VISTA VISUAL IMPACT SIMULATION TECHNICAL AID

Abstract

VISTA is a 3-D colour perspective package with hidden surface elimination being developed at the Architecture & Building Aids Computer Unit, Strathclyde (ABACUS). It is an attempt to model the visual reality of both the interior and exterior of buildings. It is designed to handle a range of applications with different levels of detail, from city-scapes where the elements of the model represent complete buildings, to the interior of a room where the elements represent the walls and furnishings. Part of the model consists of a colour rendering procedure which allows the prediction of surface colours and allows for the display of shadows. In fact VISTA can be used to model a wide range of artifacts not restricted to the architectural field.