Integration path of digital media art and environmental design based on virtual reality technology

1 Introduction

Digital media art refers to the art form produced with the support of digital technology, while environmental design refers to the creation of more comfortable and beautiful physical spaces for people. Through the application of virtual reality (VR) technology, the interaction and collaboration between the two fields of digital media art and environmental design can be further improved, so that the artistry of digital media art can be better presented in the environmental design, bringing more colorful use scenarios and user experience. VR is a technology that applies VR technology to human–computer interaction based on perception, immersion, interaction, and imagination [1,2]. It can meet the various needs of digital multimedia art and environmental art, better show the transformation process of digital media art and environmental art, more accurate and reasonable use of budget, and enhance the interaction and accuracy of design. Artificial intelligence (AI) has pushed VR forward with modern technology. AI is the ability to make computers as intelligent as humans by simulating human intelligence [3,4]. It is the study of how to enable computers to perform intelligent behaviors like humans.

Digital media art and environmental design have been studied by many scholars. Zhu analyzed the impact and problems of digital media art in contemporary art and design education, including the confusion of teaching mode, the shortage of knowledge construction system, and the aging of curriculum content [5]. Liu and Li used fuzzy integrated evaluation to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of digital media art practice [6]. Qian selected 160 students and used AI to create a VR digital media art method to analyze and study the curriculum, providing a concrete reference and basis for design teaching [7]. Vagi studied the relationship between the physical attributes of schools and students' violence-related behaviors and concepts by using a new assessment tool for crime prevention through environmental design [8]. Although there is more research on digital media art and environmental design, practice needs to be integrated into the design.

VR has been widely used, and many scholars have studied it. During the simulation modeling teaching of bamboo forest in the VR environment, Feng used intelligent modeling, rendering, and drawing tools to complete the teaching application example of school art modeling design. In the specific teaching of art creation and design in colleges and universities, he respectively carried out the creation and design modeling of a single bamboo, different lighting effects, and scene rendering. He analyzed the strategy of school art creation and design under the VR background [9]. Chen studied the role of VR in the design of interactive and participatory educational environment, so that students can check the relationship between building components and components. If VR system is adopted in architectural education, this research would be helpful to the design discipline [10]. Liang proposed an interactive VR teaching model for fashion design education that allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the structural features of traditional clothing with the help of virtual clothing and provides learning opportunities for other students [11]. Yang divided online teaching mode based on VR modeling language into two application methods for the application of VR modeling language in design teaching, and proposed a design teaching mode based on VR modeling language [12]. Kaimal discussed the impact of immersive VR on personal creativity and the factors related to creativity. The research results enable people to have a deeper understanding of the function of using VR support systems for personal creativity [13]. Choi and Lee used VR technology to process building construction design for research purposes, and used VR to provide dimensional space models for some building construction stages, providing users with immersive and nonimmersive VR experiences [14]. With the advanced functions of VR immersion and interactive visualization, Mahdi et al. advocated to promote the design, engineering, construction, and management of the building environment, and explored the latest technology of VR application in the building environment through the mixed quantitative and qualitative review method [15]. Although the theoretical research on VR technology is relatively rich, some are still lacking in practical verification. The current digital media art and environmental design are more aimed at improving the design effect. Therefore, VR should be used to integrate digital media art and the environmental design to make the design effect more perfect. Whether it is graphic design or three-dimensional (3D) effect, VR should be fully used to comprehensively review the design works and improve the design level of art.

In the process of global technological innovation, digital media art has achieved rich connotations and spatial expansion through the combination of VR technology and has achieved certain innovation in application forms and creative methods. From a long-term perspective, the development of digital media art under the background of VR technology is an inevitable trend in the entire industry. This is beneficial for compensating for the shortcomings in traditional digital media art creation, enabling creative transformation through recombination of the original sensory experience, and providing viewers with a new comprehensive sensory experience.

2 VR technology, digital media art, and environmental design

3 Integration path of digital media art and environmental design in the context of VR

3.1 VR principle

Broadly speaking, VR is a technology that takes real scenes from the real world and makes them virtual. Human beings use their rich imagination and various advanced instruments and technologies (such as sensors, electronic computers, and networks) to create scenes and objects that are almost identical to real scenes or expectations, so that people can get real experience in virtual scenes and things in human–computer interaction [19]. VR in a narrow sense refers to the illusion that a person wearing VR changes the picture on the display screen with his/her body moving, so that he/she can have a feeling of being in the scene and being physically and mentally good. The VR principle is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

Principle of VR.

