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An Evaluation of Contemporary Game Engines

by Tanja Dieckmann Koehler
Creativity26th eCAADe Conference Proceedings (2008)

Abstract

The paper deals with a close examination of several contemporary game engines regarding their usability for architectural visualisation that was conducted by third to fifth year students in a seminar context. The study examines the technology of these game engines with the main focus on graphic quality and adaptability to architectural purpose. The evaluation included not only the workflow of importing the 3D model into the engine but also general handling of the software and its user interface. The documentation of the test process and the evaluation of the various engines have been documented in a wiki compiled and written by the students. The information therein and the cost-benefit analyses provided for every engine should assist future users to quickly find the most suitable game engine for their specific purposes.

Cite this document (BETA)

Available from cumincad.scix.net
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An Evaluation of Contemporary Game Engines

eCAADe 26 743-Section 18: Digital Aids to Design Creativity 3
An Evaluation of Contemporary Game Engines
Beginnings of a Comparative Study
Tanja Koehler 1, Andreas Dieckmann 2, Peter Russell 3
RWTH Aachen University, Germany
http://caad.arch.rwth-aachen.de/
1 tanjakoehler@arcor.de, 2 dieckmann@caad.arch.rwth-aachen.de, 3 russell@caad.arch.
rwth-aachen.de
Abstract. The paper deals with a close examination of several contemporary
game engines regarding their usability for architectural visualisation that was
conducted by third to fifth year students in a seminar context. The study examines
the technology of these game engines with the main focus on graphic quality
and adaptability to architectural purpose. The evaluation included not only the
workflow of importing the 3D model into the engine but also general handling
of the software and its user interface. The documentation of the test process and
the evaluation of the various engines have been documented in a wiki compiled
and written by the students. The information therein and the cost-benefit analyses
provided for every engine should assist future users to quickly find the most
suitable game engine for their specific purposes.
Keywords: game engine; visualization; virtual reality; real-time graphic; 3d
model.
Introduction
Game engines, already �ig�ly de�el��ed �i�� all �ea�
�ures als� needed ��r real �ime arc�i�ec�ural �isualisa�
�i�n, �r��ide a use�ul de�el��men� en�ir�nmen� ��r
�ig� quali�y in�erac�i�e arc�i�ec�ural �resen�a�i�ns.
T�ey all�� ��e arc�i�ec� �� use ��e exis�ing �ec�n�l�
�gy and en�ir�nmen� �� ��e game engine �� im��r�
�is ��n 3D m�dels �� buildings �r arc�i�ec�ural
s�ruc�ures �i�� realis�ic �ex�ures and �resen� ��em in
an in�erac�i�e �alk���r�ug� �r�m �u�side as �ell as
�r�m inside, e�en �laced in a �ir�ual urban c�n�ex�.
C�m�ared �� c�n�en�i�nal 2D renderings, ��e ���le
building �r s�ruc�ure can be unders���d �ery easily.
I� is e�en ��ssible �� c�ange ge�me�ry �r �ex�ures in
real �ime. T�is can im�r��e ��e c�mmunica�i�n be�
��een arc�i�ec� and clien� significan�ly, es�ecially in
mul�i�user en�ir�nmen�s.
Game engines als� �r��ide use�ul addi�i�nal
�ea�ures like differen� lig�� �r �ea��er se��ings, in�e�
gra�ed s�unds, anima�i�n �� �bjec�s, use �� a�a�ars
�r ne���rk based im�lemen�a�i�n �� �ir�ual �bjec�s.
Equi��ed �i�� ��ese ����r�uni�ies, game engines
can be ���er�ul ���ls n�� �nly ��r �resen�ing �ir�ual
