Independent Study week 7

RE- uploading the model:

First of all, I have found some components not uploading into Crysis3, although they appears in the list of Geom Entity.
So I went back to SketchUp model, articulated the problems and re-uploaded the model into crysis.
Mostly the problem  was found in the components with large number of polygons, I was able to re-upload them by cleaning up the over-wrapped surfaces and lines.

Crysis:

The next stage for our team is to create the flowgraph.

My intention is to create the interactivity that relates with the Critical path analysis that I have made last week, which should help the presentation of the construction process clear.

I have created a couple of simple flowgraphs as shown.

When the game starts:

The player is placed at the specified point.

All of the weapons are removed from the player. 

Hide all of the components of the building. 

When the "k" key is pressed:

 Starts the constructing the building for the Stage 1. 

Show the information of the each component in text. 

When the "i" key is pressed:

Do the same as "k" for Stage 2 construction. 

And this is the demo of the construction process in Crysis.
Crysis first test

Somehow, I would like to edit this so that the user can pose this operation and look around the building in the middle of it.


Presentation on the theme of collaboration:

Also, we are doing the presentation about "conflict" this is my speaker's note for the powerpoint slides.

Speakers note for our presentation: 
Flowing is my speakers note for our  presentation which topic is "conflict". 


Prevention Strategies:

1: Critical path analysis

This Critical path analysis was developed in our project to help the group to cooperate and to assist in allocation of tasks to avoid over lapping and to avoid conflict.

Also this is the reminder of our work for the each steps.

The Critical path analysis was divided into 3 stages to potentially suit the interests of each group member.

Stage 1: Foundation and footing

Such as presenting excavation process, placement of reinforcing mesh, retaining wall.

Stage 2: Framing of the building

Such as framing timber walls, floor and roofs. They are carpentry work. 

Stage 3: Finishing and fitting out.

                Such as wall close up, covering the roof and Interior lining.

This enables group members to work on separate file and avoid overlapping and minor discrepancies between different trades (or modeling procedures).

Basically we have completed creating components for the main activities.

During these main activities are presented some of the sub activities need to be treated.

For example: while the steel reinforcing meshes are placed, the plumbing rough-in needs to the places at the same time as well. So the person worked on the main activity can decides to create the components for the sub-activities because the person is more familiar of the particular stage.

We can keep some of the Stage 3 activities optional, in case of work overload. So we do not have impossible project outcome towards the end.

We needed to have the rough of the model of the building to be able to produce the critical path analysis.

2: Check list of tasks

This is to ensure that each item on critical path analysis has been detailed and completed.

Each component are categorized with the number of the activity with the list of components, name of the layers in SketchUp, texture file name, if the model is imported into Crysis or not as well as the name person in charge.

This makes easier for everyone to check what needs to be done next and especially when we are working at home. Also we can articulate the error easier and go back to the previous stages or discuss with the person was in charge.

Also we can add any components on the list when needed or discuss about what is missing from the model by looking at the list.

3:  Sharing total information.

Blog and wiki need to communicate both ways between all group members

Eg: Researches, construction details and update for procedures to share ideas and assist in collaborative production.

4: Negotiation

When ideas are not aligned negotiation via internet discussion can help to put the group on one pathway.

6 important keys to resolution strategies

1. Listening
2. Open mindedness
3. Act immediately
4. Get together and talk one to one
5. Think about the other person’s needs
6. Mediation

Resolution strategies:

Listening:

 The key to clear communication and negotiation of conflict.

We need to listen carefully to each other when differences cane up about our production of the project.

Open mindedness:

It is important to be clear thinking open minded and honest in all negotiations. And to clarify any Assumptions, personality differences, isms, conflict of interest and hidden agenda and to deal with them so the project can go forward positively.

Act immediately:

Immediate action on any conflict is essential because if it continues it distracts the progress and often builds up into much stronger negativity.

Get together and talk one to one:

Talking in person is very effective when two team members disagree about part of the project.

This can help clarify the issues before any future action on developments.

Our tutorial session’s help by sharing what each of us are doing.

Think about the other person’s needs:

The each person in the team has different agendas and timetables and various needs.

To project ourselves into their position can help to understand why the conflict may have happened.

Mediation:

If conflict is continuing mediation will be necessary to make the project successful.

Arrange the next stage as soon as possible to ensure that resolving the conflict is the top priority. 

