What software will let me simulate building construction?
February 7, 2013 10:24 PM Subscribe
I wonder if there's a game or a program that simulates building construction. I am interested in something like STARCRAFT or LEMMINGS for building-construction simulation.
I get the feeling that Minecraft makes you edit 3D voxels one tiny infinitesimal bit at a time (if I am wrong please correct me), and as I recall you just click "Skyscraper" in SIMCITY and it shows up. I dream of playing with something in between these two extremes.
The software I'm imagining is probably already described in a Master's Degree or Ph.D. thesis for somebody's degree in Architecture.
In my wildest dreams I would need to provide the simulation with plans and a database of lumber costs and the price of concrete per cubic yard, and average construction-worker salary rates.
Is there a game or running simulation which has LEMMINGS or STARCRAFT SCVs (Terran workers) constructing reasonably accurate simulated buildings in some linear multiple of real-time?
I get the feeling that Minecraft makes you edit 3D voxels one tiny infinitesimal bit at a time (if I am wrong please correct me), and as I recall you just click "Skyscraper" in SIMCITY and it shows up. I dream of playing with something in between these two extremes.
The software I'm imagining is probably already described in a Master's Degree or Ph.D. thesis for somebody's degree in Architecture.
In my wildest dreams I would need to provide the simulation with plans and a database of lumber costs and the price of concrete per cubic yard, and average construction-worker salary rates.
Is there a game or running simulation which has LEMMINGS or STARCRAFT SCVs (Terran workers) constructing reasonably accurate simulated buildings in some linear multiple of real-time?
Response by poster: SimTower seems to be more about managing the space and the people inside the tower, but that is definitely the right idea!
posted by shipbreaker at 10:32 PM on February 7, 2013
posted by shipbreaker at 10:32 PM on February 7, 2013
I haven't played it, but doesn't Dwarf Fortress do that?
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 10:33 PM on February 7, 2013
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 10:33 PM on February 7, 2013
Response by poster: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construction_and_management_simulation
posted by shipbreaker at 10:34 PM on February 7, 2013
posted by shipbreaker at 10:34 PM on February 7, 2013
This is presumably not exactly what you are looking for, but has elements of that.
posted by empath at 10:42 PM on February 7, 2013
posted by empath at 10:42 PM on February 7, 2013
Response by poster: From the PRISON ARCHITECT video, between seconds 0:20 and 0:30, yes, those are the elements I seek.
posted by shipbreaker at 10:52 PM on February 7, 2013
posted by shipbreaker at 10:52 PM on February 7, 2013
If you're fine with semirealistic physical simulation at the cost of completely ignoring the labour side of things, there's a series of games by the names (Pontifex | Bridge Construction Set | BridgeIt) by developer Chronic Logic.
I spent quite some time with Pontifex 2 - the graphics were basic, but the satisfying way the bridge would sway under load when you've cut out all but the most critical of supports to get in under budget... yesss.
posted by Tzarius at 4:01 AM on February 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
I spent quite some time with Pontifex 2 - the graphics were basic, but the satisfying way the bridge would sway under load when you've cut out all but the most critical of supports to get in under budget... yesss.
posted by Tzarius at 4:01 AM on February 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Not a commercial game, but perhaps this is the sort of thing you're looking for?
Or a more commercial version?
I haven't played either of these, so I cannot comment on their quality!
posted by JerryCornelius at 4:39 AM on February 8, 2013
Or a more commercial version?
I haven't played either of these, so I cannot comment on their quality!
posted by JerryCornelius at 4:39 AM on February 8, 2013
Best answer: Revit has 4D (time included) modeling capabilities. You can download a free trial here: http://usa.autodesk.com/revit/trial/
It's probably more useful to learn how to use the leading industry software than just play a game :)
posted by spacefire at 6:44 AM on February 8, 2013
It's probably more useful to learn how to use the leading industry software than just play a game :)
posted by spacefire at 6:44 AM on February 8, 2013
Revit has 4D (time included) modeling capabilities.
I think the distinction is that you don't "win" at Revit, and you can't perform better by building a cheaper, better building on budget and on schedule by having your engineers gain research points or unlocking new mechanical systems or something.
posted by LionIndex at 7:48 AM on February 8, 2013
I think the distinction is that you don't "win" at Revit, and you can't perform better by building a cheaper, better building on budget and on schedule by having your engineers gain research points or unlocking new mechanical systems or something.
posted by LionIndex at 7:48 AM on February 8, 2013
Response by poster: The recommendation to learn Revit is precisely the right idea. Though I think I was looking for something more "fun", and with less of a learning curve, something a lot like Starcraft --- you set your guys to work and they do all the steps of housebuilding or skyscraper-building and you can watch them going through each step as they do.
posted by shipbreaker at 8:55 PM on February 8, 2013
posted by shipbreaker at 8:55 PM on February 8, 2013
Right, but there's no time in Revit when your building is "complete" other than when you say it is, and there's no controls in Revit to really make sure that the buildings you're doing can actually "work". So basically for any building component x, you can assign cost y to it, but y is completely arbitrary, and Revit doesn't really do anything other than tell you that you've put a certain n amount of x into the building which will end up costing y times n. It's a handy tool, but it doesn't check against any kind of reality other than what you're telling it for cost or constructability.
posted by LionIndex at 8:30 PM on February 13, 2013
posted by LionIndex at 8:30 PM on February 13, 2013
There's a new Sim City coming out soon. That will probably have lots of cool building effects.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 8:37 PM on February 13, 2013
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 8:37 PM on February 13, 2013
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posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:27 PM on February 7, 2013