An Asset Pipeline for Creating Immersive Experiences: From CAD Model to Game Engine

Abstract

When an object is designed for manufacture and use, it is vital that various members of the design team, as well as the object’s end users, be able to fully comprehend the purpose and value of the designed object. Engineers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) call this “experiencing design intelligence.” When designing objects for use by people, following human-centered design practices will help the design team leverage the experience of those people to inform the object being created. Computer-aided design (CAD), in use for decades, has revolutionized the design and manufacturing processes for objects ranging from toys to buildings to spacecraft. CAD tools provide a wealth of information that is essential for many modern operations, and today CAD data can be combined with newer technologies to create immersive experiences that provide even more information and lead to even greater design intelligence for both design teams and end users. This article presents a nominal asset pipeline, including best practices, for taking a CAD model into a game engine to create an immersive experience.