3.1.1 Collect information

Through the use of sensor technology, the human behavior information can be transformed into computer language, and then input into the computer. This process is to collect data. In conversion, sensor technology is the key to obtaining information. For example, when a person speaks to another person, a voice sensor would capture a person's language. When this process is completed, the voice would become a data stream, and then input it into the computer, thus completing the task of collecting information.

3.1.2 Simulate a virtual environment

After receiving the information, the computer would analyze the information, and on this basis, complete the task of simulating the environment. In the stage of simulating the environment, the computer system would receive and process the information and simulate the virtual environment through modeling to make the expression of information more specific and sufficient [20].

3.1.3 Perceive VR environment

Presenting virtual environment and simulating virtual environment is not the key to technology. It makes the body feel the virtual world, which is the ultimate goal of VR. This program just runs counter to the method of collecting information. If the data are collected by computers, then the virtual environment is collected by humans. Specifically, VR technology can be used to convert computer language into a kind of behavioral information that can make people “immersive.” To achieve this goal, it must use the relevant equipment of VR technology.

3.2 Digital media art and environmental design principles

The integration strategy of comprehensive optimization of environmental design and digital media art should adhere to the design principles that should be held by both, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

Digital media art and environmental design principles.

3.2.1 Define the purpose of the design

The act of environmental design has a strong design purpose, and to produce better work, the designer must have a high level of overall competence. Digital media is a means of assisting environmental art design, which can provide better support for the environmental art design. Using VR to simulate environmental art design can not only make the design theme more vivid but also improve the design connotation [21].

3.2.2 Innovative art design form

The integration of digital media art and environmental design not only provides designers with more inspiration but also helps them to examine whether the design style is unified and whether the color scheme is harmonious from multiple perspectives and thus arrive at a more practical effect.

3.2.3 Integration and interaction

Integrating digital media art and environment design is the result of integrating a variety of advanced technologies, such as computer graphics technology, simulation technology, AI technology, sensor technology, and network parallel processing technology. By combining advanced technologies and the latest research results with each other, better design works can be designed and greater benefits can be generated.

3.2.4 Scientificity and authenticity

Digital media art can be used to design the environment. Only by observing the real environment and getting real data can the real landscape be reflected. Through the comparison of different environmental art design schemes and their correction, the most reasonable and scientific design scheme is obtained.

3.3 Problems in the integration of environmental design and digital media art

In the process of environmental design, the integration of digital media and environmental design is the future trend of art design. Currently, there are aspects of integrating the two that need improvement, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3

Problems in the integration of environmental art design and digital media art.

3.3.1 Designers have a general understanding of digital environmental art design

At present, due to the influence of traditional occupations, some designers still have a vague understanding of design, as well as a general understanding of digital environmental art design and environmental design. When dealing with the relationship between environmental design and digital media art, if it cannot accurately grasp the depth of digital media integration and still adhere to the traditional design concept, the quality of environmental art design would be affected [22]. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the designer's understanding of art and design.

3.3.2 Lack of professionals

To perfectly integrate environmental design and digital media art, designers should be familiar with the characteristics and application fields of the two majors and be able to design works flexibly according to the characteristics of the two majors. In fact, there is a shortage of talents who are familiar with environmental art design and digital media art. At present, the training methods for art designers, whether in universities or related companies, are relatively simple. Some pay more attention to theory and lack practice, which cannot enable designers to skillfully use the combination of digital media art and environmental design to create works. In this regard, it is necessary to improve the talent training model and strengthen the understanding of talents on the two majors.

3.3.3 Database construction and spatial information collection

Digital media can fully present 3D space, create a “immersive” feeling, and make the design mode and scheme of the environment more 3D and visual. The establishment of a complete database requires huge manpower, time, and energy. It is difficult to model in strict accordance with the specifications. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately measure each modeling data before modeling, drawing, and storing it. With the current AI push, databases have to be constantly upgraded, and the construction of a database of design patterns is a huge and complex project, and the kinds it contains are diverse, such as wood, metal, flowers, and trees, each material is also divided into different types. It is difficult to collect, integrate, store, and categorize various materials.

3.3.4 Technical management problems

The use of digital media for environmental design and creation requires the abstraction and digitization of real scenes. However, the current technology cannot meet the requirements of accurate processing and 3D modeling of real scenes. Therefore, the technical management system should be improved as a whole to fully reflect the indoor environment, urban gardens, outdoor environment, and traffic arteries.

3.4 Integration path model of VR media art and environmental design

According to the environmental landscape model for multimedia art and environmental art design, the creation of the VR environment is used to understand the form of the environment from the physical objective existence and aesthetic psychological level, and then innovate. The integration path of media art and environmental design of VR is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

A path model for the integration of media art and environmental design in VR.

