Tag: create 3d wayfinder

We are currently developing voice recognition feature for 3D Wayfinder. It will allow visitors to use wayfinding software without using touch-screens. Just say where you would like to go and wayfinder software will show you the way.

Voice recognition is becoming more popular and as the quality recognizing words is becoming better and mobile screens becoming smaller. It would be convenient to use voice orders instead of using touch-screens. Of course, there are privacy issues, as most of the voice recognition is done in servers. But for wayfinding software this is not an issue, as the wayfinding screens are public and nobody will make their private conversations near wayfinding screens.

How voice recognition for wayfinding works?

Let’s say you are looking for closest exit, toilet or just want to get a beer. So you just say “Exit”, “Closest toilet” or “Wayfinder, where can I get beer” and 3D Wayfinder can show you the route.

3D Wayfinder will use keywords and location names for voice recognition, the same way search functionality works. More keywords defined in wayfinder make the vocabulary larger. But definitely there will be AI implement in future. This will give much more possibilities. For example visitors canaska pint of Budweiser without “Budweiser” being entered as a keyword and still get to place where they can buy beer. Might be that the beer is not sold by pint. But at least they can get beer.

We can use languages for voice recognition, that are select in Wayfinder software. Languages can be add under settings in 3D Wayfinder administration panel. If possible, voice recognition can be active for all languages simultaniously. If not, we can use default language for voice recognition without selecting anything. After selecting prefered language wayfinder can switch also language for voice recognition. This depends capabilities of kiosk or touch-screen PC. Also, the challenge is to filter out background noise as wayfinder screens are usually in main entries and places where are more people around.

In future, voice recognition in wayfinding software will be available for all customers. It has to be turn on under settings and it would also require template that allows voice search. We will add this feature to our basic templates. So far, we can implement it in custom templates. So if you order custom template from us, we can also make search by voice available.

We have added CDN support in 3D Wayfinder. CDN makes loading 3D Wayfinder application faster especially outside Europe. Currently it is available only for custom projects, but soon it will be option for all 3D Wayfinder customers.

CDN or Content Delivery Network is a geographically distribute servers that cache content close to end users. A CDN allows for the quick transfer of files, media etc. It works best for static content. In 3D Wayfinder it is basically possible to load all wayfinding content including maps, location data, images, application files etc. CDN is widely used by sites with huge traffic like Facebook, Netflix, and Amazon.

CDN is currenlty available for 3D Wayfinder custom projects and we have to make manual changes to make it work. We would like to open it for all 3D Wayfinder users, but this will still need some development and testing.

CDN server network copies files to more than 200 locations over world and when the wayfinding application is load, the files will be served from closest server.

During the testings we got loading improvement more than 60%. Lodaing speed was around 6 seconds from CDN compare to 16 seconds from 3D Wayfinder server.

Delivering content over CDN needs static content. This means that the content from databases has to be cached first. For any live-data like positioning or statistics, CDN cannot use. As wayfinding maps don’t change that often, it is easy to make the location information and maps to be as static content. Just after every change in 3D Wayfinder administration panel, the content has to be submit to CDN network also.

If you are already 3D Wayfinder customer and like your wayfinding to be load over CDN, please contact our sales department or your contact person in 3D Wayfinder. We will keep you posted through our blog and let you know when CDN-option will be available for all users in administration panel.

The world biggest cruise ship “Wonder Of The Seas” has more than 2800 rooms and accommodates more than 6900 people. Wonder of the Seas measures 1,188 feet (362 m) in length and has a gross tonnage of 236,857 across all 18 decks. Since all rooms and activities are compactly together on cruise ships, it is necessary for people to have all the information on important activities and locations. Indoor positioning on cruise ships is an important comfort for the passengers. We present to you the indoor positioning solution for a cruise ship created by 3D Wayfinder.

So far 3D Wayfinder has been used with a simple 2D map for small cruise ship. The ship has a total of 17 floors and around 1000 rooms. Below you see excerpts from five different floors.

Cruise ships have many different leisure options. As you could see on the photo, there are pools, saunas, a theatre, different shops, kids playground and many more. If you are going to be spending time on a cruise ship, it is very important to know where the different rooms and areas are from the very beginning.