Reference:

George Wilie and Stuart Arden, Building your own home; Comprehensive guide for owner builders, New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd, 2003.

Work place conflict resolution tips and strategies,  http://www.mindfulmediation.com.au/workplace-conflict-resolution/, Mindful Mediation, 2012\

Week 7: Presentation feed back

Group presentation 2: Communication by Shadows of Black 

Grade: DN

Clarity of the oral presentation:

The presentation was well organized especially orally.

The topic was well communicated. Although the topics of each person seemed to be a little bit unclear,  there was a lot of information covered verbally and it was easy to absorb the meninges.

They were introducing the idea of the internal and external communication methods clearly that was evocative.

Clarity of the written presentation:

The power point slide was done nicely, visually clear and interesting.

Dot point was used and the each pints were framed meaningfully that communicated well to the audiences. The slide moved through in the good speed that I was willing to take a note off the slide.

Distinctiveness and specificity of the examples:

The example of the collaboration was shown by using the video and the whole presentation distinctive. The use of the online communication sources were presented well.

Referencing:

I did not notice any referencing… May be I missed it or could have been there at the end of the slides.??

The conceptual context:

The strong understanding each team member of their own project clearly. The way they are using the communication tools such as Wiki and Youtube experimenting them through their project was talked about clearly. It can lead towards the good discussion.

Main concept of the communication was referred to their project, which made the concept of communication. Intention of the team’s communication methods seems to work effectively for collaboration.

The still images:

The images could have had more connection in the content or some of them could have been excluded from the slide since, the videos was included in the presentation. 

Week 6 - Presentation feed back

Clarity of the oral presentation:

The outline of the topic was very clear, it shows that each individual of the group has done a good amount of research.

The division of the topic was made nicely. Intention of what they want to say was clearly shown verbally.

Clarity of the written presentation:

Good titling of  each slide and each point highlighted very well so that it was easy for the audience to understand. 

Power Point was graphically clean, especially it was written in dot points and interesting layout.  

Distinctiveness  and specificity of examples:

It was showing that they had organized their work flow according to what they learned from the research of planning.

There was an intention of the quality in planning and the management of the project. It is a good way to refer to other team member’s tasks and efforts. This made the presentation clearer.

Referencing: 

Referencing was mentioned during the feedback discussion. Maybe this can be improved by labelling each image in the slides.

The conceptual context:

There was a strong connection between the topic, which was planning and their own project, so they showed that they understood that concept of their research and the theme.

The still images:

It could have been easier if there was less text on the slides, but the idea was delivered clearly so it was an aspect of the oral presentation as a whole.  I guess it is a result of the well prepared and managed presentation. 

Week 6 Independent Study

Listening to the presentation that 3rd Contact made today.
I have realized that our team is lucking organization and planning although we have mad a back brief.There was no indication of anyone following it, perhaps because we do not have a clear picture of what we what to achieve and how to do it.

So I have decided to create a diagram of our work flow by using critical path analysis, which can be used for the presentation in Crysis3.

The team member of 3rd construct have a clear individual tasks so that the whole member seems to know there the works were produced, it would be beneficial that, each week we work on the task with the clear the procedure and enough sources of information such as size of each component following the Australian standard, the images of the details and joineries and textures that we are using.

I have been uploading a large amount of work and information but they were not in particular order for my team member to be able to use efficiently.

Also, If we can have a check list of what need to be done in each stages with the finished schedule, each time the works been done people can check the list and pick the next possible part of work need to be done.

I did some planning as follows:

Cleaning up the SketchUp model:

I have excluded the details that we don't need. Previously, I placed the model in groups in order to upload them in Crysis3, so I created components for the each parts and placed them under the different layers with the number of the each bubbles from the critical analysis, and sat the axes at one corner of the building so that we can lock all of the components into 1 building in Crysis3.
I also duplicated a folder into 3 for the each structural stages, and locked all of unused components for the particulate stages.
We can work on 3 separated files, which would make easier for us to indicate which part of the model needs to be amended, if we have a problem during the transformation between SketchUp and Crysis.

Organizing Wiki:

Created the link to Situation Engines on our Wiki and asked everyone to install Crysis 3.
Placed our back brief on the homepage so it would be a reminder of our objective and goal.
Created pages for each week with the each weeks tasks.
Edited the previous pages for people to be able to read easier.


