Decision-support

Decision- support

How to Build a 3D Decision Tool

From gathering data to an interactive 3D decision-support tool

Urban systems are complex, and so is the data behind them. One of the main challenges is not only collecting this data, but making it usable for informed decisions.

We have worked with Unity for 3D scenario interaction in many URBAN MENUS projects in recent years. For the Circularity Optimizer[1], we at BUSarchitektur have shifted the focus slightly: the 3D environment is still important, but it now needs to be more closely connected to spatial data display and external analysis tools.

The workflow can be understood in four main steps.

First, data identification and gathering. This can include public and private datasets, GIS layers, OpenStreetMap information, interviews, trends, and project-specific studies such as energy profiles, CO₂ emissions, building functions or heat load capacity.

Second, data transfer and processing. GIS tools such as QGIS are useful for formatting, overlaying and merging spatial datasets, while 3D geometry can be prepared in tools such as Rhino and using Grasshopper. This step is often underestimated, because an interactive model is only as useful as the structure of the data behind it. Building a workflow where parts of these steps are automated allows us to use the process again for further projects.

Third, data display and interaction. Unity becomes the interactive layer of the workflow. A game engine can be used for more than games; for us, it becomes a spatial interface between geometry, attributes and user interaction. Buildings, streets or landscape elements can become interactive objects that carry data. This creates a digital twin, not as a perfect copy of the city, but as a working model for discussion. Maps can be switched on and off, scenarios can be selected, and changes can become visible directly in the 3D scene.

“The turning point is when a static model becomes an interactive tool”

Fourth, the connection to external analysis. In the Circularity Optimizer, this means linking the 3D interface with the ESG Cockpit (akaryon), where KPIs can be calculated and evaluated. Unity provides the scenario geometry and interaction setup, while the analysis logic remains connected to specialized tools. Together, these steps form the technical basis for an interactive 3D decision-support tool.

One reason for using Unity is its flexibility: the same technical basis can be developed for desktop, web or VR, depending on the users, the setting and what the process actually needs. A decision-support, training or conversation-starter tool can look quite different depending on the situation: sometimes it is a VR interaction to understand the urban context spatially, sometimes a web tool for remote workshops, and sometimes a desktop application for an in-person think tank. For us, this is important because the format should follow the process, not the other way around.

With the Circularity Optimizer, we are building a workflow that helps translate complex circularity information into a format that interdisciplinary teams, stakeholders and decision-makers can explore, discuss and compare: a bridge between data silos, 3D visualization and decision-support for more circular urban systems.

Laura P. Spinadel and Bianca Severin, for URBAN MENUS Decision Intelligence Lab

[1] TECXPORT Bilateral Cooperation Austria-Jiangsu/People’s Republic of China JSTD 2023, co-funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG

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