Smart Villages 2

The integration of planning data into an urban digital twin (UDZ) is an essential prerequisite for being able to use UDZ as a planning tool. To this end, it is necessary to create interfaces between UDZ and the established BIM methodology in the field of architecture. In the Smart Villages 2 project, this will initially take place at visualisation level. BIM models can be very detailed and are stored in data formats that are not designed for web-based 3D visualisation. The aim is to investigate the extent to which BIM models can be used automatically in a streaming-based visualisation framework such as Cesium. In addition to data conversion, particular challenges here are model simplification and georeferencing.

Which methods are suitable for integrating BIM models in IFC format into an urban digital twin at visualisation level, for example to use planned construction projects in a web-based 3D visualisation for public information and participation?

A concept for the integration of IFC models in urban digital twins is developed and evaluated using a prototype implementation. For this purpose, methods for data conversion and model simplification are analysed and evaluated. In addition to the data volume to be transferred in a web-based 3D visualisation, this also includes the creation of operating elements that enable georeferencing and local manipulation of the converted model.

The end result will be a prototype application that automatically inserts georeferenced BIM models into an urban digital twin via a web-based interface with intuitive user interaction. The results will also be made available open source as a basis for further scientific work.