Preserving an iconic Austin landmark in VR
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Background
A VR Preservation
Project
HOPE Outdoor Gallery is a three-story graffiti art park located in Downtown Austin that provides muralists, street artists, and anyone with a can of paint and a vision a place to display large-scale art pieces on an ever-evolving community canvas. Due to the park’s ever-increasing popularity, the HOPE team recently revealed plans to move it from its historic downtown location to a new, larger locale that will provide more wall space and improved accessibility.
Upon hearing the news of HOPE’s big move, our team decided to capture the park in its original location and preserve it in both Virtual and Augmented Reality so it can be enjoyed and explored for years to come.
Behind the Scenes
Volumetric photogrammetry,
as real as it gets.
To accomplish the vision, our team used a combination of standard and drone photography to capture nearly 10,000 high-resolution digital images of the gallery at a variety of angles. Then, using advanced volumetric photogrammetry techniques, the images were used to create a 3D model of the park. Our 3D artists then got to work adding realistic textures and lifelike details – from gently swaying greenery to the entire Austin skyline – bringing the digital graffiti park to life in a truly convincing way.
Work
A Virtual Reality
Walkthrough
To truly capture the experience of visiting the original HOPE Gallery, we created the experience as a totally immersive Virtual Reality walkthrough. Wearing an Oculus or Vive VR headset, users can wander through the park; see detailed, close-up looks of the art; and enjoy the city views as if they were really there themselves.
Work
An Augmented Reality
Tabletop Model
In order to share the HOPE Outdoor Gallery with those who may not have a headset, we also created an Augmented Reality experience that allows users to view a miniature tabletop version of the park through the screens of their mobile devices.
Opportunity
VR and AR for Preservation
Virtual and Augmented Reality offer the best possible ways to preserve historical and iconic locations like the HOPE Outdoor Gallery. And with advanced technologies like volumetric photogrammetry, interactive VR walkthroughs and AR models can be built with increasing detail and realism, resulting in truly captivating experiences that feel shockingly real.
The HOPE Gallery VR Experience is currently on display every Sunday at the Austin Central Library as part of their Technology Petting Zoo.
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