Using GPS on metal vessels is difficult. Indoor positioning on cruise ships can be organized using iBeacons, WIFI or QR code that can be opened through a web browser. 3D Wayfinder has used all the proposed solutions and we know exactly how to build the system in a way that would be the most suitable for the customer.

Digital maps on cruise ships

On large ships there is a high risk of getting lost. Therefore, it is important to have interactive maps in various places on the ship. 3D Wayfinder map shows the route to the desired location with a red line. In comparison to regular printed maps, digital maps significantly reduce the time it takes to search for a location. On regular maps, it is very difficult to determine your location and then understand where you want to go.

Easily updated information boards in the elevators

In addition to the possibility of finding the location, 3D Wayfinder also offers information boards that can be installed in the elevator. Information about events on the cruise ship can be added to the screens. You can also share information about meal times and the use of other important services, which is necessary for all visitors. In addition, it is very easy for employees to exchange information on the screens.

Digital maps on a cruise ships as billboards

Most people do a lot of shopping on cruise ships as cruise ships often have better prices than regular shopping centers. In order for different shops to advertise their goods, it is possible to add advertisements to the map. This can be a good way to attract people to the store. In addition to shops, services like spa could also be advertised in a kiosk. For example, additional information could be added to the location and people could view the spa services and price list without them having to go to the spa in person.

In the world of entertainment, it is important to stand out and offer customers all the comforts possible. And one of the great conveniences for visitors is certainly a practical navigation service. If you are interested in the services offered by 3D Wayfinder, please contact our sales department.

In the previous post, we introduced different styles of modeling and designing 3D Wayfinder maps. It is clear that exclusive buildings need a premium wayfinder solutions. In today’s post, we will talk about exclusive premium wayfinding solutions and special kiosk designs. Wayfinder kiosks do not always have to have a modest appearance and design.

Wayfinder kiosk

Crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, marble floors and glass walls. Many shopping centers have this kind of interior design. Also, many commercial buildings or hotels have a more special and luxurious interior design. If the interior design of the building is characteristic of a high class, it is important that every detail fits together. Therefore, the kiosks must also have a luxurious and beautiful design.

Kiosk designs may vary. For example, it is possible to decorate the kiosk with crystals or golden details. There can also be different materials from which the kiosk is made.

In the pictures you see a close-up of the kiosk app. You see golden design and a complex map.

Kiosks in Lõunakeskus are made of wood. Kiosk is designed following shopping center interior and brand design. Finally, a beautiful wooden solution is ready, which fits with the interior and is user-friendly.
Estonian National Museum kiosk is made of glass. Kiosk has a metal frame, that supports the 8 mm tempered glass and holds the touch screen and computer hardware. Also it has a special “window” for looking at kiosk´s “heart”.

Premium Wayfinder solutions

Small details make a 3D map especially luxurious. If you have a commercial building and want to impress your customers, we recommend ordering a particularly detailed map. The premium 3D map designs are suitable for buildings with a luxurious interior design. Detailed 3D maps are also suitable for expensive hotels or institutions visited by wealthier people. Detailed map of the building makes an impression in any case.

In the picture you see 3D relistic and detailed model of the Viru center. The flags, ornamental bushes and sculpture in front of the center have been drawn. For example, it is not possible to display such a sculpture realistically with a 2D map. Also, the exterior facade is as real as possible, and on closer inspection you can see transparent windows. This is premium detail. All exclusive buildings could have similar models.

It is also possible to create a First person view wayfinder solution. The post shows one of the shopping malls in Oman. A 3D map drawn in detail looks good and it is especially useful for showing path in camera view (First Person View known from computer games). Such models affect positively the customer experience. Especially if it is possible to find favorite stores and special offers in the shopping center with the help of 3D wayfinder. It imitates persons point of view. The first person view house manager solution is definitely one of the premium feature that a luxury building needs.

You can order a detailed and beautiful 3D map from us. In this case, our team of specialists will prepare you a gorgeous and detailed 3D map solution that will impress all your customers. Also, tell us all your wishes regarding the design of the kiosk and we will find the best solution together.

How to create DIY 3D wayfinding maps? It is not that hard as it may sound.

Following post will give you an overview on how to create 3D models for wayfinding software. In addition we will share you videos of the modeling process.

Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind:

Maintain a clean quad topology and keep poly count low, no need for edge beveling and subdivisions, when the situation does not require it.

The floor, outer walls, inner walls, details, locations, stairs, elevators, locations and greyed out areas must be separate objects, please do not combine them into one.

