Extending

OTHER WAYS TO USE THE RESOURCES

This page has been built to give ideas and thoughts about how you may extend this project or integrate it into different delivery methods. Please take the time to read through these ideas and even comment back with any ideas you may have after reading.

SKETCH UP MODELS

One of the major components of this project are the Google Sketchup models. These can be used individually and  incorporated into other projects. One of my first ideas is borrowed from an experience with a scaffolding trainer Cam who visited our office recently. Cam had access to some scaffolding Sketchup files and wanted to produce some videos of himself talking about scaffolding concepts while he moved in and around a 3d sketchup file. We set him up on our Mac and used Quicktime’s screen capture option with a microphone headset. Cam had a couple of quick practice run thoughs of how he would deliver his spoken content while moving the 3d camera around in SketchUp. Once he was comfortable, it only took an hour or so to produce a 2 or 3 videos.

So there’s one good way of using ther SketchUp models in this project. Why not find your favourite screen capture software and SketchUp and deliver your own audio content with the 3d models. From this you could make some podcasts, video files or even YouTube content that can be shared with even more people.

When developing your own resources it can sometimes be a pain to get a hold of an image that explains a concept or simply shows a component that you want to describe. Why not use Sketchup  to move the camera to any part of the building’s framework and then save an image from that view.

One final idea I have for the models, is learn how to build in SketchUp…it really is much easier than standard 3D modeling software and worth giving a go if you haven’t already. Use these models to break apart existing models and make smaller models if you only want one part of the building. Build onto the building and add a new roof, plumbing, electrical wiring, whatever else may suit what you are trying to deliver to your students. This building is built to scale with accurate measurements so is a great place to start building from.

ADDING CONTENT TO THE HOT SPOTS

When the resource is made available it will be packed with the source files for the application. The application is made using Flash AS3 and part of the application is dynamically populated using XML. In the application most of the hot-spots simply display a short description of the component, but some maybe linked to an image or longer description. If you change the content in the XML, you will be able to add new content to the existing hot-spots. So a hot-spot could contain information that you have added yourself.

Changing the XML will only change the information that is associated with the existing hot-spots that we have placed. You can’t move or add hot-spots to other parts of the building with the XML. If you have Flash experience with graphics and key-frames, you could open the original source files and add or move hot-spots around and then adjust your XML to build more learning into these applications.

This resource contains 4 parts of the frame so there is plenty of room to build some great new learning tools for your learners, you just need a little time and imagination.