time, we can help.

There are some upper limits to how much we can show on the screen at once without slowing down your computer, but as for your content, it can be whatever you imagine.

If you want flying pigs to explode out of the ground and go soaring across the sky singing out the current process variables, we can do it. We might look at you funny - but it can be done.

At the end of the day, what is possible is up to you - you imagine what your ideal solution would be and then let us know what you want to achieve. Our technical experts will discuss what we can do to make your ideal virtual environment come alive.

What can 3D do that 2D can't?

There are a few things that you can do in 3D that are simply impossible using a normal 2D presentation method.

The most obvious of these is present data that is itself three-dimensional, such as information about an area or volume of space.

We have a set of samples of displaying volume measurements, if you are interested in seeing more. Without having a 3D visualisation, it is incredibly difficult to truly understand volume data - but a 3D presentation method make it much, much clearer.

There are also a large number of things 3D does better than 2D. The feeling of immersion - of really being there - is far greater in 3D than 2D. This improves both training, familiarisation and understanding compared to 2D maps or process diagrams.

Will my final product look like a 3D movie?

If you simply want a video, then yes - we may be able to provide a final result that has the smooth lines and realistic look of a modern 3D-generated movie. But if you want your experience to be interactive, it won't be quite that pretty.

We have a detailed explaination of realtime graphics vs pre-rendered graphics on our site - please click the link for an explaination.

How interactive will my experience be?

This is entirely up to you and your needs.

If you just want to make a 'rolling demo' with no user interaction, we have special tools to allow us to create 'scripts' that are automatically controlled - the user only needs to sit and watch.

In the other extreme, the user may have to perform every single task in the correct order, walking from place to place around the environment.

Or you may choose something in between, requiring the user to make choices from time to time, but guiding their experience so that they don't get lost or confused

In fact, the one 3D module can have a number of different levels and types of interaction, depending on the audience you are delivering it to.

Please see our in-depth discussion on levels of interaction for more information