Elaborated report of cross-discipline principles-rules-constraints, and interfaces definition for cross-disciplinary and multi-simulation perspectives in VR

Deliverable D1.2 builds upon the cross-disciplinary perspectives of the AEC industry discussed in D1.1, by providing a more detailed description of the specific software framework (‘ontology’) and functionalities that must be implemented to achieve the PrismArch platform. These topics are grouped under two headings: How data should be exchanged between different software packages and databases (Section 2), and How that data should be visualised and interacted with inside the VR environment (Section 3). Section 2 begins by first analysing in-depth several existing AEC ontologies, and evaluating their relative suitability for the PrismArch platform. Various PrismArch-specific requirements are then described in detail, and solutions are proposed for how they could be integrated into the chosen software ontology. Section 3 describes a series of studies undertaken by the AEC partners to determine the most efficient interfaces that will allow architects, structural engineers and MEP engineers to collaborate within a shared VR environment, while respecting and enhancing the small number of discipline-specific UI requirements that also exist. These studies build upon the research undertaken in previous Deliverables - particularly D3.1 and D6.1 - and take the form of user interviews, followed by functionality maps, which together inform the design of the VR interfaces that are proposed at the end of this document