Model your (Univer)CityModeling real life buildings through Google Earth can be lots of fun. Google Earth “lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings” and many many more. Currently our focus is on the city of Patras, Greece. Through this site/page we are interested in presenting our work and hopefully engaging more people in modeling buildings from our beautiful city. Our initial involvement with this modeling madness was through the Google Model your campus competition 2008, where we modeled almost entirely the campus of the University of Patras. Though we did not succeed in winning any of the prizes, we created a large number of our university buildings.
This, however, is only the beginning, as we have also created the lighthouse of Patras and more buildings from the center of Patras are also under construction... Applications Imagine a city where all of the center (“downtown”) buildings can be viewed in Google Earth. Then a tourist can walk through the city before even getting there, a teacher can show to her students the 3D landmarks of any city in the world. The sky is the limit :) In Research Unit 1 we have also found a number of other, research oriented, applications for the 3D models we created in Google Earth. Such an application relates to wireless sensor networks, i.e., networks comprised of small devices measuring temperature, humidity and other parameters, and which are scattered inside several buildings, communicating wirelessly to a number of base stations. Using the Google Earth API we created a user interface that provides an overview of the readings produced by such devices, located in different areas or even in different levels in the same building. You can watch the following video, which explains a bit (with some additional technical stuff) about this specific user interface that is provided by our sensor network management software, called WebDust.
Who we really are We are a team consisting (most of the time) of three people: Georgios Mylonas, Thanasis Antoniou and Panagiotis Kokkinos, from the Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics, University of Patras. For the development of the university buildings we had also a little help from two great undergrad students Panagiotis Gourgaris and Nikos Kanelakis. The three of us (George, Thanasis and Panagiotis) are also notorious (sort of...) for the max payne@university mod, we developed some years ago as the P=NP group. The concept was similar to this one, transfer a real building to the digital time and space.
Contact us Please do not hesitate to contact us for help in case your are interested in creating 3D buildings for Patras or any other Greek city. Contact us also for suggestions, e.g., which Patras building you would like to see in Google Earth the most.
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How To Start There are many resources out there, explaining in detail how to model a building and put it in the Google Earth. In summary the steps on must follow are: - Download/Install Google Earth, the application through which one can view the Earth terrain and buildings. - Download/Install Google Sketchup, the application through which one can create the 3D buildings. - Create a building. - Upload it in the 3D warehouse site, where one can view buildings and other objects created by other people. We should note that when one creates a new building and uploads it in the 3D warehouse, this does not mean that it is viewable through Google Earth right away. Google follows a review process, during which a new 3D building is first reviewed and then if it is found ok (there are a number of criteria) the model is accepted and anyone can view it through Google Earth (assuming the 3D building layer option is enabled). For more information you can visit the your world in 3d site. List of buildings - models A list of the buildings modeled follows. The 3D Warehouse collection containing all of these models can be found here. These 37 models are made by Mylonas Georgios, Panagiotis Kokkinos and Athanasios Antoniou, and are contained in "2008 International Model Your Campus competition"  | Computer Technology Institute, University of Patras Campus, Greece This is the main building, "Maritsas building", of Research Academic Computer Technology Institute (RACTI), University of Campus, Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Prefab Offices, Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics, University of Patras, Greece Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics, Prefab Offices, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Student Resident Hall,Main Buildings Student Residence Hall, Main Buildings (Restaurant, Pool, Theater, etc.), University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology, University of Patras, Greece This is the building of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Classrooms of the Departments of Business Administration and Economics Classrooms of the Department of Business Administration and Economics, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Student Residence Hall, new wing under construction Student Residence Hall, new wing under construction. View in Google Earth | | Museum of Science and Technology Museum of Science and Technology inside the campus of the University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Student Residence Hall, Buildings A and B Student Residence Hall, Buildings A and B. View in Google Earth | | Department of Chemistry, South Building and Extension Department of Chemistry, South Building and Extension, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Department of Civil Engineering, Building Complex Department of Civil Engineering, Building Complex, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Extensions of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology Extensions of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Department of Physics building complex Department of Physics building complex, University of Patras. View in Google Earth | | Foucault's Pendulum Foucault's Pendulum, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Department of Chemistry, North Building Department of Chemistry, North Building. View in Google Earth | | Department of Chemical Engineering Extension, University of Patras, Greece Department of Chemical Engineering Extension, University of Patras, Greece View in Google Earth | | School of Engineering Amphitheaters School of Engineering Amphitheaters, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Department of Architecture, Classrooms, University of Patras, Greece Department of Architecture, Classrooms, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Building near the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology, University of Patras Building near the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology, University of Patras, Greece View in Google Earth | | Department of Theater Studies, University of Patras, Greece Classrooms for the department of Theater Studies and the department of Pharmaceutics, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Extension of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics Extension of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Student Residence Hall, Buildings D and E Student Residence Hall, Buildings D and E. View in Google Earth | | Computer Labs for the Departments of Economics and Pharmacy, University of Patras, Greece Computer Labs for the Departments of Economics and Pharmacy, University of Patras, Greece View in Google Earth | | Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology, University of Patras, Greece Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology, University of Patras, Greece . View in Google Earth | | Amphitheaters of the School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, Greece Amphitheaters of the School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, Greece View in Google Earth | | Sports Center, University of Patras, Greece This is the Sports Center located in the campus of the University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Faculty of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece This is the main building of the Faculty of Medicine in the University of Patras, Greece, along with the amphitheaters of the health sciences school. View in Google Earth | | Departments of Biology and Mathematics building, University of Patras, Greece This is the building of the departments of Biology and Mathematics, University of Patras, Greece View in Google Earth |  | Library of the University of Patras, Greece This is the central library of the University of Patras. View in Google Earth | | Conference and Cultural Center of the University of Patras, Greece This is the building of the Conference and Cultural Center of the University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras, Greece This is the main building of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Parko tis Irinis, University of Patras, Greece This is the building of 'Parko tis Irinis', where the central cafeteria of the campus is located. View in Google Earth | | Department of Primary Education, University of Patras, Greece This is the building of the department of Primary Education (Paedagogiko) in the University of Patras, Greece View in Google Earth | | Church inside the campus of the University of Patras Church inside the campus of the University of Patras, right next to the student residence buildings View in Google Earth | | Department of Geology, University of Patras, Greece This the building of the Department of Geology, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Administration building of the University of Patras Administration building of the University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth | | Department of Chemical Engineering main building, University of Patras, Greece This is the main building of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, Greece. View in Google Earth |
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