Lifelike Experience and 3D Interaction Contribute to Most Popular Pavilions; 3D Simulation Brings Safety Guarantee for the Expo Axis

SHANGHAI — (BUSINESS WIRE) — June 10, 2010 — Dassault Systèmes (DS) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) (Paris: DSY), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, announced that its industry-leading 3D technologies contribute to the success of the Shanghai World Expo virtually and physically. Dassault Systèmes’ 3DVIA brings a lifelike virtual environment of the World Expo online pavilions by way of 360-degree space tours and real-time 3D interaction. In addition, Dassault Systèmes’ SIMULIA simulation technology has ensured the robust safety of the Expo Axis, one of the most remarkable attractions at the Expo Park, by providing accurate anti-seismic and buckling analysis in 3D before the building was even built, avoiding unnecessary waste in cost and time.

Since its official launch on May 1, the World Expo Online has attracted significant attention of netizens worldwide. According to statistics from the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo, the Expo Online has already received over 160 million page views, and a major number of the visits went to the “Experiencing Pavilions.” The experiencing type of pavilions is presented in 3D format. DS’s 3DVIA Virtools, the software recommended by the Bureau to build the experiencing type of pavilions, has contributed to many popular and highly recognized virtual 3D pavilions, such as those of France, Belgium, Jilin, Shandong, Guizhou, Taipei, and Vanke.

Through 3DVIA’s lifelike experience technology, the romantic roof garden and the seven artistic treasures from the Musée d'Orsay are perfectly represented in the virtual world. It also built a splendid “Kite Forest” for the Mexican Pavilion, a vivid great waterfall for the Guizhou Pavilion and the high-tech atmosphere with the virtual dancing images of the Taipei Pavilion, all in 3D.

3D pavilions can create unique experiences that physical pavilions cannot provide. Thanks to 3DVIA, numerous experiencing type of pavilions lead online visitors into a virtual space to enjoy wonderful 3D interactive experience. For example, visitors to the online French Pavilion can “fly” to the Musée d'Orsay with just one click of a mouse and for the first time appreciate the masterpieces in the format of 3D; visitors to the online Jilin Pavilion are instantly greeted by the “band” consisting of a squirrel, frog, woodpecker and morning glories to play a rock-style song, “The Sound of Changbai Mountain,” and enter a fairytale-like snow scene where a seemingly tranquil snowman may suddenly throw snowballs onto your screen; within just a few seconds, visitors can immediately immerse themselves into a snow-covered 3D scene and head straight to the top of the Changbai Mountain on dogsleds. Likewise in the Shandong Pavilion, visitors can climb the famous Mount Taishan and meet the Chinese sage, Confucius.

Through the augmented reality (AR) technology, visitors can enjoy another level of 3D interactivity. In the online Vanke Pavilion, visitors can experience a virtual adventure to an anthill where they will be invited by the lovely white ants to help pump in fresh air in their natural air conditioning system. Similarly, visitors can freely play with the Taipei 101 Building on their own hands in the online Taipei Pavilion.

“The Online World Expo is a pioneering undertaking in the World Expo history,” said Wang Liping, chief operation officer of Expo Website Management Office and deputy director of Expo Communication & Promotion Dept, Shanghai World Expo. “The application of the 3D technology has enriched the Expo by making it even more exciting. The 3D interactivity not only provides more attractive visual effects, but also allows more participation by people around the world. Dassault Systèmes’ 3D technology and its great support are important guarantees for a splendid, successful and unforgettable World Expo.”

In addition to helping build the world’s first Expo Online, DS’s industry-leading 3D technologies also contribute to the success of the physical Expo.

The 1-kilometer-long, 110-meter-wide Expo Axis is the main artery of landscape, people and traffic flow of the Expo Park. It is also the largest single work of the World Expo Park. The gigantic, conical “Sunny Valley” along the Expo Axis makes one of the most marvelous highlights of the park. The six horn-shaped “Sunny Valleys” have a maximum diameter of 99 meter at the top and 22 meter at the bottom as the steel structure consists of 1,700 units, which makes it a rare building of a cable-film structure and presents a tremendous challenge to the architects and builders.

SIMULIA Abaqus, advanced 3D simulation analysis software from Dassault Systèmes, was used to perform dynamical elastic-plastic time-dependent analysis for the principal structure of the Expo Axis, obtaining accurate results about the anti-seismic elasticity of the building through 3D simulation. It has also been used to make structural buckling analysis for the “Sunny Valley” to ensure the overall balance and safety of the giant cone and provide maximum safety guarantee for tens of millions of visitors to the World Expo.

SIMULIA Abaqus was also adopted for the excavating simulation for the transformer substation of the Expo, which is the world’s largest and first fully underground and entirely cabled substation. The accurate simulation and analysis of underground works before the construction started has greatly lowered the probability of re-work and waste of materials, providing a secure foundation for the power supply of the World Expo Park.