Compartir y Conversar sobre la Gestión de Proyectos

I just downloaded the latest version of skype and for my good suprise I can share my screen. As soon as I saw this I got in contact with a collegue through skype and run Walkinside SW from VRcontext (this is the company I work for). Normally walkinside was well handled by tools like webex, which is the official tool we use to do 3D Meetings when we need to share 3D models.
I was very happy to see that skype was meeting by far many of my expectations and I could share my screen quite well. This is going to be a very useful tool for me although there is still a feature that I think is key for real 3D meetings, which is to allow the attendants to get the control of the screen, I guess you can't ask for everything in the first release :).
Just in case you're interested there are other tools from adobe (which is free), gotomeeting, vnc... but these I found not good enough when sharing 3D content.
By last I would like to mention IBM's DCV which is probably the best tool in performance but may also be the most expensive one :)

On all the projects communication and collaboration among all the members that are in the project is a key factor in order to have a successful end.
When talking about project documents, the collaboration implies that everyone in the project is using the same updated document.

Why? To avoid that two members of the same project work on different documents that don’t imply taking the same actions.

In the 3D world the same can be applied but it’s not usually the case. Normally, as the 3D models are not “official” there may be different versions of the same model the different project members are using in order to take actions and decisions.

But as said in my previous post, when handling 3D models, these need to be always updated with the latest version. When this is correctly done, end users will feel confident at the moment of taking decision or acting; otherwise these models won’t be trusted and therefore won’t be used in the important moments.

At this point there are many tools to share updated documents like for example SharePoint from Microsoft or just Google docs where you can store documents.

In the 3D world this is not so simple because the file size can be huge (over 1GB) which of course can’t be easily download over the internet. To avoid this big downloads different vendors have chosen different techniques like data streaming, virtualization and others.

As you can see there are different ways of doing this but what it’s a must is that you make sure you’re always using the latest version of the model (even if you’re just using an ftp site to have them under control)

Actually I do think that 3D is not just something that can be called luxury anymore.
As Jeff Winston, The Use of 3D Visualization in Planning and Design—Is 3D a luxury or a necessity? The 3D world can help to make decisions easier or can help people to have a better understanding of a "hidden" or no existing world, that at the moment is just virtually available.
In addition many inexpensive tools are available to share these 3D models that are created.

When talking about VR there are some tools that can be used.
As I said in previous posts, it depends on the momment; the end user could require different tools as it's not the same to require just a tool to check the work done during the design, as the one to merge the whole project into one big model, etc...
During the first phase of design, the engineers have their own tools that dependant on their design tools and others that are more independant and support quite well different file formats.

Following the last post

While the construction of the platform or refinery is being done, the management should already start thinking about training the operators that will be running the plant in the future. Nowadays it’s very difficult to start the training before the plant is completely finished in an environment that could really reflect the daily work that these field operators and control room operators may need to do. This issue is basically solved if the 3D model can be used to train these people.

In addition to the mentioned SW tools that enable the 3D visualization, there other tools that can also be integrated in order to complete a whole Operation Training System (OTS) where the control room operators can really interact with the field operators in order to reproduce virtually real problems that may need to be solved in the future plant. Of course, there is no need to say that these operators will be able to meet and learn the structure of the plant before this is built, which can be a very important factor in order to save time (and money) during the start up of the plant.

The next step after the construction and the training of the plant operators would be the start up of the plant itself. This is a very important moment in the plant life because is the moment where it really starts to function. Although the 3D model may not be critical during this phase, it’s also true that can help to remotely understand what is being done as, if the 3D model is well integrated in the SCADA system of the plant it can reflect any change during the start up.

After the start up phase, we enter in the production phase where the 3D model as built can again take a very important relevance. During the production phase there are many departments that could use the 3D model.
It’s very important that the 3D model is well integrated with the SCADA system and all the internal document management systems, why? Because once the 3D model is integrated with these two important systems, basically anyone who is using these, will be able to take advantage of the 3D model, saving time and money when decisions are taken.
Finally I would like to mention that the 3D models can also be used for safety simulation where different scenarios can be built in order to see how the attendants to the simulation react on different difficult situations.

Following the previous post, in the following (I hope that no more than 2) I would like to write about that part of the life of a big platform, refinery ..., where it could be useful to have 3D models available.

In fact my experience tells me that over the whole lifetime of these mega-structures it might be useful to have a 3D model. This would help on each moment, with the help of specific SW and HW to make the right decisions more quickly and easily than in the past where only 2D models were used.

Here I mentioned the SW, which is key for each of the different stages. It is likely that the SW suitable to the design of the plant is not the same as the one to be used during the production phase, but that is another story that will come in the future.