Environmental design is a method to improve the living environment. Traditional design is carried out on the floor plan. In the context of VR, the design of environmental art should achieve a 3D effect, so as to make the picture of environmental art more realistic, see the problems in environmental art design more clearly, and propose corresponding improvement measures [23]. 3D environment design is to realize the design of the surrounding environment through 3D technology, and applied it to the process of environment design and multimedia art. It can make the whole picture more vivid and realistic, so as to improve the accuracy of the design and create a close relationship with the actual situation. At the same time, in 3D space, basic structures such as buildings, squares, and important facilities can be arranged in a certain position, and the dynamics of space can be simulated, so that environmental design and digital multimedia art are no longer based on the plane, but are presented in 3D form to achieve a more intuitive effect. When integrating 3D environment design and digital media art, it should first use computer technology to build virtual images, and then model buildings and environmental facilities, so that customers can more intuitively and vividly present the images of buildings. Currently, 3D environmental design is a constantly changing art design approach that helps people identify and solve problems in environmental design in a timely manner.

The integration of environmental design and digital multimedia art based on VR should also make rational use of VR. First, in the integration of digital multimedia art and environmental design in VR, it should treat VR correctly, fully understand the auxiliary functions and service functions of VR, put art design first, and let VR serve art design. Second, it should skillfully use VR, fully understand the shortcomings of VR, and effectively prevent the drawbacks caused by VR shortcomings. Finally, designers should not only rely on VR to achieve the integration of multimedia and environmental design but also combine VR with traditional hand-painted design, with VR as the auxiliary, multimedia art, and environmental design as the carrier, and give play to their creativity.

4 Algorithm of AI in the integration of digital media art and environmental design

Using VR, multiple 3D point clouds are precisely matched to achieve the purpose of object surface reconstruction. If all three virtual objects in VR are point sources, then these two points are Airy spots, and if one point coincides with another, then these two points are the maximum range that can be seen by the VR device, noted as follows:

Compared with traditional image reconstruction methods, VR is used to have a better ability to suppress noise and intercept projection information, which is a comprehensive iterative method. This method not only preserves the convergence rate of traditional image reconstruction methods, but also has the absolute advantage of low noise, and is highly practical. In VR, the 3D landscape reconstruction is described as follows:

In the formula, δ 0 represents the relaxation factor of image reconstruction.

Assuming that the filter index matrix are P , A when the wavelet function α ( x ) and the pair of scale functions A are replaced by A 0 denoting the 3D scene image f ( x , y ) , then the wavelet decomposition is processed as follows:

In image preprocessing, if the visual point and the image are close to each other, the distance is h j . The corresponding critical value μ ( h ) can be operated as the difference between the two distances, and the operation is given as follows:

The gradient is a measure of the change of a function, which is a first-order derivative corresponding to a two-dimensional function. Two related core elements are covered. One is the position of the highest rate of change, and the other is the gradient magnitude, which is expressed as the magnitude as follows:

The first-order partial derivatives for 3D scenes can be calculated using the difference approximation, while the edges of the image are often at the locations of the lowest value of the difference and the zero point:

When deriving the gradient values, the true bias values in the same spatial direction should be found, but the gradient approximation obtained by formulas (7) and (8) are not in the same orientation. The horizontal and vertical coordinates of the vector azimuth at this moment are expressed as follows:

Ants transfer from node ( m , n ) to adjacent node ( x , y ) through particle swarm optimization in formula (9):

When extracting edge information, how to effectively mine the enlightening information is related to the local statistics of the pixel points. The heuristic information calculation process is represented as follows:

In the formula, c is the cluster center and r is the clustering radius.

When performing the pheromone matrix update, two updates are required, one after the ants move and described as follows:

In the formula, Δ x , y ( h ) value is heuristic information.

The second update is performed after the ants complete the post-crawl operation according to formula (12):

5 Impact of VR on the integration of digital media art and environmental design

5.2 Experimental data

5.2.1 Satisfaction with the integration of digital media art and environmental design

Whether the integration of digital media art and environmental design is accepted by students depends on students’ satisfaction with the integration, as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

Satisfaction with the integration of digital media art and environmental design.

In Figure 5, the overall satisfaction of both classes A and B with the integration of the two is on an upward trend, but Class A’s satisfaction is on the decline in 2017 compared with the first 2 years. Group B’s VR-based satisfaction with the integration of digital media art and environmental design is growing steadily. Among them, group B’s satisfaction with the integration of digital media art and environmental design was about 47.94% in 2015 and 56.71% in 2019, with an increase of 8.77%.

5.2.2 Design effect after integration

The integration of digital media art and environmental design is shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6

Comparison of design effects after integration of classes A and B.