Dividing the construction stages into 3:

1. Foundation stage:  foundation, concrete footings and brick work at the excavated level.
2. Framing stage: walls floors, roofs (carpenters work) and stairs
3. Completion stage: Insulation, roof cover, upper level external brick skin and handrails, interior linings, plumbing   completion, tiling, lighting and cleaning

Creating better critical path analysis:

I have created one previously at very early stage of the project by following "Building your own home" by George Wiki republished in 2003, which we never used but I thought that it would be useful to us if I reproduce it in better detail. Since I have divided the project into 3 stages, I created an analyses for each stages in flowgraph format.
There would be a clearer picture of what needs to be done next to the team member and collaboration could be made easier.

It could be ideal to complete most of the work including flowgraph  in Crysis3 for the stage 1 first, we will have a experience of creating the interactivity with the simpler model, then move onto the stage 2, in the main time another team members can work on finalizing the sketch up model d for stage 2 and 3.

The analysis that I followed form "Building your own home".

The first critical path analysis I made in week 3.

New analysis: Stage 1 -  Analysis flowgraph 

Stage 2 -  Analysis flowgraph 

Stage 3 - Analysis flowgraph 

Creating a check list:

I listed all of the components needed in our building, differentiated the existing models and one to be done by colour I considered that we will need to collaborate well to avoid using too many textures, which would loose the clarity of the model visually and to be time efficient, so  I named some components the same.

Check list for the stage 1 and 2 

Providing information about our presentation scheme examples:

Further to the discussion we had with Steve and objective of our brief. We can create the interactivity in Crysis3 showing the process of the construction and what happens in the particular stages.
I corrected some information about the stage 1 and uploaded some links to the videos.
One of them was explaining the way concrete slabs were constructed very clearly.

Home Building 3 - How to Build a house! Concrete Slab Const

Providing information about Crysis3:

To go to the next stage I thought that we all needed to be familiarized Crysis since none of us has used the new version of Crysis yet.
I have uploaded some useful links to it as well as creating the link to Situation Engine under the menu, asked my team member to try using it and I had go at it myself.

Providing too many information could cause the confusion so I tried to keep it as simple as possible, which could be time effective.
I found that the web site from ARCH 1011 would be the easiest people(or me) to follow since we all have done the course and followed the same pattern of the video tutorials previously.

http://russelllowe.com/arch1101_2013/experiment2/reference/week_01.html

And I uploaded them on wiki under Week 5, contacted my team members asking if it is feasible and amended that part that can be improved. Also I made the list of what should be done this week's independent study with some information for them on wiki.


Modelling:

In addition to above I worked on modelling further.
I combined the components that the team members created, which are windows, doors, a floor slab and a timber stud wall.

Imported models from other team members, before combining them.

As we discussed in the meeting during the mid-semester break. We want to use the wall type that is suitable for the excavation. We have decided to use double brick wall on the ground floor and timber stud all or brick veneer for upper floor.
So I finalized the wall type and made necessarily adjustments in SketchUp.

Double brick wall lower level. 

Double brick wall at the lower level

External view 

To follow the original model in Revit. I have used the double brick wall on the lower level, used the double brick wall, created the external timber stud wall with the weather boards the timber studs needed to be lined up too the outside of the brick wall, so I brought the floor joists and timber framing out to the external wall, joists are supported by the internal skin of the double brick wall and kind of cantilevered out above the external brick skin.

 Section view showing the timber wall and the brick veneer wall.

Since I have completed modelling the main structure of the building, supposedly the next stage for our team is to start uploading those into Crysis3 and test them to see if everything work or not.

So, I tried uploading our Sketch up model into Crysis3. The new version seems to be much easier to work with than the previous version. The new version of "PlayUp tool" seems to upload the entire model in once. 

Some of the Components uploaded in crysis3

Not all of the components are updated correctly, I articulated some of the problems by going through layers in SketchUp and Crysis. 

Half of the components are missing from the entire model. 

The list of components uploaded from SketchUp.

There some components went under "playgroup". 

Texture: 

I have noticed that the texture makes the significant difference in the presentation. So I did some research on how to create the texture realistic in Crysis. I did some tests by following video tutorials.  Further research should be done but the texture became reasonably realistic by adjusting the material editor.

CRYENGINE 3 MATERIALS - VOLUME 1 by Eat3D

 The one on the left is the texture from material folder in Crysis, my custom texture on the right.