iCreate Go Karting!
Posted by admin on November 15, 2011 | No comments
iCreate organised a night out at Skidz in celebration of… well, nothing in particular, just a great year and a great team!
iCreate : 3D Architectural Visualization UK
News & Views from iCreate - Visualising the Future
Latest posts
Interactive 3D World of Wood!
Posted by admin on September 15, 2011 | No comments
We’ve recently launched a really nice looking piece of work for our client, Huntsman – a global corp that make, among many other things, polyurethanes for use in wood panels. It wasn’t immediately clear how we could help them, but when they explained that they were looking to create a dynamic 3D animated world as a marketing presentation on their website… well, that sounded right up our street!
Click here to see it full size with all the text labels working.
The result is a project in which iCreate has had the creative lead throughout – and it’s a project with a lot more creative potential than some of the work we do (“Just turn these CAD drawings into accurate 3D models!”). It’s a stylised, realistic 3D animated planet, which helps Huntsman’s customers to discover all the ways that wood products (and polyurethanes) affect our lives. We delivered the animation as an interactive Flash application, perfect for embedding into the company website, but also great for use on large format touchscreen displays at trade shows and exhibitions.
Our client is delighted with the result, and so are we! It’s due to feature on the front cover of an Asian magazine all about polyurethanes (woopeee!), and we’re also looking forward to continuing our work with Huntsman to give different areas of their business a similar treatment. Watch this space!
iViewer Masterplan helps to launch Cranbrook New Town in Exeter
Posted by admin on July 6, 2011 | One comment
iCreate has been working with the Exeter & East Devon Growth Point to produce a 3D interactive masterplan of all the developments taking place across the region, and the resulting touchscreen presentation has now been launched as part of the turf-cutting ceremony for the sustainable new town of Cranbrook.
Courtesy of Exeter & East Devon Growth Point
Councillors, members of the press, and the developers gathered for a presentation featuring our 3D virtual model of Cranbrook, which was displayed on a large touchscreen. Thanks to the unique iViewer software developed by iCreate, users were able to spin and zoom in on the 3D model, and click on different zones to access more information.
The Cranbrook 3D model is part of a larger iViewer presentation covering the whole of the Exeter & East Devon Growth Point, an area to the East of Exeter which has become the focus for a number of exciting development projects.
This is just one way in which the Growth Point is encouraging all developers and partners to work together, so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. By presenting the numerous and varied developments on a dynamic 3D map, the Growth Point has been able to pull together information from all the separate developers and show the bigger picture of economic development in the region.
Courtesy of Exeter & East Devon Growth Point
And now the public and the media are able to access clear, visual information on the developments planned in Exeter & East Devon. The touchscreen presentation was also on display at the recent Devon County Show, and was a great attraction for passers by to find out what is planned. Try the interactive 3D masterplan for yourself: www.iviewer3d.co.uk/eed
Our work with the Growth Point and the local authorities in Exeter & East Devon continues, as the model is continually updated to keep pace with developments as they progress.
iViewer Interactive 3D Masterplans
Posted by admin on April 9, 2011 | 2 comments
iVIEWER 3D : A CLEAR VISION OF THE FUTURE
Are you involved in economic development, regeneration, master planning or attracting inward investment? Join the club! At iCreate, we are passionate about helping local authorities and regeneration agencies to promote their ‘best bits’ using modern visual technologies.
We understand that its all about presenting a clear vision of the future, and then engaging as many people as possible in the task of spreading positive messages about regeneration and change.
An iViewer Interactive 3D Masterplan will…
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pull together information about regeneration in your area
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present 3D visualisations of future developments in context
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use computer game technology to make information more engaging
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create a shared vision of the future that everyone understands
iViewer interactive masterplans are the ideal way to present complex planning and regeneration proposals, making the content clear and accessible to a wide range of people.
Finally everyone is able to visualise how proposed developments will change the area, and understand the anticipated benefits and opportunities.
iViewer interactive masterplans offer much more than a traditional flythrough. Users can install the application on their own computers or view it online, so they can take control of the 3D model, navigating around it as they wish. Computer gaming technology makes the models accessible, engaging and simple to explore, so you can capture the attention of modern audiences.
We work from your plans, drawings, sketches and strategy documents, and transform them into realistic aerial views of what proposed developments will look like, merged with the aerial photography of the existing area.
The iViewer offers a dynamic user interface which labels every aspects of your regeneration area, enabling the user to highlight zones, click to zoom in, view different options, see travel links, and read related information in pop-up panels.
