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Digital Design Prototyping Specialist and FAA Licensed Drone Pilot in Oxford MichiganDigital Design Prototyping Specialist and FAA Licensed Drone Pilot in Oxford Michigan
Digital Design Prototyping Specialist and FAA Licensed Drone Pilot in Oxford MichiganDigital Design Prototyping Specialist and FAA Licensed Drone Pilot in Oxford Michigan
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Long Beach Convention Center

Amazing 3D Environments: Create Stunning Visuals in Minutes

11 months ago Posted by Mike Old Work, Technology, Work

During a project on immersive training, I explored new ways to create 3D Stunning Visuals in Minutes from real-world locations. By conducting research and using online tutorials, I learned quick methods to generate 3D environments with Google Maps and Blender. As a result, I developed engaging, location-specific scenarios for virtual reality. These scenarios seamlessly integrated into immersive spaces and enhanced the training experience.

Stunning 3D Model of Detroit Michigan created from Google Maps and Blender Create Stunning Visuals in Minutes

Create Stunning Visuals in Minutes

I discovered a free tool called BLOSM for Blender, which enables users to seamlessly import full-scale 3D environments from various map providers, including OpenStreetMap and Google Maps. Once imported, I streamlined the process by combining surfaces and regenerating the texture map to create a unified mesh with a single texture. This approach enabled me to design multiple environments with stunning 4K and 8K textures, bringing real-world locations to life in fully immersive 3D experiences. It was a fascinating and rewarding process!

3D Model of Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan created from Google Maps and Blender

By leveraging Google Maps and various tools, I successfully generated 3D models of a wide range of locations.

3D Model of Airport Create Stunning Visuals in Minutes

Larger models generally featured lower levels of detail but retained sufficient intricacy to create a compelling sense of immersion.

3D Model of Airport Runway Digital Twin Create Stunning Visuals in Minutes

Exploring highly detailed 3D models of islands, complete with accurate elevations and geometry, was both fascinating and insightful. I enjoy using tools like these to help create a greater sense of immersion in my work.

3D model of Catalina Island Digital Twin Create Stunning Visuals in Minutes

The Future of Effortless 3D Design for Creating Virtual Twins

Creating virtual environments from real-life maps is becoming easier and more accessible. For example, tools like Unity and Unreal Engine provide plugins and libraries to convert geospatial data into 3D environments. As AI and mapping technology advance, creating accurate digital twins will become faster and increasingly automated. In the near future, real-time 3D digital twins will update instantly by using live data from sensors, satellites, and IoT devices. Consequently, this will benefit industries like gaming, urban planning, and disaster response. As a result, virtual replicas will become more dynamic and practical, enhancing decision-making and creating more immersive experiences.

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About Mike

Mike has over 20+ years of creative and technical design and development experience. His education includes a Bachelors and Masters degree in Computer Animation. He's worked in the automotive, design, education, electronics, software, and user experience industries across the globe. The companies he's worked with include, Alpine Electronics, Ford, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and more.

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Mike Rosik • Creative Technologist

Mike Rosik

I bring over 20 years of experience in creative and technical design and development, with a specialization in user experience and design prototyping. I hold a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Animation and have worked across diverse industries, including automotive, education, software, visual effects, and startups.  I’m also an FAA licensed drone pilot based in Oxford, Michigan.

In recent years, I have actively leveraged emerging technologies to enhance my prototypes and projects. My expertise spans app and web-based user interfaces, AR/VR/XR, improving user experiences, microcontrollers, Node.js cloud servers, AWS cloud integration, and innovative storytelling methodologies. Additionally, I have explored physical prototyping tools, such as using cardboard for occlusion surfaces, to improve augmented and virtual reality experiences and spark creative solutions. I am particularly passionate about photogrammetry and 3D model generation, utilizing advanced techniques like Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) and Gaussian splatting to create high-quality, immersive assets from photos and videos.

Collaboration and user-centered design are at the core of my process. I engage with stakeholders and end users to fully understand their goals and challenges, transforming their feedback into personas, journey maps, and user flows that outline an optimal path to success. By focusing on the user, I not only create intuitive and impactful experiences but also uncover overlooked opportunities for improvement, ensuring the final design delivers maximum value.

FAA Licensed Drone Pilot

I am an FAA-licensed Unmanned Aerial System Remote Pilot, qualified to provide professional and compliant commercial drone services.

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