Objective
The goal is to develop a procedural pipeline using a variety of software to construct real-life neighborhoods within a virtual reality simulation. These VR experiences are part of an investigation led by Dr. Plascak at SPACE Lab, which explores how socio-spatial environments influence health disparities. With Dr. Lewis guiding the procedural process, the pipeline develops efficient strategies that enable the rapid creation of high-definition virtual spaces while keeping memory costs low to moderate for PC VR.

This project primarily uses Houdini in conjunction with Unity for VR. Photoshop is employed for photo editing. The scene remains unlit, as lighting is derived from the natural light included in the neighborhood photos.



As the pipeline is developed, a step-by-step process is outlined in an Excel document. In-depth documentation is provided as instructions for each step. A Houdini shelf is being developed to match these steps.

The images above compare real-life (left) to the VR neighborhood (right). Some areas of the ground may appear low-definition because the photos were taken from an area where research participants will not be able to travel. Certain items, such as street posts and chimneys, have been purposely left out, as they are not frequently noticed.

Progress photos: