Narration of light : computational tools for framing the tonal imagination

Abstract

Existence of light reveals the architectural space. And images depict them. This thesis proposes a computational model for evaluating tonal and compositional qualities of photorealistically rendered synthetic images. Its aim is to assist the architects to quickly externalize their spatial imagination through automated evaluation and selection of volume rendered images in search of the ones they like to achieve. Taking the visual perception as the focal communication tool in design, the research promotes the use of computer generated realistic images to the very beginning of the design process. The implemented tool, Narration of Light is a plug-in that runs on the 3D Studio Max 7 environment, where realistic images can be rendered without any evaluation for the generated images. The tool aims to create a more self-conscious rendering environment that would computationally recognize the qualities of image by reading it via bitmap values.

(cont.) The plug-in, while trying to determine the user's intention regarding the tonal distribution of light via any kind of user selected images, it also embeds algorithms of established photographical composition techniques to evaluate and classify the generated images. In the awareness of the strong relationship between space, light and images, this research intends to offer an alternative image-driven design process as well as going into the experimentation of evaluating the quality of images with computational means.