exploring thule culture: constructing virtual worlds for 3d theatres richard m. levy, phd peter...

Exploring Thule Culture:Constructing virtual worlds for 3D theatres

Richard M. Levy, PhD Peter Dawson, PhD

• Background– Competition– Venue – Submission

• Constraints– Thematic– Technical

– Design • Story • Assets• The work to date



• Background: Competition– Competition for virtual 3D

content that will be shown in Paris at the La Geode sponsored by Dessault Systemes:

– New concepts for the general public based on real-time 3D and virtual reality are emerging every year. Being simple, user-friendly and interactive, they are are aimed at the broadest audience

– Work in progress

• 8 Semi-finalist

• April 2009 - Decision by selection committee

• Background: Competition– Competition for virtual 3D

content that will be shown in Paris at the La Geode sponsored by Dessault Systemes:

– New concepts for the general public based on real-time 3D and virtual reality are emerging every year. Being simple, user-friendly and interactive, they are are aimed at the broadest audience

– Work in progress

• 8 Semi-finalist

• April 2009 - Decision by selection committee



• Background: Competition– Creating new content

• Background: Competition– Creating new content



• Background: Competition– Creating new content: Khufu Revealed, Jean-Pierre Houdin

• Background: Competition– Creating new content: Khufu Revealed, Jean-Pierre Houdin



• Background: Venue– Imax Theatre upgrade 2007

– Hemispheric Screen - 1000m2

– Largest VR theatre in the world – seating for 400

• Issues– How interactive is a virtual

environment with one person at the controls?




• Issues– How interactive is a virtual

environment with one person at the controls?



• Background: Venue– Location - Parc de la Villette

at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Inustrie in Paris

• Background: Venue– Location - Parc de la Villette

at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Inustrie in Paris



• Background: Submission– Constraints

• Thematic:

– History and Civilization

– Science and Technology

– Human Adventure

– Nature

– Great Discovery


• Thematic:

– History and Civilization

– Science and Technology

– Human Adventure

– Nature

– Great Discovery




• Technical:

– PC Cluster/NVIDIA

– 6 Passive Projectors: Barco (6000 lumens)

– Each image 25 m wide

– Interactive world

» Challenge – with an audience of 400?

– Virtools 4.1


• Technical:

– PC Cluster/NVIDIA

– 6 Passive Projectors: Barco (6000 lumens)

– Each image 25 m wide

– Interactive world

» Challenge – with an audience of 400?

– Virtools 4.1




• Budget

– Modest for Phase 1

– Solution:

» Use existing Assets

» Use exiting scripts


• Budget

– Modest for Phase 1

– Solution:

» Use existing Assets

» Use exiting scripts



VR Cameras: Right (2), Front (1), Left (3), Floor (4)


Views from the CAVE



• A virtual kayak provides you with the means to explore the world of myth and natural phenomena– Objects in the physical world are

linked to artifacts associated with the myths and culture of the Inuit.

• A virtual kayak provides you with the means to explore the world of myth and natural phenomena– Objects in the physical world are

linked to artifacts associated with the myths and culture of the Inuit.

Day ArisesFrom its sleepDay wakes upWith the dawning lightAlso you must ariseAlso you must awakeTogether with the day which comes

Thule Eskimo , Lewis p. 27





• The proposed virtual can be viewed as four separate worlds or objects making use of existing assets – Worlds

– Scanned artifacts



• Existing Assets– An Inuit kayak



• Existing Worlds– Thule Whalebone

House – the final destination in the Raven’s World is you home built from the bones of a baleen whale



• Existing Worlds:– Inuit Sod House – In

a village in near the Mackenzie Delta the ancestors of the Thule built their homes out of driftwood and sod



Storyboard: Raven’s Story


Opening Scene


Richard M. Levy, PhD Peter Dawson, PhDRichard M. Levy, PhD Peter Dawson, PhD

First Clue

Storyboard: Raven’s StoryDay ArisesFrom its sleepDay wakes upWith the dawning lightAlso you must ariseAlso you must awakeTogether with the day which comes






Sedna


I am Sedna - You have found your first clue. - It is a whale oil lamp that keeps homes in the North lit and warm. Whales blubber is the fuel that burns in these lamps during the cold winter months. As an Inuit hunter you must have great respect for me, Sedna the Goddess of the sea and of the whales who live in my domain. All who paddle their kayaks on the northern seas know that when I am angry, the seas are violent and storms and strong. Now the sea is calm. When I combs my long black hair I free the seals and other animals which you must depend on for sustenance. http://american.edu/TED/eskimo.htmhttp://www.hvgb.net/~sedna/story.html





