Arkio is a cross-platform, collaborative 3D city modelling tool predominantly designed for landscape and town planning. Curiously, it also has features that might be ideal for VR journalism. The collaborative space-building tools enable users to create architectural and rural models very quickly and then output them into other software and formats.
The free version, which I tested, supports *.OBJ files can be imported into SketchFab – and from there, models can be exported anywhere.
One of the tool’s strongest features is that it is VR first—available on Oculus platforms—and it’s there where the tool is strongest. In “Create” and “Edit” modes, cityscapes, landscapes, and interiors can be built rapidly with primitive shapes and landscapes. The software easily translates common 3D design tool features to VR (splitting shapes, intersections, etc.).
The Create palette also enables users to access simple architectural features, such as furniture, trees, and vehicles. These can be placed easily with snapping, resized, and coloured with simple paint tools. The tool also includes primitive road shapes.
A key feature for potential VR journalism is Map mode. With this toggled, the user can search by area name and access online street maps, then use those to build up a street-level model. Arkio can also populate the model with primitive buildings.
Feelings
Coming from sometimes frustrating interfaces like SketchUp and ProBuilder in Unity, Arkio was a relief. Being able to build real streets quickly and places feel powerful and easy compared to other, more sophisticated tools. Working in VR is intuitive for the most part, with object placement and editing feeling almost as easy as working at a table with a box full of real objects; trees, blocks, and models of people. The main difference is that they can be edited, resized, and coloured far more easily than real-world objects!
As part of a workflow that includes Arkio, I can imagine that this would be useful for creating annotated infographics on an almost daily basis, too. I used the mapping tool to rapidly prototype a model of Dealey Plaza. With models of key buildings and fixtures available in the public domain, it would be a relatively trivial thing to build a VR space from scratch—perhaps imported into Unity or Spatial for rapid deployment.
The sharing tools were a little more frustrating. In the free version, users are limited to a small number of export formats. So, even though it can export to SketchUp directly (for fine-tuning models) I went through an intermediary format, *.obj. In my experiments, I could not keep the colours or textures I’d applied to models.
However, there are cloud-sharing features that work well – and enable users to access the same space (and objects) via a web browser, mobile phone, or Windows-based desktop app. Useful for cross-between apps and platforms.
Evaluation
Oddly, I had Arkio installed on my headset for a long time before attempting to use it for modelling after a frustrating first encounter. I hadn’t found the 3D building tools particularly intuitive, as much of the UI is hidden. This is as much an adjustment when moving from productivity tools on desktop platforms to VR as anything else. The save system was baffling too… until I realised how the “Scenes” metaphor was saving all my work automatically, and I didn’t need to go hunting for files – even though it’s possible to access a local file system.
Bringing in models from other platforms requires some planning and forethought. They must be uploaded to a cloud folder, which the user must then join on their headset (or the platform where they plan to build). Some planning ahead is required to gather together all the elements needed to build a project and then make them available to Arkio—though the same might be said of all media production tools.
The price point could be lower! Some of the functionality that makes this potentially very valuable to VR journalism creation is locked behind a paywall.
Conclusions
Overall, Arkio has opened up a range of storytelling and prototyping options. The Map feature is potentially indispensable for reporting. I can imagine building a module of street in Arkio, exporting it to SketchFab, adding annotations, and then making that available within a very short lead time.
Application
I might also see Arkio as a tool for creating more in-depth scenarios. Its ability to create interiors as well as exteriors and import models is exciting. For example, a journalist might capture an interior space with PolyCam and then place that inside a building created in Arkio. There’s potential for it to be used in both fast and slow journalism. However, enterprise pricing reflects its primary use as an architectural tool.