Author: Dr. Sun Qing, R&D Engineer, France
Simfonia
Official Weibo account of the Chinese market leader of the limited liability company Simfonia
This case study is provided by SketchUp’s Chinese partner, Simfonia. In this article, we introduce a municipal engineering company from Le Havre, France, called VERCHENNE, and demonstrate how they utilize software developed by Simfonia in France—SimFonIA Animation Tools (SAT)—along with SketchUp Pro to create a 3D animation of a completed SketchUp model of a pedestrian bridge.
SimFonIA Animation Tools + SketchUp Pro: Bringing 3D Models to Life
Typically, during the design phase of a construction project, SketchUp Pro is used to conveniently create 3D models showcasing both the interior and exterior of buildings. However, when designing functional structures with movable components—such as bridges—these dynamic functions are often difficult to represent effectively.
To address this, VERCHENNE in Le Havre, France, adopted the SAT animation production plugin developed by Simfonia for SketchUp Pro. This tool enables them to perform initial design verification as well as dynamic post-production presentations of their new generation movable pedestrian bridge (a drawbridge) built for the city of Le Havre.
In modern municipal engineering, architects worldwide design various types of drawbridges to accommodate both river and sea navigation as well as pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The drawbridge in Le Havre is primarily designed for pedestrian crossing and to allow small yachts to pass through. VERCHENNE based their design on the traditional suspension bridge concept.
During the early design stage, mechanical engineers can verify the feasibility of their mechanical designs using simple 3D models created in SketchUp Pro combined with the SAT animation plugin. The SAT plugin can directly read simulation data and use it to drive the 3D model in SketchUp Pro. When these 3D models are built with accurate engineering dimensions, users can intuitively and easily review and validate the mechanical operation of the suspension bridge’s components.
At this functional design phase, complex or highly detailed models are not required, allowing for rapid initial validation.
Once the functional design of the bridge opening mechanism is confirmed, SketchUp Pro is used to further develop the bridge’s appearance. Thanks to SketchUp Pro’s powerful 3D modeling capabilities, designers can refine and adjust the exterior design while retaining the mechanical structure dimensions from the functional design.
Additionally, SketchUp Pro allows quick setting of materials and colors for the bridge model. This helps clients easily compare and approve the final design through realistic renderings.
Moreover, SAT offers a Character Animation Production Extension (SCA), which enables users to use BHV files containing motion capture data to animate 3D character models in SketchUp Pro, such as pedestrians in demonstration scenes. By combining SAT-driven animations of the bridge’s movement and yacht navigation, users can create vivid, high-definition videos that showcase both the functionality and exterior design of the drawbridge.
You can explore the full process of this project and view the high-definition demonstration video via the following link:
Result
The image above shows the final physical pedestrian drawbridge in Le Havre. By using SAT and SketchUp Pro, architects can efficiently complete functional verification, exterior design, and high-definition dynamic demonstrations of their projects.
SimFonIA also offers a comprehensive Network Collaboration Engineering Solution, allowing users to publish and browse their SketchUp 3D models and related process animations directly on web pages.
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