Agent Model and its Applications in 3D Virtual Design Environment

摘要

The collaborative designs in 3D virtual environments increasingly become fascinating works in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction world. Critical issues of 3D Virtual Design Environment include multi-user's synchronous collaboration and the share of design processes and results. This paper puts forward a new idea that describes each object as an agent model in design environment. All the elements of the design environment are monitored and notified automatically of any changes through sensors and effectors embedded within agents. Agent actively transfers object modification through messages. A new conceptual framework for data sharing based on the agent model is also proposed to integrate the 3D GIS world and AEC world. The agent model not only can describe spatial characteristics and attributes of geometric models, but also has a reasoning component according to the rules within a knowledge set. The reasoning component includes sensation, perception, conception, hypothesizer and action. Finally, this paper illustrates a prototype system of 3D collaborative VE for highway design (called CoRoadVR).