Put Letchworth on the 3D Map!

How can you show anyone how the 3D models from this Competition project look on a map?

• If they are already in Google Earth, the best way is to open Google Earth, turn on the 3D Buildings option, navigate to Letchworth, tilt the view and admire the buildings & scenes.
• For those in the £D Warehouse but not (yet) in Google Earth, you can open ints details, choose Show in Google Earth and save its place mark.
• When you have all the 3D models you want in your of your Google Earth places, Export their place-marks to a KML file. (see a zipped ‘snapshot’ here)
• You can send that to anyone and advise them to import it to Google Maps. Then all of the models will be marked as pins on the map of Letchworth. When they click on a pin, a view and details of that 3D model pops up.
• You  can save your own Google map with those place marks and share it as an image.
• You can also screen-capture and print your map, but if you include the outlying pins the central cluster of pins will be  too crowded to make sense. (see example )

First, install the SketchUp and Google Earth software on your PC, then follow this basic guide on what to do next. Steps for creating a 3D model

It takes you to the point where you have a building shape to which you’ll need to apply photographs (textures) of your own or from Google StreetView. For that, it recommends a 10-minute video that you can watch online.

Note that this “getting started” guide does not address any of the pitfalls you may come across and learn to handle with experience, such as uneven terrain and building surfaces that are not at right-angles! Anyway, Happy Modelling!

Today’s issue of The Comet contains three kinds of publicity for our Awards Finale:

• Advertisement on page iii, the rear inside page of the wrapper: a full page showing our poster. This was generously funded by North Hertfordshire District Council’s Letchworth Area Committee and offered by Alison Pick the Classified Team Leader for Archant Herts and Cambs.
• Your Letchworth, page 28: two paragraphs by Lee Boswell. our Town Centre Manager who will be our compere for the Finale.
• Town & Around notice on page 42: ‘Letchworth 3D Competition Awards’, full details and links, placed by the Local and Tourist Information Centre c/o the Manager, Heather McLaughlin.

Thank you each for this great coverage. We hope to gain some editorial next week to publicise the winners with a group photograph and a report on some surprises!

On BBC Radio 4 today: “On Start the Week, Andrew Marr explores how Britain trains the artists and designers of the future. …” details & listen again when available…

3D printing is mentioned as an example of linking design, science and technology – which were always closely related with manufacturing skills.

We staffed our public stand on Saturday and Sunday in a marquee with the National Museum of Computing (from Bletchley Park). Most people entered the marquee to see the Museum’s personal computers and other equipment from the 1970s/1980s, but also to view our data projection of the 3D models from the Competition.

By the end of the first day we were running out of flyers to engage the visitors, so we had to re-stock those overnight.  Many people came just to gaze at our rolling video clips of the iconic buildings as they rotated through unusual viewpoints; apparently not caring that these were computer models. They also read through various of the many information sheets we had on display.

When we explained what this stand was about, we were frequently asked how the digital modelling was done. Out brief explanation with the ‘four steps of SketchUp’ was inadequate, so we did more on day 2 to inform the visitors as follows:

• We put up the largest posters. Passers-by were reading the one outside the marquee before they entered or reading the one above and behind us as they faced the stand,
• We reprinted the flyers with starting instructions for modelling with SketchUp + Google Earth on the reverse, and we referred to it.
• We set up a second PC with Internet access just to demonstrate the SketchUp/Google Earth process (plus a 1.5 minute video with subtitles for standby). That required a third person on the stand. Thanks to Matt Heaton, the demonstration facility was in demand from when we offered it at lunchtime on day 2 until the close around 3:45. From the public point of view, that provided continuity with the Museum’s computer systems in the rest of the marquee – but with up-to-date interaction and results to show from the application.
• During the afternoon of day 2 we ran a simple poll consisting of a list of the 3D models, asking members of the public to tick any that took their fancy.  This had no firm basis and will not count toward the judging – which is now closed – but served to focus closer attention on the 3D models.
• For added variety on day 2 we considered adding the 3D models that are outside of the Competition (apart from CJ’s – who has chosen not to enter). However we did not do so as we had not recorded video animations of them and had no time to do so within the event.

On the second day we recognised visitors from the first day returning for more information or just for a second look. Many visitors with whom we spoke said that wished they had known of the Competition earlier so as to take part. Overall, numerous visitors took an interest in the results of the Competition and took away details of the Awards Finale, some with the expressed intention of taking part.

THANK YOU to everyone who took part in running our Festival Stand!

We have just had the two symposia at The Hub.

The morning session was about 3D Innovations. We mainly shared career experiences and prospects. The big question was how to retain design jobs in the UK now that tasks can be turned around overseas, ready for the next working day in the UK. We also reviewed and shared the range of local contacts made in the course of this project.

In the afternoon session, Mike Tanti gave us a masterclass in  the use of SketchUp, with examples of his work in sculptural and garden design as a case study.  He showed us some  of the astonishing features available just in the free version of SketchUp. Many thanks, Mike!

We now have the design for the poster and a banner for the Awards Finale. The poster will be printed in various sizes for display and handing out. Low resolution versions are attached below. Let us know if you want to use the high resolution version(s) instead.

POSTER

BANNER

We now have expert help from the following:

• Francesca (Frankie) Oliver to provide the services of Invite Creative Events management to run our Awards Finale on 25 November.
• Mike Tanti to run our SketchUp Design Masterclass event on 30 November.
• Michael Underwood to chair our Sponsors’ Evaluation session on 30 November.

We welcome each with relief and anticipation!

NOTE that after much discussion we have changed the venue of the Awards Finale from 4:00pm start on Sunday 18 November in the Broadway Cinema to 2:00pm for 2:30 start on  Sunday 25 November in the Letchworth Arts Centre. Please pass this announcementon to anyone who is planning to attend or to publicise the event. Entry will be free and there will be refreshments (also free, but donation to a charity welcomed).

.The main reason is that with few entrants (yet many 3D models) the 150-seater theatre would have been far too large for this community event. The Arts Centre is a middle-sized venue that is well suited for our needs in terms of screening. exhibiting, communicating and celebrating the Awards!

We expect to confirm a change of date and venue for our Awards Finale, to be abbounced mid  Friday 10 November:

• from a ticketed event in the Broadway Cinema from 4pm to 6pm on Sunday 18 November
• to a free event at the Arts Centre from 2pm to 3:30pm on Sunday 25 November.

This change is proposed due to there being few entrants. However they created many 3D models of high quality that merit a more interactive screening than a cinema theatre allowed. Please watch this space…