Photogrammetry reconstruction of a ruined dome interior, rebuilt in real time

Virtual Reality — VR Playhouse

The Day the World Changed —

Tribeca 2018 Photogrammetry · 3-D Scanning · Unity Nobel Media · ICAN

The harrowing impressions of the victims and survivors —

In partnership with Nobel Media and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, The Day the World Changed brings to viewers the harrowing impressions of the victims and survivors of atomic bombings and nuclear arms testing.

It does so through first-hand testimonies, data visualizations, and innovative use of 3-D scanning and photogrammetry — premiering at Tribeca 2018. Created by Gabo Arora and Saschka Unseld. Press: The Drum.

Project CreatorsGabo Arora · Saschka Unseld
Produced byJennifer Tiexiera
Executive ProducersNathan Brown · Karen Lorenzo · Annette Porter · Beatrice Fihn · Mattias Fyrenius
ProducersTom Lofthouse · Fifer Garbesi
Production byTomorrow Never Knows
In partnership withNobel Media · ICAN · NTropic+Tactic · Sisu Films
CG SupervisorAndrew Cohen
Unity DeveloperFlorian Bernard
Interaction DesignerIgal Nassima
Graphics ProgrammerNate Turley
Composer / Sound DesignANTFOOD

The experience included

01

Trailer

Tribeca 2018

The official trailer from the Tribeca 2018 premiere — testimony, data, and scanned space woven into one experience.

02

Scan Assembly

Photogrammetry · Houdini

The project's innovation is its use of 3-D scanning and photogrammetry — real, scarred architecture captured as dense scan geometry.

The raw scans were assembled and prepared in Houdini, keeping every fracture and burn of the original structure intact.

Photogrammetry scan geometry of the ruined dome, assembled in Houdini
Wireframe of the scanned structure in the Houdini viewport
Scan cleanup pass in Houdini Scan geometry detail in Houdini Assembled scan geometry ready for the real-time build

"First-hand testimonies, data visualizations, and innovative use of 3-D scanning and photogrammetry."

03

Real-Time Build

Unity · Room-Scale VR

The scanned structure was rebuilt in Unity — materials, lighting, and meshes tuned so the space could be stood inside, not just looked at.

This is where testimony meets place: the viewer occupies the reconstruction while survivors speak.

Scanned dome interior inside the Unity editor
Unity scene view of the reconstructed interior
Photogrammetry materials applied in Unity Lighting pass on the scanned structure in Unity Reconstructed interior seen from ground level in Unity
04

Inside the Reconstruction

In-Engine Frames

Frames from inside the finished environment — the ruined dome as the viewer meets it, rebuilt from scan data and standing again in real time.

Interior of the scanned dome in the real-time environment
Reconstructed walls and openings in the real-time environment
Looking up through the ruined dome structure Brick arches of the reconstruction in engine Detail of the scanned masonry in the real-time build