There is simply no better way to present a clear vision of the future of your region and bring your regeneration strategy to life. Call us to discuss whether the iViewer could work for you, on 01792 824 894.
http://www.icreate3d.com/public-sector/interactive-3d-masterplans.html
Successful Property Sales Brochures
Posted by admin on April 9, 2011 | One comment
The recipe for a professional property sales brochure is quite straightforward, so it’s important to make sure you’ve covered the basics. From then on, the challenge is to make your brochure valuable and informative, rather than an expensive ‘throwaway’ item. Look upon your brochure as an opportunity to really communicate with potential buyers.
Remember that buying a new home is an exciting time, and buyers really want to love your properties. Give them enough information to get passionate about your development – anything less is a missed opportunity!
Most Property Sales Brochures speak in cliches – be different!
We’ve been reading and writing content for sales brochures for years, and we could spiel off the worn out property sales cliches in our sleep… an exceptional / exclusive / prestigious development of luxury / contemporary /executive homes featuring / benefiting from / boasting / enjoying a flexible layout / extensive landscaped gardens / only the highest quality materials / blah blah blah. To be honest, it’s really hard to write about new homes without using some (or all!) of these vacuous phrases.
So, can you be different? The challenge is to be ‘down-to-earth’, to speak about the properties in words that actually mean something, and to tell people something they don’t already know about the development or the location. Don’t leave all the copywriting to your brochure designers, because they don’t know the development like you do. If you can supply just a few bullet points of genuinely interesting information, the quality of your brochure copy will speak volumes to potential buyers.
Provide a clear site plan.
The site plan can be a simple 2D layout, or a fully landscaped 3D aerial view of the development, but whichever option you choose, make sure it is clear and well annotated. Number all the plots, provide a key to the different house types, and label key features of the development, such as footpaths, communal gardens and viewpoints.
Help buyers to get their bearings by using directional arrows, such as “town centre, 5 minutes”, “beach 10 minute walk”, “park 2 mins” – all of this helps to put the development in context. Your site plan should also make it clear which garden or driveway areas come with each property, so that buyers can make informed decisions about their preferred plot.
Illustrate each house type.
Even a basic sales brochure will include the architectural drawings of the front and rear elevations of each house type, but many people find 2D plans difficult to interpret, and most would agree that they are pretty uninspiring. Help your potential buyers to appreciate what the new homes will look like with attractive illustrations that are as detailed and realistic as you can afford. Computer Generated Images (CGIs) can be almost photorealistic and provide a compelling impression of a new property, but if you’re on a tighter budget, you can opt for lower levels of realism to keep costs down.
Working from your architectural plans, your CGI supplier will be able to create accurate and attractive images of the front of each style of house on the development, complete with a reliable impression of the different materials and colours that will be used in the build. These images will really give your buyers confidence and help to differentiate your properties for anything else on the market. Even better, provide a set of computer generated ’street scenes’ to help buyers imagine what the development will feel like to live in.
Did you know…?
3D artists can create computer generated images that look like watercolour paintings? If you prefer the look of the traditional ‘artists impression’, consider this as an alternative to hand painted scenes, as CGIs offer much more flexibility in terms of altering the viewpoint or making changes to materials and colours.
Show the internal layouts and provide dimensions.
It’s obvious but important – buyers will want to see the layout of the different house types on your development, so you should provide them with clear floor plans of the interior spaces. These can be simple line drawings, or fully furnished 3D Floor Plans depending on your preference. It is useful to include furniture, which should be shown to scale, in order to provide an idea of how the space can be used and of the sizes of the rooms. And while it might be tempting to make rooms look a bit bigger by squashing the furniture, have a bit of integrity and keep your floor plans honest!
You’ll also need to provide room dimensions – it’s helpful if these are supplied as both imperial and metric measurements – as well as the total internal areas of each property. Try to make it clear whether the dimensions include blaconies, alcoves or cupboards. Most often, developers will state ‘maximum’ dimensions – ie the measurements of the room at its widest and longest points, which is fine as long as you make it clear that this is what you’ve done.
Provide a detailed specification.
This is your opportunity to really differentiate your development from others. If you’ve spent money on real wood floors, if there’s a trendy Smeg fridge in the kitchen, or if the property incorporates innovative energy efficient features, this is your chance to shout about it. The more detailed your specification, the more added value for your buyers.
Your specification should ideally include details of all the built in fixtures and fittings, details of any cabling for internet or TV, flooring types, and materials used throughout the site. If you know who is going to be supplying your kitchens and bathrooms, list the details here, and if your buyers get a choice of finishes, say so too. The more information you can provide, the more there is for buyers to get excited about.
Keep the price list seperate.
