{"id":278,"date":"2022-11-28T02:21:24","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T02:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paynecentral.com\/vr90\/?p=278"},"modified":"2023-07-23T17:11:25","modified_gmt":"2023-07-23T17:11:25","slug":"wtk-stonehenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/2022\/11\/28\/wtk-stonehenge\/","title":{"rendered":"WTK Stonehenge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In 1996, Intel and the English Heritage foundation sponsored a virtual reality simulation of Stonehenge build with WorldToolkit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"981\" height=\"650\" src=\"http:\/\/paynecentral.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-275\" srcset=\"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone2.jpg 981w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone2-300x199.jpg 300w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone2-768x509.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 981px) 100vw, 981px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Robert Stone&#8217;s YouTube post, this was  &#8220;the first ever Virtual Stonehenge demo created for English Heritage and presented by the late Sir Patrick Moore at the 1996 Summer Solstice (June) at the London Planetarium&#8221;, while a subsequent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5S1TGpah58k\">post<\/a> noted this was &#8220;merely to publicize Intel&#8217;s Pentium Pro-based TDZ\/GLZ Workstations&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Virtual Stonehenge 1 - 1996\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JXlft0HbwLk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From what I can tell from examining the various datafile included in the demo, a lot of attention was paid to recreating the star fields above the ancient monument along with the sunrise&#8230;all intrinsic elements of the monument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"592\" src=\"http:\/\/paynecentral.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone1-1024x592.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-274\" srcset=\"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone1-1024x592.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone1-300x174.jpg 300w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone1-768x444.jpg 768w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone1.jpg 1438w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting the application to work again was pretty challenging. Many of the file locations were hardcoded to specific directories. I actually needed to use a hex editor on the executable to find some of these locations. And while the monument was modeled with 4 &#8220;levels of detail&#8221; for some reason, as I approached the monolith, the stones would mysteriously disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"550\" src=\"http:\/\/paynecentral.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone6-1024x550.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-281\" srcset=\"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone6-1024x550.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone6-300x161.jpg 300w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone6-768x413.jpg 768w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone6.jpg 1050w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And while I have always been fascinated by Stonehenge, what really intrigues me about this model is the recreation of the Visitor Center. Access to the monument has been greatly curtailed. While the monument has remained the same for centuries, the visitor center from 1996 is long gone, replaced sometime in 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"586\" src=\"http:\/\/paynecentral.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone4-1024x586.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-283\" srcset=\"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone4-1024x586.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone4-300x172.jpg 300w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone4-768x440.jpg 768w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone4.jpg 1409w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I am not sure if these turnstiles are from this picture, but since you are no longer allowed to physically approach the stones, I am certain they have been permanently removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"685\" height=\"493\" src=\"https:\/\/paynecentral.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-14.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285\" srcset=\"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-14.png 685w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-14-300x216.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The simulation includes a model of walkway\/ramp the allowed visitors to safely walk under the nearby A360 motorway. It includes an image of the complete monument while the recreation could be seen in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"642\" src=\"http:\/\/paynecentral.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone5-1024x642.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-284\" srcset=\"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone5-1024x642.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone5-300x188.jpg 300w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone5-768x481.jpg 768w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/stone5.jpg 1031w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Proposed A360 Walkway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">UPDATE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/prof-bob-stone-21b86918\/\">Professor Bob Stone<\/a>, creator of the experience, while primarily educational, part of the reason for the project was to explore the idea of removing the old Visitor Center.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/paynecentral.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-15-1024x358.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-290\" srcset=\"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-15-1024x358.png 1024w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-15-300x105.png 300w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-15-768x268.png 768w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-15.png 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">With and without the old Visitor Center<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"261\" src=\"https:\/\/paynecentral.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-16.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-291\" srcset=\"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-16.png 500w, http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/11\/image-16-300x157.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Players:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/prof-bob-stone-21b86918\/\">Prof Bob Stone<\/a> &#8211; <em>&#8220;Yep, I led this project with the VR Solutions\/Virtual Presence lot, liaising with English Heritage to get the stone circle and historical elements right (before it was hijacked by Intel to show off their Pentium Pro chipset). Still have the project details, images and grainy video of the project too!&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/andrew-connell-1837a911\/\">Andrew Connell<\/a> &#8211; <em>&#8220;That was one of the last Sense8 apps I wrote myself. I remember late night hacking to get the sunrise and star effects working for the planetarium launch. We used the phrase \u2018mathematically accurate\u2019 on the press info at the time, but mostly I just fiddled with it until I liked the effect!<br>But it was an acheivement to get it all working back in 95 using laser scan models and decent resolution unique image sets for every stone.&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/glennjohnson\/\">Glenn Johnson<\/a> &#8211; <em>&#8220;recall &#8216;starting&#8217; to work on those cloud meshes for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ACoAAAJuS7MBTijPG6gk5lfMeJxcQy7erQLyyxQ\">Andrew Connell<\/a>. Not enough hours in the day :)&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 1996, Intel and the English Heritage foundation sponsored a virtual reality simulation of Stonehenge build with WorldToolkit. According to Robert Stone&#8217;s YouTube post, this was &#8220;the first ever Virtual Stonehenge demo created for English Heritage and presented by the &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/2022\/11\/28\/wtk-stonehenge\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,6,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bob-stone","category-demos","category-sense8"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":391,"href":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278\/revisions\/391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cseng.com\/vr90\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}