Understanding Virtual Design Studios

ISBN-13: 9781852331542 / Angielski / Miękka / 1999 / 236 str.

Mary L. Maher;Simeon J. Simoff;Anna Cicognani

Opis

The idea of a Virtual Design Studio (VDS) has been around for many years. In the early days, establishing a way of transferring documents by file transfer was enough to establish a virtual design studio. Our expectations are greater now. Along with document transfer, we expect to be able to work with others at a distance as if they were in the same physical room. We have seen how email, video conferences, and shared whiteboards can provide environments in which we can do many of the things we are used to doing face to face. The internet has changed the way we communicate at a personal level and now affects the way we work professionally. Along with the new technology and the initial excitement, we have also experienced frustration when our expectations are beyond the capability for the technology to deliver. This frustration is due to the relative immaturity of software solutions to collaboration, and also due to the lack of software support for designing. We cannot just take a set of tools off the shelf and create a virtual design studio. We first need to understand what is possible in a virtual design studio, and then understand what the technology can provide. At a more fundamental level, we need to understand the differences between working in the physical presence of our collaborators and using technology to allow us to communicate at a distance.

Spis treści

One: Basic Concepts.- One: The Concept of A Virtual Design Studio.- 1.1 Scenario.- 1.2 Experiences.- 1.3 Observations.- 1.4 Directions.- References.- Two: Network Technology.- 2.1 TCP/IP Communication.- 2.2 The Internet.- 2.3 The World Wide Web.- 2.4 Implications.- References.- Three: Digital Design Media.- 3.1 Images.- 3.2 CAD and 3D Models.- 3.3 Text.- 3.4 Hypermedia.- 3.5 Summary.- References.- Two: Communication and Representation.- Four: Communication in a Virtual Environment.- 4.1 Computer Mediated Communication.- 4.2 Communication Tools.- 4.2.1 Asynchronous Tools: Email, List Servers, Bulletin Boards.- Email.- List Servers.- Bulletin Boards.- 4.2.2 Synchronous Tools: Chat, Video Conference, Broadcast.- IRC, ICQ and Chatting Systems.- Video Conference.- Broadcast.- 4.3 Virtual Worlds.- 4.3.1 Communication in a Text-Based VW.- 4.3.2 Navigation in Text-Based VW.- 4.3.3 Actions in a Text-Based VW.- 4.4 Use Of Communication Tools in a VDS.- 4.4.1 Effective Use Of Communication Tools in a VDS.- 4.4.2 Alternative Communication Channels.- 4.5 Summary.- References.- Five: Shared Representation in a Vds.- 5.1. The Roles of Shared Representation.- 5.2. Structuring Shared Representations as Hypermedia.- 5.2.1 Structural Consistency.- 5.2.2 Labels And Information Retrieval.- 5.2.3 Dynamic Versus Static Linking.- 5.3 The Content of Shared Representation.- 5.3.1 Activity/Space Ontology.- 5.3.2 Function/Behaviour/Structure Ontology.- 5.4 Shared Representation — Ontology and Hypermedia.- References.- Three: The Shared Environment.- Six: The Distributed Design Studio.- 6.1 Loosely Coupled Desktop.- 6.1.1 Integration Agreements and Interface Design.- 6.1.2 Management and Collaboration.- 6.1.3 Communication and Collaboration.- 6.1.4 Handling Project Information, Library Support and Documentation.- 6.1.5 Diversity and Discontinuity in Loosely Coupled VDS.- 6.2 The Tightly Integrated VDS Desktop.- 6.2.1 Integration Agreements and Interface Design.- 6.2.2 Management and Collaboration.- 6.2.3 Communication and Collaboration.- 6.2.4 Handling Project Information, Library Support and Documentation.- 6.2.5 Customisation and Further Automation in a Tightly Integrated VDS.- 6.3 Recapitulation.- References.- Seven: A Centralised VDS Environment.- 7.1 The Desktop Metaphor.- 7.1.1 Habanera.- 7.1.2 TeamWave.- 7.2 The Place Metaphor.- 7.2.2 Virtual Realities.- Colony City.- Activeworlds.- The Cave Environment.- 7.2.3 Virtual Worlds.- StudioMOO.- 7.3 Beyond Metaphors.- References.- Epilogue.- Appendix: Web Resources.- A.1 General Information for Virtual Design Studios.- A.2 Communication Resources.- A.3 Virtual Worlds.- Author Information.