<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> With a growing interest in the use of virtual reality (VR) for dissemination of cultural heritage sites, the question of how to leverage existing documentation as content for virtual experiences becomes a potentially valuable opportunity. Notably, as sites are increasingly documented with building information modelling (BIM) for the purposes of conservation, there is potential to give these models a second life as content for public education and promotion. However, although software exist for viewing BIM in VR headsets, they are inadequate for complex models typical of heritage buildings, and lack functionality for integrating custom didactic content and storytelling. To make BIM performative in VR and allow for custom content, a workflow was developed to translate BIM into game engine scenes — which optimizes geometry following performance guidelines of VR while maintaining the high visual fidelity of the BIM. As a case study, six heritage spaces of the Centre Block of the Canadian Parliament which had been previously documented and modelled by CIMS were prepared for Unity3D, enabling their later use in a storytelling experience.</p>

Cultural heritage researchers have recently begun applying Building Information Modelling (BIM) to historic buildings. The model is comprised of intelligent objects with semantic attributes which represent the elements of a building structure and are organised within a 3D virtual environment. Case studies in Ireland are used to test and develop the suitable systems for (a) data capture/digital surveying/processing (b) developing library of architectural components and (c) mapping these architectural components onto the laser scan or digital survey to relate the intelligent virtual representation of a historic structure (HBIM). While BIM platforms have the potential to create a virtual and intelligent representation of a building, its full exploitation and use is restricted to narrow set of expert users with access to costly hardware, software and skills. The testing of open BIM approaches in particular IFCs and the use of game engine platforms is a fundamental component for developing much wider dissemination. The semantically enriched model can be transferred into a WEB based game engine platform.

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Although virtual reality provides much new unexplored territory for presenting and disseminating cultural heritage, operating VR headsets and controllers remains challenging for new users. By taking advantage of the tools available within the Unreal Engine game engine, the ergonomics of the Oculus Rift motion controllers, and certain principles of storytelling; one can develop a set of strategies for making the use of virtual reality more accessible and intuitive, allowing for new possibilities in the dissemination of built cultural heritage to a general audience. Therefore his paper aims to provide concrete examples of how to produce more effective VR tools for cultural heritage dissemination.</p>

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is project will tell the story of a site by making a videogame.Exploring the boundaries of the tangible, this project tells the story of a place, Cusheon Cove on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. It aims to explore the intersection between digital representation in architecture and in videogames, while considering narrative structures that bring together memories of place and imaginary space through the production of digital storytelling.