Workflows and Guides for Virtual Bauprobe
In this subproject, methods and tools were sought for conducting Virtual Bauprobe – building rehearsals that do not take place physically in the theatre and on stage, but can take place in virtual space and independent of location. How can VR technology be integrated as a visualization, design, construction and communication medium in one’s own work process at the theatre?
For this purpose, we developed the workshop format “How to go Virtual” in order to test possible applications in an uncomplicated way with theaters and venues on site. Together with our cooperation partners, the focus was placed on practice, both in trying out existing applications and programs, as well as in developing theatre specific usage scenarios: for example, adapting a stage design to a different venue, presenting construction variants, or visualizing a spatially particularly complicated design.
The result of the collaboration was a series of workflows and methods that are now being made available to the theater community as guides and tutorials:
Workflow 1 – Sketchfab / Zoom “Semi-Virtual Pre-Rehearsal”
https://digital.dthg.de/en/workflow-1-en/
This scenario uses the free internet platform Sketchfab to present models. Here, meetings can be presented via screen sharing in a video conferencing tool or made available time-shifted for illustration via a link across different end devices. This scenario does not allow live editing of the Virtual 3D Model during the meeting, but is convincing as a starter scenario due to its easy accessibility and implementation for all production participants.
Workflow 2 – Mozilla Hub’s “Bauprobe for Everyone
https://digital.dthg.de/en/workflow-2-en/
This scenario uses the free Internet platform Mozilla Hubs with the associated editor Spoke. Meetings can be held simultaneously in the virtual room via various end devices with several participants. This scenario does not allow live editing of the virtual 3D model during the meeting, but is convincing as an entry-level scenario due to its easy accessibility for up to 30 people.
Workflow 3 – Virtual Bauprobe with VR sketch
https://digital.dthg.de/en/workflow-3-en/
This scenario uses the paid plugin VR-Sketch for the program SketchUp. Meetings and build rehearsals can be conducted in Virtual Space via VR headsets simultaneously with multiple participants from different locations. This scenario enables live editing of the virtual 3D model during the meeting and also offers many other possible applications.
Link to the project
https://digital.dthg.de/en/projects/virtual-stage-rehearsal
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The results, workflows and methods are now available to the theatre landscape via the digital.DTHG website as guides and tutorials. In addition, a comprehensive compendium of „knowledge articles“, glossaries, programme comparisons has been created like a kind of WIKI. The blog articles are already linked to other knowledge platforms such as Nachtkritik.plus and thus reach a large audience.
The knowledge transfer, which was already achieved during the project period in the form of lectures at many congresses and symposia, is currently being carried on within the framework of the newly created „Bildungsbühne“ of the DTHG. Free online impulse lectures and the further development of the workshop series have already been practised by Vincent Kaufmann and the DTHG team for several months.
The workflows developed are largely based on applications that we have adapted for our scenarios, but which were actually designed and developed for other purposes and areas of application. The discussions we have had with software companies such as ShapesXR (Tvori VR) or Vektorworks in this regard give us hope that tools will be developed for the specific needs of the theatre and event industry and application scenarios such as the Virtual Bauprobe.