The building isn't built yet, but on Wickwire's computer screen it's fully formed in three dimensions.
Most CAD programs are two-dimensional.
Using a mounted rollerball, Wickwire navigates her way through an elaborate array of wavy plains and sloping walls that together represent the interior of the museum. Along the way, the virtual-reality program includes images of people in the structure, giving the viewer a sense of its massiveness. EMP construction manager Paul Zumwalt said the program has been a key component in making the project possible. The shape of the building deviates from the right angles that most builders and engineers are used to, so three-dimensional imaging is invaluable for determining where in space a particular beam or sloping wall should be placed. The system is set up on the construction site as well as in the architects' and engineers' offices, enabling everyone to work together.