Virtual reality immersion with an architectural design software application

1. A virtual reality system, comprising:

one or more virtual reality components, wherein the one or more virtual reality components comprise: (i) a virtual reality module coupled to a display screen, and (ii) one or more position tracking sensors, wherein the one or more position tracking sensors identify a relative location of a user with respect to a physical space; and

computer-executable instructions of a design program loaded into memory and processed at a central processing unit to cause the virtual reality system to display a three- dimensional view of an architectural design to the user through the one or more virtual reality components, the computer-executable instructions including instructions that are executable to cause the virtual reality system to perform at least the following:

access an architectural design file that includes an architectural design that is renderable to create a three-dimensional image of the architectural design, wherein the architectural design comprises a design for a particular physical space;

receive a communication from the one or more position tracking sensors, wherein the communication comprises an indication of a relative direction that the virtual reality module is facing, and a location of the user with respect to the one or more position tracking sensors, wherein the user is located within the particular physical space;

associate the user with a first bookmark within the architectural design file, wherein:

the first bookmark comprises a virtual pre-determined position and virtual view direction within the architectural design file,

the first bookmark is associated with a particular physical location and physical view direction within the particular physical space,

the particular physical location and the virtual pre-determined position comprising the same relative position within the architectural design file and an architectural space surrounding the user, and

the physical view direction and the virtual view direction comprising the same relative view direction within the architectural design file and the architectural space surrounding the user;

render at least a portion of an architectural design file, wherein the rendered portion of the architectural design file comprises a three-dimensional image that corresponds with the relative direction that the virtual reality module is facing; and

transmit to the virtual reality module the rendered portion of the architectural design file.

2. The virtual reality system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include instructions that are executable to cause the virtual reality system to:

identify a second bookmark within the architectural design file; and

transmit to the virtual reality headset a rendered portion of the architectural design file that corresponds with the second bookmark.

3. The virtual reality system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include instructions that are executable to cause the virtual reality system to:

transition a user's view within the virtual reality module directly from the first bookmark to the second bookmark when receiving a communication associated with changing the user's physical position from the first bookmark to the second bookmark.

4. The virtual reality system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include instructions that are executable to cause the virtual reality system to:

identify through the one or more position tracking sensors that the user has changed physical positions;

render a corresponding change for the user within the three-dimensional view of the architectural design; and

transmit the corresponding change to the virtual reality module.

5. The virtual reality system as recited in claim 4 , wherein identifying through the one or more position tracking sensors that the user has changed physical positions comprises determining a change in at least one of:

a direction in which the user has moved;

a direction that the user is facing;

a tilt of the user's head; and

a position of the user's head.

6. The virtual reality system as recited in claim 5 , wherein determining the change in the position of the user's head comprises determining that the user is in a crouched position.

7. The virtual reality system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the at least a portion of the architectural design file is rendered such that a view of the user is from a perspective of a crouched position in response to determining that the user is in the crouched position.

8. A method, implemented at a computer system that includes one or more processors, for displaying a three-dimensional view of an architectural design to a user through one or more virtual reality components, the method comprising:

accessing an architectural design file that includes an architectural design that is renderable to create a three-dimensional image of the architectural design, wherein the architectural design comprises a design for a particular physical space;

receiving a communication from one or more position tracking sensors, wherein the communication comprises an indication of a relative direction that a virtual reality module is facing, and a location of the user with respect to the one or more position tracking sensors, wherein the user is located within the particular physical space, wherein the virtual reality module is coupled to a display screen;

associating the user with a first bookmark within the architectural design file, wherein:

the first bookmark comprises a virtual pre-determined position and virtual view direction within the architectural design file,

the first bookmark is associated with a particular physical location and physical view direction within the particular physical space,

the particular physical location and the virtual pre-determined position comprising the same relative position within the architectural design file and the architectural space surrounding the user, and

the physical view direction and the virtual view direction comprising the same relative view direction within the architectural design file and the architectural space surrounding the user;

rendering at least a portion of the architectural design file, wherein the rendered portion of the architectural design file comprises a three-dimensional image that corresponds with the relative direction that the virtual reality module is facing; and

transmitting to the virtual reality module the rendered portion of the architectural design file.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:

identifying a second bookmark within the architectural design file, the second bookmark comprising a second pre-determined position and a second view within the architectural design file; and

transmitting to the virtual reality module a rendered portion of the architectural design file that corresponds with the second bookmark.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising:

transitioning a user's view within the virtual reality module directly from the first bookmark to the second bookmark when receiving a communication associated with changing the user's physical position from the first bookmark to the second bookmark.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:

identifying through the one or more position tracking sensors that the user has changed physical positions;

rendering a corresponding change for the user within the three-dimensional view of the architectural design; and

transmitting the corresponding change to the virtual reality module.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein identifying through the one or more position tracking sensors that the user has changed physical positions comprises determining a change in at least one of:

a direction in which the user has moved;

a direction that the user is facing;

a tilt of the user's head; and

a position of the user's head.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein determining the change in the position of the user's head comprises determining that the user is in a crouched position.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the at least a portion of the architectural design file is rendered such that a view of the user is from a perspective of a crouched position in response to determining that the user is in the crouched position.

15. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices having stored thereon one or more computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a virtual reality system to cause the virtual reality system to display a three-dimensional view of an architectural design to a user through one or more virtual reality components comprising a virtual reality module and one or more position tracking sensors, the one or more computer-executable instructions including instructions that are executable to cause the virtual reality system to perform at least the following:

access an architectural design file that includes an architectural design that is renderable to create a three-dimensional image of the architectural design, wherein the architectural design comprises a design for a particular physical space;

receive a communication from the one or more position tracking sensors, wherein the communication comprises an indication of a relative direction that the virtual reality module is facing, and a location of the user with respect to the one or more position tracking sensors, wherein the user is located within the particular physical space, wherein the virtual reality module is coupled to a display screen;

associate the user with a first bookmark within the architectural design file, wherein:

the first bookmark comprises a virtual pre-determined position and virtual view within the architectural design file,

the first bookmark is associated with a particular physical location and physical view within the particular physical space, and

the particular physical location and the virtual pre-determined position comprising the same relative position within the architectural design file and an architectural space surrounding the user;

render at least a portion of an architectural design file, wherein the rendered portion of the architectural design file comprises a three-dimensional image that corresponds with the relative direction that the virtual reality module is facing; and

transmit to the virtual reality module the rendered portion of the architectural design file.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions further include instructions that are executable to cause the virtual reality system to:

identify a second bookmark within the architectural design file, the second bookmark comprising a second pre-determined position and a second view within the architectural design file; and

transmit to the virtual reality module a rendered portion of the architectural design file that corresponds with the second bookmark.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 16 , wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions further include instructions that are executable to cause the virtual reality system to:

transition a user's view within the virtual reality module directly from the first bookmark to the second bookmark when receiving a communication, associated with changing the user's physical position from the first bookmark to the second bookmark.

18. The virtual reality system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the virtual reality module comprises a virtual reality headset.

19. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the virtual reality module comprises a virtual reality headset.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the virtual reality module comprises a virtual reality headset.