Your company is ready for a corporate boardroom upgrade with multiple 4K UHD display screens, sophisticated telepresence systems, control system, and a speaker’s podium with a touchscreen that gives the presenter access to the room’s technology systems. But you’re not sure. You’re afraid some of the seats won’t have a clear view of the screens. You don’t know if you need another touchscreen on the conference table….You doubt everything from the size of the table to the color of the walls. If only you could see it all – before it was done. Fortunately, today’s virtual reality technology makes that a possibility. By providing our clients with 360-degree, 3D renderings, viewable in their web browser on any screen, the New Era Technology, PA team has discovered the cost-saving and time-saving benefits of virtual reality first-hand. “A lot of times a client will hear what we say, but because they can’t see it in front of them, they don’t understand what they’re getting,” says Susan Lucci, New Era-PA’s Director of Design. “We’re using virtual reality as a tool to solve problems and communicate our designs in a different way than we’ve done before.” And the results have been game-changing for the New Era-PA AV Design and Sales teams and their clients. “Clients are eating this up,” says Design Engineer Darren Brown, who designs the VR renderings using a SketchUp software plug-in. “They are impressed with the technology and appreciative of how we are using all the tools we have to design a system that caters to their needs.” Brown was instrumental in introducing the technology to the Sales Engineering team as a way to present projects more dynamically and engagingly, providing visual clarity of the proposed deliverable and minimize scope creep. “A lot of this came about because Darren has a passion for the technology and recognized a business need for it, enabling us to offer something that sets us apart in the industry,” Lucci says.
In spite of the advanced virtual reality algorithms at use, the renders couldn’t be easier to view. After the New Era design team creates the renderings in SketchUp 3D modeling software, the team uploads the 3D designs to a website. The client can view them on any internet-connected device, from a laptop or desktop monitor, a conference room display screen, or even a smartphone, by clicking a hyperlink or scanning a QR code. View New Era render used to showcase lighting, glass, and other textures along with the technology to present a photorealistic experience. “We wanted to make the experience quick, simple, and effective so people would be more likely to use it. We felt this was the best way the client could have the VR experience without having to download an app or software,” Brown says. The room comes to life, allowing viewers to gauge line-of-sight limitations, aesthetics, and the overall atmosphere of the room before the project even begins. Viewers can “pan” around the room using arrows on the screen or, when using a mobile device, by turning around to see the room from different vantage points, creating a true virtual reality experience. New Era also has branded VR viewers they can provide to clients at their request although, for many clients, experiencing a VR model of the room on their smartphone is enough to bring the project to life.
How New Era’s 3D, Virtual Reality Renderings Work