Off to the next clue





Sedna Swimming

I am Sedna - You have found your first clue. - It is a whale oil lamp that keeps homes in the North lit and warm. Whales blubber is the fuel that burns in these lamps during the cold winter months. As an Inuit hunter you must have great respect for me, Sedna the Goddess of the sea and of the whales who live in my domain. All who paddle their kayaks on the northern seas know that when I am angry, the seas are violent and storms and strong. Now the sea is calm. When I combs my long black hair I free the seals and other animals which you must depend on for sustenance. http://american.edu/TED/eskimo.htm





Whale Clue





Whale Skeleton

For the Inuit the whale was an important source of food and building material. The blubber was used to light his lamp and as a source of food. The bones, sinew and skin were used to build homes, sleds, boats and tools of all kind. For the Inuit, sharing the bounties of the whale is a festive occasion which celebrates the mysteries of life.





Whale Skeleton





Dancing Bear

The bear, represents the king of the arctic animals. The Inuit believe that after death you will return as an animal, continuing the chain of life. The Bear represents is the "king" of the animal kingdom To return as a polar bear is a position of great regard, that is why we dance, to show my pleasure and joy. This is the legend of the dancing bear.





Raven overhead will lead the way





Raven





I am the raven, the trickster. You now know how much I like to paddle my kayak. Many years ago, I was paddling my kayak and wondered what does it look like inside a whale so I waited until a whale yawned and walked inside. With a line attached to a whale tooth, walked deep inside to find a dancing girl strapped to the hear of the whale.

I said to her, I am Raven. I made the world. Will you come with me into the world and be my wife? The maiden replied, "Raven, I cannot leave the whale. I am the heart and the soul of the whale. But if you want to stay here and keep me company, that would make me happy." The raven pulled his beak back down over his face and covered his arms with his wings. He grabbed the girl. He heard the strings snap as he flew with her out of the whale up into the sky.

As the Raven I heard the whale thrashing below in the ocean. He watched the whale's body as it was tossed by the waves onto the shore. The whale was dead and the girl in his arms grew smaller and smaller and disappeared. For weeks I cried and cried, then I danced and sang for weeks and then I flew back up into the sky. From that point on, I have promised all humans and the animals that I would always return to this world as long as we cared for one another, understanding that everything in this world lives and dies and that all human and animal have hearts and souls. The raven cried his first tears and his dance and song of grief and healing were his first.





Raven





Gull Clue

One day a Nugumiut was out caribou-hunting. A monster sea-gull walked towards him and picked him up, and flew away towards the sea. Nugumiut became very much afraid, and thought of trying to kill the gull with his knife. He kept on stabbing the seagull with his knife until it fell into the sea. Nugumiut to pulled out two large feathers from the bird, tied them together to form a paddle. After many hours he paddled the gull to the shore. From that time on, Nugumiut was no longer afraid of anything.





Skull of the whale

You have made it safely to shore. You are now outside a house made of the bones of several whales. Many of these bones were found along the shoreline. In building these houses, the mandibles, cranium and maxillars formed the basis of these tent like structures. Tied together with strips of hide, these tent like structures would be covered first with animal skins then layers of sod would protect you from the wind and cold.



• Planned Improvements to existing world– Laser scanning of

actual Inuit artifacts to replace the 3D models of Sedna




actual Inuit artifacts to replace the 3D model of the raven




actual Inuit artifacts to replace the 3D model of the dancing bear




actual Inuit artifacts to replace the 3D models of the gull



Storyboard: Inside Thule Whale Bone House


Exterior Views





Interior View





Movie: Construction Process





Movie: Making a Harpoon





Movie: Making Clothing



• Inuit Sod House – In a village in near the Mackenzie Delta the ancestors of the Thule built their homes out of driftwood and sod



Storyboard: Inside an Inuit Sod House





DEMO

Richard M. Levy, PhD

Producer

Modeler, Programmer

Peter Dawson, PhD

Archaeologist

Voiceovers

Richard M. Levy

Elizabeth E. Dickson

2009



Cameras: Gull Camera - 8


exploring thule culture: constructing virtual worlds for 3d theatres richard m. levy, phd peter...

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