A 3D City Model Used as User-interface for an Energy-system

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Abstract

At CUPUM 2009 the project “Object Oriented Visualization of Urban Energy
Consumption” was presented, explaining the technology behind the visualization of an energy-model connected to a 3D city model. This paper presents the subsequent work involving the final design, the user involvement and the overall results after the system has been used at the Bright Green Exhibition connected to the COP15 conference in Copenhagen.

This paper presents the empirical findings of the attempt to use a 3D city model as user-interface. The system gave the user the possibility to try out different scenarios of combinations of the energy-consumption and energy-production for an entire city. The interface was supposed to help especially nonprofessionals, among them politicians, to better perceive the numbers and graphs adjoining the 3D model in a combined view.

Only very few systems have been developed for this kind of interaction, why the design guide lines for this development was a mix of believe and trial and error. To minimize the developing time and induce a steeper learning curve, it was obvious to use similar techniques for the different inputs and controls. Though the energy model, behind the visualization, could handle a lot more input parameters, only 6 different but important ones where implemented and could be adjusted. The assumption was that the handling of too many parameters would confuse more then benefit the user.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication12th International Conference on Computers in Urban Planning and Urban Management : Book of Abstracts
EditorsJohn Douglas Hunt, John Abraham
Number of pages1
Place of PublicationAlberta
PublisherUniversity of Calgary
Publication date2011
Pages37-37
Publication statusPublished - 2011
Event12th International Conference on Computers in Urban Planning and Urban Management - Lake louise, AB, Canada
Duration: 5 Jul 20118 Jul 2011

Conference

Conference12th International Conference on Computers in Urban Planning and Urban Management
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityLake louise, AB
Period05/07/201108/07/2011

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