First there was Java, then there was ICEvision®. ICEvision is to visual communication in design what Java has been to computer programming. That’s no accident; James Gosling who invented Java programming language collaborated on development of ICEvision.
Created by Ice Edge Business Solutions, ICEvision is a radical new tool for visualizing three-dimensional environments. Architects, designers and engineers can easily share their work to help clients understand the three-dimensional qualities of buildings, mechanical systems and interiors.
Many clients are not trained to read blueprint or shop drawings; they find themselves depending on a designer’s assurance that design plans meet the project's criteria. ICEvision makes it easy for future building occupants to verify for themselves whether the design is what they had anticipated. It gives them the opportunity to provide feedback to the design team and request changes in a timely way.
Features of ICEvision
ICEvision was created as a visualization tool for design professionals already working in a 3D environment. Images can be viewed on a PC, Mac or iPhone. It builds on the ICE® platform, moving from 2D to 3D imaging. Features of the software include:
- ICEvision leverages other software like Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD Architecture, 3ds Max and Google SketchUp Pro; the ICEvision tool does not require ICE software
- ICEvision allows architects and designers to find errors and conduct design reviews
- ICEvision enhances current 3D software with a user-friendly interface that allows even novices to take a virtual tour at the click of a mouse
Licensed at a cost of $77 per month to users, that makes using ICEvision considerably cheaper and a lot faster than sending drawings and renderings via courier. Most companies spend several times that amount daily in courier fees and printing alone.
The customer requires only a computer and Internet connection to enjoy a virtual tour in the comfort of his or her own office. The designer simply sends an email with a link to the ICEvision website. Clients then take a predesigned tour created by the design team, with annotations describing what the customer is seeing.
ICEvision and Applications beyond Design
The software has proven its worth at DIRTT and is a hit with several contract furniture manufacturers: Knoll, Allsteel, Gunlocke and HON to name four. Their online catalogs can now be treated as the entry point to a virtual tour of a facility, such as a classroom setting, open plan office or boardroom. A visit to the Ice Edge website provides examples of how the design industry is using ICEvision.
ICEvision can be used for animating a building design or doing a bird-in-the-sky tour of a facility or site. DIRTT continues to explore other applications, including adding voice over. The only limit to its use is human ingenuity, and there is no lack of that among the design team responsible for developing it.
Andree Iffrig - Andrée Iffrig LEED AP is a writer and award-winning graduate architect. She uses her broad background in environmental design and ...
