See it before it's built: visualization technology is cheaper, faster, and more precise than drawing proposed road projects by hand

Public Roads, May-June, 2002 by Richard E. McDaniel

Hardware and Software Requirements

Still photograph DV can be carried out using any modern desktop computer, but video animation typically calls for more specialized high-end workstations. The data for each picture frame need to be "crunched" at high-speeds, such as 30 frames per second. A few years ago, we had to let the computers process the information overnight to produce an animated simulation. Now, thanks to the tremendous increases in computing power, what used to take 12 hours takes only an hour.

My own hardware consists of a Silicon Graphics visual workstation equipped with duel Pentium Ill 550 megahertz Xeon processors, i gigabyte of RAM, and two 18 GB hard drives. Also required are a tape drive (for data backup), a professional desktop editor videocassette recorder, a color video monitor, a CD duplicator, and a large-format color plotter.

Typical software required is a suite of multimedia software like Photoshop, [R] Premiere, [R] PageMaker, [R] and Illustrator [R] software from Adobe [R] Systems. Also required are roadway design software products like GEOPAK, [R] and Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) such as MicroStation. [R] For landscaping, to create different images of trees, for example, I use Onyx Tree. [TM] To create animated images of people and objects (e.g., trucks, signs), a software like ModelVision [TM] is useful. For making the final presentation to clients, software such as Microsoft PowerPoint, [R] Corel [R] Presentations, [TM] or Adobe Premiere [R] can be used.

Other Projects

I regularly execute DV projects for the National Park Service, Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other clients. I also have done work for local jurisdiction bodies like the Washington, DC, city government and local county governments, and also the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Recently FHWA's Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division carried out a simulation for several congressmen, involving a proposed tunnel for a section of E Street, which runs along the White House's south side. The congressmen wanted to know the potential aesthetic impact of the tunnel (desired for security reasons) on the surrounding architecture, including the White House. I prepared a photomontage visualization, presenting the congressmen with alternative views of the proposed structure.

Such is one of the many examples of the DV's uses. The technology is fast becoming an indispensable tool for highway construction organizations, benefiting not only engineers but also non-technical officials and the public. The technology is proving how the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words is still very true.

Richard McDaniel is CADD/Design Visualization Coordinator for the Technical Services Branch of FHWA's Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (EFLHD). During 13 years at EFLHD, he has received more than 30 FHWA Special Act Awards for graphics and design visualization work. Examples include:

* Video Production, National Building Museum Exhibit "Lying Lightly on the Land"