Detroit Midfield Terminal Project


Activity Log

Latest Entry

October 1, 1997

Begin of one-year project period


October 8, 1997

Project kickoff meeting at Midfield Terminal Office, Taylor, MI.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker, other staff members


October 9, 1997

Project Web site created.

Bert Schoenwaelder (VRL)


October 13, 1997

Meeting at VR-Lab

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Matthew Shaw, Tarik Moody


October 16, 1997

Viewpoint Animation Test

Bert Schoenwaelder (VRL)


October 20, 1997

Got first data

Diganta Saha (VRL)


October 25, 1997

Accuracy Test Scene

Lars Schumann (VRL)


November 3, 1997

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker, Dale Walker, Matthew Shaw, Teresa Davidson, other staff members


November 14, 1997

VRML Shadow Study

Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


November 30, 1997

VRML Shadow Study with accurate tower / Surface Data

Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann


December 1, 1997

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker, Matthew Shaw


December 11, 1997

Improved Interaction (Binoculars, Compass, and Steps) and added Planes

Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


January 23, 1998

Created a preliminary Version for Boom and Cave

Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


January 30, 1998

Program for Groundplate Tessellation

Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


February 2, 1998

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker, Matthew Shaw, other staff members

Visit to FAA tower.


February 5, 1998

Added 2nd tower and changed Plane Type (Gates 5 through 55, odd ones) to A320.

Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


February 8, 1998

Improved Terminals (outline comes from the CAD data)

Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


February 9, 1998

Meeting in VR-Lab.
Created a Video, Demonstrated the Boom Version

Matthew Shaw, Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


March 1, 1998

Improved Terminals (separation in main building, finger, mechanical parts, and curved roof), new Groundplate, 3d-Airplanes
Improved Boom and Cave Version

Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


March 2, 1998

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker, Tarik Moody, other staff members


March 5, 1998

Changed NWA tower (new model, initial position and viewpoint), extended Interaction (reactivated east concourse length editing, both towers editable), added C-Lines

Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


March 26, 1998

Improved Entrance (Refined and Curved Roof), Added 3 Level Roads, Added Parking Garage, Added Pedestrian Bridge

Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


April 7, 1998

Improved Boom and Cave Version

Steffen Heise, Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann


April 8, 1998

Meeting in VR-Lab.
Demonstrated the Boom and Cave Version

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Diganta Saha, Bert Schoenwaelder, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker, Tarik Moody, other staff members


April 21, 1998

Created a Video

Diganta Saha. Thomas Gunn, Kenneth Koziol


April 30, 1998

Meeting in VR-Lab.
Demonstrated the Boom Version for the FAA

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn


May 3, 1998

Remodeled the east concourse, east terminal with roof; included an automatic drive through

Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann


May 4, 1998

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker, Tarik Moody, other staff members


May 22, 1998

Added 3 Level entrance, improved NWA tower (bars and table)

Hao Meng, Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann


June 06, 1998

Improved west concourse (curved roof), added switch to toggle airplanes, changed lighting for better contrast

Ross Barna, Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann


June 8, 1998

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Ross Barna, Hao Meng, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker, Matthew Shaw, other staff members


June 18, 1998

Meeting in Taylor.
Tried to setup VRML plugin; got new renderings; talked about roads, east entrance, video

Participants from VRL: Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker, Matthew Shaw, other staff members


June 26, 1998

Picking up ZIP disk from Taylor

Diganta Saha


July 1, 1998

Created Video

Thomas Gunn, Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann


July 3, 1998

Corrected airplane position and type, Corrected west concourse position. Thomas Gunn picks up video from VRL

Lars Schumann


July 7, 1998

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Hao Meng, Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker


July 31, 1998

Improved lighting, completed split up, added speed control to drive version

Ross Barna, Lars Schumann


August 5, 1998

Created sample road section with textures and traffic.

Hao Meng, Ross Barna


August 13, 1998

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Ross Barna, Hao Meng, Diganta Saha

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Dale Walker, Kenneth Koziol, Matthew Shaw


September 15, 1998

New roads, remodeled entrance.

Sridhar Rajamani, Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann


September 16, 1998

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Sridhar Rajamani, Diganta Saha, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Brian Ruppert


September 26, 1998

Project period extended through December 31, 1988


October 10, 1998

Added hotel with switchable outline, increased the control sensitivity, added a + and - button, changed NWA tower design

Sridhar Rajamani, Lars Schumann


October 13, 1998

Changed NWA tower, stitched roads together, created some railing

Sridhar Rajamani, Lars Schumann


October 14, 1998

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Sridhar Rajamani, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Brian Ruppert


November 12, 1998

Simplified entrance, added pedestrian sidewalk, completed railing, changed pedestrian bridge, created 3 drive through's for the 3 different levels

Sridhar Rajamani, Lars Schumann


November 24, 1998

Improved roads, curbs, railing, ride, changed parking structure, improved coloring, added bridge viewpoint

Sridhar Rajamani, Lars Schumann


November 25, 1998

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Sridhar Rajamani, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: Thomas Gunn, Charles McCloskey, Brian Ruppert


December 4, 1998

Meeting with Brian Ruppert
Talked about CAD data especially east concourse roof and parking structure

Brian Ruppert, Sridhar Rajamani, Lars Schumann


December 31, 1998

Official end of project period (and end of funding)


January 12, 1999

Improved parking structure, added masts, changed east concourse roof, changed NWA tower height

Sridhar Rajamani, Lars Schumann


January 13, 1999

Meeting in Taylor.

Participants from VRL: Klaus-Peter Beier, Lars Schumann

Participants from NW: ???


April 7, 1999

Computer-generated videos of terminal fly-over mailed to NW by FedEx


May 3, 1999

Media event on Midfield Terminal in UofM Media Union VR Lab


May 7, 1999

MPEG version of computer-generated videos of terminal fly-over mailed to NW by FedEx


August 27, 1999

Trip to Midfield Terminal Project at new location at airport, tour of construction site and control tower


November 13, 1999

One more piece of work finished (by Florian Stempinski): Tree Study model of Midfield Terminal


April 20, 2000

Copy of MPEG video (terminal fly-over, full length, high-res) requested by Matthew Shaw and mailed




Last Update: April 20, 2000 by beier@umich.edu
Return to Project Home Page for Team Members
http://www-VRL.umich.edu/NewMidfield/insiders/