arc�i�ec�ural buildings �r s�ruc�ures, bu� als� ��r de�
�el��ing ��em in�erac�i�ely and simul�ane�usly �i��
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744 eCAADe 26 - Section 18: Digital Aids to Design Creativity 3
���er users.
T�e use �� game engines in arc�i�ec�ural educa�
�i�n �as been a ���ular researc� subjec� since ��e
1990s. Se�eral engines suc� as Unreal (Pickersgill,
2007), Quake (H��n and Ke��e, 2003), T�rque (M�l��
ney, 2002) e�c. �a�e been used, �i�� �arying le�els
�� success, in a design s�udi� c�n�ex�. Addi�i�nally,
game engines �a�e been examined as �� ��eir sui��
abili�y ��r c�llab�ra�i�e design �n se�eral �ccasi�ns.
H��e�er, ��e reas�ns ��y a s�ecific engine �as c���
sen ��r a cer�ain �r�jec� are ���en n�� �ffered in �ull
de�ail. T� ��e au���rs’ kn��ledge, ��ere is s� �ar n�
c�m�ara�i�e s�udy �� game engines regarding ��eir
a��ness ��r real��ime arc�i�ec�ural �isualiza�i�n. T�is
�a�er a��em��s �� s�ar� �� bridge ��a� ga�.
Examined game engines
T�e s�udy ��a� ��is �a�er is based �n �as c�nduc�ed
in a seminar c�n�ex� by ��ird �� fi��� year arc�i�ec�ure
s�uden�s. T�e s�uden�s �ere asked �� ��rm �eams ��
��� s�uden�s eac�. E�ery �eam c�uld c���se a game
engine �� examine �r�m a number �� �reselec�ed
engines.
In ���al, ��ur game engines �ere examined,
am�ng ��em �ne game engine �� a c�n�em��rary
c�m�u�er game (Obli�i�n) as �ell as an ��en s�urce
3D engine (Irrlic��) and ��� c�mmercial gra��ic
engines (Ques� 3D, N��a 2008). In �rder �� guaran�
�ee ��e c�m�arabili�y �� ��e s�udy, all engines �ere
�es�ed �i�� ��e same arc�i�ec�ural 3D m�del (3D
S�udi� Max, Au��desk). T�is s�ecific 3D m�del �ad
a c�m�lex ge�me�ry and c�n�ained �ari�us �ex�ures
and ma�s.
T�e engines �ere c��sen acc�rding �� se�eral
cri�eria. Firs� �� all, ��e engines s��uld be able �� im�
��r� .3ds�files �r su���r� an ex��r�er ��ic� all��s
��e use �� ���se files. An���er im��r�an� ��in� �as
��e a�ailabili�y �� d�cumen�a�i�n and su���r� in
�erms �� �nline ��rums �r c�mmuni�ies. T�e s�uden�s
s��uld be able �� ge� acquain�ed �i�� ��eir s�ecific
engine easily by ��emsel�es in a �ery s��r� �ime. As
��e s�udy �as c�nduc�ed by arc�i�ec�ure s�uden�s
�i�� rudimen�ary kn��ledge �� �r�gramming lan�
guages, engines c�n�aining edi��rs �r gra��ical user
in�er�aces �ere �re�erred. An���er as�ec� �as ��e
a�ailabili�y �� ��e s����are and ��e ex�ense �ac��r.
T�e engines s��uld be ei��er ��en s�urce �r ��e
a�ailabili�y �� a �rial �r s�uden� �ersi�n s��uld be
gi�en. Las� bu� n�� leas�, ��e engine s��uld be s�a�e�
�����e�ar� in �erms �� gra��ical as�ec�s.
As ��e ��cus �� ��e s�udy lay in ��e �isualiza�i�n
�� a s�a�ic m�del, ��e engines �ere n�� examined
regarding ��eir ca�abili�y c�ncerning c�arac�er ani�
ma�i�n �r ��ysical be�a�i�r. In ��e ��ll��ing, all ��ur
engines are in�r�duced �i�� ��eir main as�ec�s.
Irrlicht (Version 1.4, 2007)
Irrlic�� (figure 1) is an ��en s�urce �ig� �er��rmance
real��ime 3D engine, de�el��ed by Nik�laus Geb�
�ard�. Wri��en in C++, i� is running �n Wind��s PC,
Mac OS, Linux and Sun S�laris and su���r�s six di��
�eren� rendering APIs (Direc�3D 8.1, Direc�3D 9.0,
O�enGL 2.0, Irrlic�� Engine s����are renderer, A��el�
baum S����are Renderer and a null de�ice). F�r us�
ing ��e engine a C++ c�m�iler (e.g. Micr�s��� Visual
S�udi�) is c�m�ulsi�e.
T�e engine in�egra�es numer�us gra��ic �ea�
�ures like dynamic s�ad��s, cus��mizable �ar�icle
sys�ems, realis�ic �a�er sur�aces �r �er�ex and �ixel
s�ader su���r�.
Irrlic�� can be used ��ge��er �i�� IrrEdi�, a
Figure 1
3D-model in Irrlicht engine

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