It is not uncommon – and in fact it’s recommended – to leave prices off your printed brochure and to list them on a separate sheet. This gives you the flexibility to update the prices according to market conditions, without needing to completely reprint the brochures. Produce a separate headed sheet to send out with your brochures and cover letter, which you can print off as and when needed. And do send a price list every time you send out a brochure – let’s face it, it’s the first question buyers will ask…
How can you help?
Do you offer support to first time buyers by way of shared equity or help with a deposit? Can you refer them to a reliable mortgage broker who can advise them on their options? Do you offer part exchange on buyer’s old homes? This kind of assistance can make a real difference to buyers, particularly in the current climate, so consider putting in place schemes to make buying a home from you easier and more affordable.
Last but not least… design really matters.
If you’re not into branding and marketing, you might not see the difference between a well designed brochure and a slapdash home made attempt, but your potential buyers certainly will, particularly when they’re comparing your brochure with the slick designs they’ve picked up from the big housebuilders in the area.
If you want to come across as a credible, reliable and professional developer, it’s really important to develop a consistent brand identity for your company as a starting point. From here, you can create ’sub brands’ for each of your developments, and then ensure that the same look and feel flows across all related materials, including signage, website, press adverts and the sales brochure. This way, you’re making an excellent first impression that will inspire confidence in your potential buyers – crucial for securing those early sales.
These are our top tips for producing a successful property sales brochure – we’d love to know what you think!
We have moved!
Posted by admin on March 10, 2011 | No comments
iCreate has moved to new offices in Swansea! We’re now right in the heart of the city, in a suite of spanking new offices above Aspers Casino.
Wind Street is, of course, infamous for it’s messy nightlife… depending on your preferences it is either THE place to be, or the place NOT to be on a Friday or Saturday night. But during the day it’s pretty chilled out, and we’re spoilt for choice at lunch times!
Come and visit us if you’re in the area – the nearest car park is the NCP next to the Vue Cinema, and it’s free for the first hour, so no excuses!
And please update your records to reflect our change of address:
iCreate Ltd
45-49 Wind Street,
Swansea SA1 1EF
We look forward to welcoming you to Wind Street some time soon!
Redrow Chairman says New Homes Bonus Scheme Won’t Work
Posted by admin on February 17, 2011 | One comment
Steve Morgan, the chairman of housebuilder Redrow, this morning launched an attack on the UK government’s New Homes Bonus scheme, saying it was unlikely to prompt councils to approve more homes.
He said: “We are increasingly being met by a reduction in planned numbers for new homes and grossly unrealistic expectations of what we are expected to deliver in the way of planning gain.”
Despite this, Flintshire-based Redrow made a £8.5m pre-tax profit in the six months to December, compared to a £8.7m loss in the same period a year earlier, on revenues which grew to £216.1m from £187.2m.
Morgan said many local councils were using the UK coalition’s localism policy “as an excuse to substantially reduce housing numbers and slow down the planning process even further”.
But he said Redrow itself was performing well, with reservations during the first six weeks comfortably ahead of the same period last year – although that could include customers catching up after the winter freeze.
Morgan said he disagreed with predictions of a house price fall this year: “Looking ahead, house prices have been stable for some considerable time now and we do not share the pessimism of some commentators that there will be a major fall in house prices during the coming year.”
Touch Screen Displays for the iViewer
Posted by admin on January 19, 2011 | One comment
Our iViewer technology makes 3D models interactive in real time, and the best way to present these models is on a large format touch screen display. These guidance notes are intended to help you choose a touchscreen display to suit your needs. These notes are based on our experience of using the iViewer on different types of touchscreen display and intended for guidance only – we recommend that you also ask advice from a knowledgable supplier of touchscreens in your area, and, where possible, try out one of our demo iViewer projects on their range of solutions. iCreate do not manufacture or stock touchscreens (though we can source them for you if you wish).
Firstly, be aware that you will always need a PC or Mac to run your iViewer interactive models. Any reasonably modern computer will be equipped with sufficient graphics capability to run the iViewer, but unusually large or complex iViewer projects will benefit from being run on a more powerful computer.
The iViewer is perfectly usable with an ordinary mouse and keyboard, but to take advantage of the touchscreen features of the iViewer you will need to connect a touch screen display to your computer. iViewer applications don’t require multitouch functionality, but can support dual-touch zoom in/out if you have the drivers installed.
As a starting point…
We’ve suggested three options when it comes to choosing a touch screen.
1. An LCD / Plasma TV with Touch Panel Overlay
2. An Integrated Touchscreen TV
3. A Touchscreen Monitor
1. LCD / Plasma TV with Touch Panel Overlay
If you already have a large flat screen TV in your sales suite or venue, one option is to attach an overlay to give your existing TV touchscreen functionality. Depending on your TV you will need to select a compatible overlay that is the right size and shape for your screen. Essentially the touch panel is strapped on to your TV, which might be on a stand or wall mounted.