In Figure 6, the design effect of Class A and Class B is improved year by year. The integrated design effect of Class A is relatively slow to improve, while the integrated design effect of Class B is relatively fast. The integration of VR-based digital media art and environmental design can enable people to complete human–computer communication in the virtual world. This article presents the effect of multiangle, multidirection, and multiperspective to the audience to improve the design effect.

5.2.3 Sensory experience

Sensory experience is a kind of people’s perception of the surrounding things and environment. Different perceptions would bring different feelings to people. VR can improve the audience’s experience of design. From the perspective of vision, hearing, and touch, the three sensory experience setting scores are 1–10. The sensory experience scores of Class A and Class B are presented in Table 1.

Table 1

Comparison of sensory experiences in classes A and B

Satisfaction	Class A	Class B
Vision	6	8
Aural	5	9
Haptics	6	7

In the sensory experience score table, the visual, auditory, and tactile experience scores of students in Class A are about 5–6, while the sensory experience scores of students in Class B are about 7–9. It can be seen from the table that the integration of VR-based digital multimedia and environmental design gives students a high sensory experience. Vision is the most intuitive way of human perception, and human thinking and emotion are based on vision. The first impact of digital media and environmental design on the audience is also visual effects. Using VR can provide richer and deeper materials for the audience and enhance the appeal of environmental art design. Touch can make people integrate with the surrounding environment, and the application of VR technology can also make some objects have a certain degree of touch in the visual sense, thus bringing more experience and feeling. At the same time, the use of materials and textures can also be extended to touch.

5.2.4 Budget accuracy

The higher the budget accuracy is, the better the effect of integrated design would be. The comparison of budget accuracy between Class A and Class B is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

Budget accuracy comparison.

In the comparison chart of budget accuracy between Class A and Class B, the design budget accuracy of Class A and Class B is growing constantly, while the accuracy of Class B based on VR budget is growing rapidly. Based on VR, it can effectively enhance the accuracy of structure and material in digital media art and environmental design, and prevent various problems caused by budget. VR can guide designers to understand the structure of design works, so as to effectively prevent losses caused by budget shortage.

6 Theoretical contribution

The theoretical contributions of this paper include:

1. Exploring the application of VR technology in digital media art: This article systematically explores how to apply VR technology to digital media art creation, including its potential role in artistic forms, means of expression, and audience interaction. We have established a theoretical framework for the integration of digital media art and environmental design, and explored the application prospects and possibilities of VR technology in this integrated field.

2. Analyzing the intersection and integration mechanism of digital media art and environmental design: This article provides an in-depth analysis of the relationship between digital media art, environmental design, and VR technology. Through theoretical analysis of digital media art and environmental design, possible paths and mechanisms for integration are proposed, providing clear conceptual definitions and theoretical support for research in related fields.

3. Innovative ideas proposed: Through research, some innovative ideas and theoretical viewpoints have been proposed, providing new ideas and methods for the integration of digital media art and environmental design.

7 Practical implications

The practical implications of this article include:

1. Technical application guidance: Through teaching practice, the potential application of VR technology in digital media art has been demonstrated, providing guidance for practitioners in the fields of digital media art and environmental design, and promoting the application and development of technology in practice.

2. Exploration of design methods: Introducing VR technology into environmental design practice, some innovative design methods and strategies have been proposed, which can not only enhance the viewing experience of environmental design works but also enhance their interaction with the audience, providing practical inspiration for the integration of digital media art and environmental design.

3. Industry development promotion: Research results contribute to the development of digital media art and environmental design, promote innovation and progress in related industries, stimulate cross-border cooperation and exchange in the field of digital media art and environmental design, and bring new development directions for future environmental design.

8 Conclusions

The use of VR can make the traditional digital multimedia and environmental design more concrete, enhance the public's participation in the design through simulation, thus change the perception of the art design tradition, and create a more suitable environment for human needs. Driven by AI, VR has an important impact on the development of art design. In the process of artistic design, modern virtual technology must be used reasonably and scientifically, so that it can better display and convey the content it expresses, provide users with more new experiences, and then promote the development of artistic design. In the study of the integration of digital media art and environmental design, the exploration of theoretical framework and methods needs more in-depth and systematic research. The lack of theoretical research will limit the development of the integration of digital media art and environmental design, and prevent it from applying richer artistic ideas and innovative expressions to practice.

The future development direction can strengthen the theoretical research on the integration of digital media art and environmental design, and build a more complete theoretical framework and method system. At the same time, we cooperate with experts in computer science, psychology, human–computer interaction, and other fields to conduct interdisciplinary research and promote the in-depth development of the integration of digital media art and environmental design.