Its also recommended to group objects of the same kind and name them accordingly.

The following videos will show some tips and tricks to make your workflow faster.

The solidify modifier will help you create quick walls for your model. You can either first model the walls and then apply solidify or do it the other way around.

Using the Archimesh addon (comes with Blender) you can make great looking stars with just a couple of moves.

NB! When you are in the process of cleaning up your Blender file like shown above, sometimes the spare material doesn’t disappear after using the purge function. If that happens then just restart your Blender project.

For a more in-depth guide go to Blender Modeling Tutorial.

Read more about modelling guidelines.

We hope you got a better understanding of how to create 3D wayfinding maps.

As always we are pleased to help you for creating a wayfinding solution for you or your customer. If you like us to make the maps, please also look our floorplan campaign and don’t hesitate to contact us.

Sometimes it’s the small things that make all the difference. New “Toggle top view” feature in 3D Wayfinders administration panels editor is a useful tool that will give needed help to our users.

Toggle top view shows all the maps straight from the top and it works with both 2D and 3D maps. While this feature is selected, the rotation is disabled. This is most useful when marking paths on the map. It could also be used if you want to set kiosk view straight from the top on 3D maps.

“Toggle top view” can be found on the top of the editor under “Settings“.

It has taken some time and lots of effort but we have finally made it. New 3D Wayfinder administration panel is finally online and usable for all clients.

We have made many smaller and bigger improvements to make 3D Wayfinder administration panel  easier to use. Especially for new clients. For example the editor has been changed to make it more logical. All the materials have previews for better overview and managing of 2D maps is more convenient.

It should also be more comfortable for those who prefer to use our app on smartphones or tablets.

There are still some kinks to straighten out so if you notice something that isn’t working the way it is supposed to, let us know.

“Sign in” leads straight to new administration panel but if you prefer to use the old one, go to old.3dwayfinder.com or use the link at the bottom of the sign in page. 

New feature we have added for wayfinding applications is accordion style floors when using path animation. This means, that all floors will be visible on the screens when showing the path through multiple floors.

In 3D Wayfinder you will see all floors as they exist in real building, so they are just simplified 3D models of the real floor-plans. When switching between floors, new floors will drop into scene on top of the previous floors or fly away, if going downward with the path. All floors are exactly covering previous ones, so basically whole 3D building models are sliced by floors.

Now it is possible to keep the floor plans apart from each other, so you can see all floors at the same time. This is useful mainly for wayfinding, so it is easy to remember the whole route. But we will definitely develop this “accordion” mode further, so it can be used also in other applications. For example in BIM applications, it is possible to highlight objects in all floors at the same time. Or visualize the whole factory with multiple floors or create multi-layer metro station animations.

Currently the distance between floors is configured under settings. In future we will add features for separating the floors by dragging the floor-buttons apart. This makes the browsing of 3D buildings much more flexible.

To use this accordion style path animation, go to Settings in Administration panel. Then find Path->3D->Leave a offset between floors. For example use 50 as an offset, and then see how it looks.

Our sales team can help You to find the best wayfinding solution for You or Your customer. We can help You with creating 3D floorplans, designing a custom template and integrating wayfinding with other software. Now you can request for a 3D Wayfinder demo. 

We have made getting to know our software and our projects even easier for you than before. You can now find the request for a 3D Wayfinder demo button on our homepage.

Exploring 3D Wayfinder with your own resources is the most common way of getting to know our software. But it is even simpler if you ask for a demo and can have an interactive conversation with our people to clear out all the details of your floor plans creation needs and wayfinder requirements.

We will show you the basics you need to get started and will answer all of your questions about the software. During the demo we can also discuss any custom solutions and requests you might have.

Hello 3D Wayfinder users, we have put together an instruction for you to make adding locations faster and simpler. Creating your 3D visualizations paths its easier than ever before with 3D Wayfinder.

The following information diagram shows how to add locations to your floor plans step-by-step. After adding the locations you can link them to your wayfinding paths.

The first graphic shows you how to add a location to the list of locations:

The second graphic displays the instructions how to link the roof of the location in your floor plans to the Point of Intrest in your locations list :

Following these instructions you will be able to add locations to the 3D Wayfinder software in a couple of minutes.

Good luck in creating your 3D visualizations paths!