Touch panel overlays fit over a flat screen display to turn it into a large touchscreen. You can then use a finger or any other pointer to interact with the onscreen content. The overlay connects to your computer via USB, while the LCD / plasma flat screen connects via VGA or HDMI in the same way as you would connect a monitor or projector.
With its overlay attached, your ordinary flat screen display then works in the same way as a touchscreen monitor. Ideal for use in corporate lobbies, boardrooms, showrooms, exhibition stands and retail environments as well as public information areas where they can be used as an alternative to interactive kiosks. Overlays usually come with software drivers which need to be installed on your PC to enable and configure the touchscreen controls.
Our Suggestions
NextWindow Touchscreen Overlays
NextWindow make a range of touchscreen overlays to fit standard screens from 30” to 65”. They use optical technology, which means that tiny cameras embedded into the frame of the overlay track your touch across the screen. These overlays feature a 5mm tempered glass surface, which makes them durable and perfect for high-traffic areas. From £800 for a 30-inch overlay – plus the cost of the flat screen TV. Find the right overlay for your TV here.Panasonic TY-TP42P10s / TY-TP58P10s
Panasonic make touch panel overlays to fit their flat screen TVs (eg 42” / 58”). The overlay uses infrared technology to detect your touch. The panel connects to your PC using USB, and comes with driver software to control the touch panel settings. Approx £3,000 for a 58” overlay – plus the cost of the 58” Panasonic TV (eg Model TH-58PF12UK)
2. An Integrated Touchscreen TV
It is possible to buy a large flat screen TV with integrated touchscreen, so there is no need to attach a separate overlay. These TVs can be very heavy duty, which makes them ideal for use in public places or high-traffic areas. They’re a neat, tamper-proof solution, so they’re ideal for installation in a sales suite or venue.
Touchscreen TVs can be mounted in a variety of ways including wall-mounted and vertical / tilted stands. With many models, you can even choose to use your touchscreen like a table by mounting it horizontally.
Our Suggestions
U Touch Ltd
U Touch is a London-based touchscreen specialist. They are able to advise on a wide range of solutions, and you can visit their showroom in West London to try out our iViewer demos (and any other content) on their screens for yourself. They have options to suit all budgets, but as an example, we recently purchased a 40” integrated touchscreen TV for around £2,500.Samsung LFD Touchscreen Display 420TSN TS Series
Samsung offers full HD integrated touch screens in a range of sizes which use sensitive infrared technology for smooth fingertip control. The displays feature a sheet of protective glass so they are robust and hard wearing.
3. Touchscreen Monitors
Another option is to buy a touchscreen monitor, which is a display with built in touchscreen functionality. Touchscreen monitors come in a wide range of sizes, but large (42”) displays can be a costly option.
Touchscreen monitors connect to your computer in the same way as normal monitors, via DVI, VGA or HDMI. (How you connect to your touchscreen monitor depends on what outputs your graphics card has, and what inputs your screen has.)
Our Suggestions
Samsung SyncMaster SM320TSn LCD Touchscreen Monitor
A 32” LCD monitor with an integrated touch screen solution features fast, sensitive infrared technology and built-in speakers. Approx £3,000 for a 32” touchscreen monitor. Also available in larger sizes.Iiyama ProLite T1931SR-1 19 inch LCD TFT Monitor
This is a budget solution, as this 19”monitor uses resistive touchscreen technology as opposed to optical. The adjustable stand offers full 90° viewing angles. Approx £500 for a 19” monitor.
For more assistance in choosing the right touch screen display for your needs, call iCreate on 01792 824 894, or visit our website to view our iViewer demo projects.
Visualising a new development in Tripoli
Posted by admin on December 2, 2010 | One comment
This week we’ve been working with international construction company Renaissance, to visualise the first phase of a mixed-use masterplan in Tripoli, Libya. Renaissance Construction is building the largest shopping centers, airports, factories, marinas and hydroelectric plants in 9 different countries around the world. This development, Almas (diamond), is a community of 7 apartment buildings at the gateway to Tripoli, and our role is to deliver a superior sales brochure featuring compelling computer generated images of the homes – interior and exterior.
At His Excellency’s Service in Oman
Posted by admin on December 2, 2010 | One comment
Muscat, capital of Oman, is hoping to host Muscat Fashion Week in the plaza in front of the palace, and this week we’ve been drafting a couple of CGIs to show how it might look. The images are for an upcoming presentation to secure the event, and the feedback on the previews has come from the man himself, “His Excellency”… crazy days! Pleased to be working in partnership with the Design Depot again after a successful collaboration on the marketing for Northampton regeneration. 
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