In this post I'll just go over the different stages of the life cycle of the mega-structures and in subsequent posts I will think long and hard at phases that are of my interest, like the review, the training of operators, production, Subsea equipment and seabed and a few more that may be of other people's interest.

When deciding to undertake a project of this type of mega-structure, one of the first steps is to make the design. The truth is that at this stage, the 3D world is already being used and there are very strong SW tools to help designers to capture even the smallest detail.
This stage is usually done by an engineering company that is subcontracted by a large company. Therefore, it is usual to carry out inspections at different stages of the design (30%, 60%, 90% -100%) in which both parties take part.

Once the design is finished, the construction phase starts, which usually also carries out the engineering firm. For this phase, the use of 3D models is not too widespread, because currently no major 3D models can be carried comfortably into the construction area. Using 3D models could help constructors to quickly check if they are actually building exactly what is was designed and approved in the previous phase.

To be continue ....

We are currently growing interest in the world of large 3D models, why? For the simple fact that we opened a new dimension that was previously hidden and nobody was able to see on paper.

We should thank the development of HW and SW in general, as it allows us to access this virtual world that otherwise be hidden to our eyes.
The great problem and challenge of this technology is the lack of models that are valid . It's not worthy to have a model that is not updated with the reality. Unlike the 2D models, 3D models are not signed in the enterprises, what make that no one really cares, in general, if they are correct or to keep them updated.
This is why, one of the first steps to be taken would be to make sure that the models that will be used are the correct and updated with the latest changes of the real plant. For this, is a must that it exist person in charge of keeping the models updated.

Where are these 3D models being used really?
It exist a big variety of sectors that are using 3D models, some of them sice long time like the automobile industry ; although when we talk about buig models, we are talking about models that may represent refineries, onshore and offshore platforms, whole cities...

Due to this it's easy to imagine that, at this moment, the companies that could really take big advantage of this technology are the big Oil&Gas companies, big Engineering companies (EPC) as well as big building companies. (In Korea there is a company that creates and models entire cities, with rivers, parks, houses...)

In the next posts I would like to talk a bit about the life cycle of this type of big projects and where the 3D models can help to coordinate and to make the right decisions on time.

Este fin de semana he asistido a u seminario de la teoria U.
Basicamente es un proceso de toma de decisiones en el que la clave que lo diferencia de otras tecnicas que he estudiado es el hecho de que hay que llegar a un estado en el que la solución ha de comenzar a fraguarse desde un estado inferior (desde los sentimientos propios).
Además del proceso en si, lo que más me ha impactado es el método que se ha utilizado a la hora de impartir el seminario.
Éste se ha impartido en Amalurra, una casa rural con unos terrenos privilegiados que ayudaban en todo momento a entrar realmente dentro de ti mismo y llegar a conclusiones que, aunque sabidas de ante mano, quiza no estaban realmente claras.
Me gustaría mencionar a las dos personas que lo han hecho posibleJudith Flick (directora de un programa global contra el SIDA de Oxfam UK y a Javier Ruiz Director Adjunto de la Unidad de Sistemas de Innovación de Tecnalia.
Habra que seguir investigando en el proceso, pero lo que más claro me ha quedado es que este tipo de experiencias en las que se va un poco más hallá de lo físico, merecen la pena para desconectar del mundo, rápido y competitivo en el que vivimos y resituarnos en él desde un pensamiento diferente, casi desde otro lugar.
Lo intentaré repetir por lo menos 1 vez al año.

Hoy me he enterardo de la teoria de la U. No se muy bien de que va pero igual me hago un seminario. Haber si asi me entero un poco pq parece que me ayudaria a tomar decisiones en el futuro.

parece ser que la GMA 500 de intel no soporta aceleracion del hardware 3D al menos para windows XP en su ultimo driver. Sin embargo en su pagina web dicen que si. Asi que cuidado al comprar un notebook con esta targeta grafica que no os den gato por liebre :)
Aqui os dejo un link para que le deis otra ojeada a lo que se dice por los foros.
http://forum.pocketables.net/showthread.php?t=3290

Hola a todos los que lean este blog.
A partir de hoy escribire, cuanto pueda, a ver hasta donde me lleva.
En un principio quiero que sea un blog donde poder hablar de mis estudios ( master de direccion de proyectos) asi como del curro en el que estoy, empresa de SW de visualizacion 3D (VRcontext).
Intentare introducir cosas relacionadas a ambos mundos y a ver que es lo que sale.
Todo Blogger es bienvenido e intentare responder a todo el mundo.

Bueno lo dicho, a jugar.