diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..38da485
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+# Community Energy Simulation
+
+A 3D Digital Twin application for simulating and visualizing community energy systems. This application provides an interactive 3D interface to monitor energy consumption and generation across various building types in a community.
+
+## Features
+
+### 3D Digital Twin
+- **Interactive Scene**: Explore the community with full camera controls (pan, rotate, zoom).
+- **Building Selection**: Click on buildings to view detailed information and highlight them in the scene.
+- **Visual Feedback**: Emissive highlighting and selection rings for selected objects.
+
+### Simulation Modes
+- **Simulated Mode**: Runs an internal simulation with a day/night cycle, calculating energy loads based on time of day (solar generation curves, evening consumption peaks).
+- **Live Mode**: Connects to an external backend (via Socket.io) to visualize real-time data streaming from Redis Pub/Sub.
+
+### Dynamic Configuration
+- **Add Buildings**: Dynamically add new buildings to the scene by specifying ID, Type (house, factory, etc.), and CSV Data path.
+- **Adjustable Settings**:
+  - **Simulation Speed**: Control how fast time passes in simulated mode.
+  - **Time of Day**: Visual day/night cycle.
+  - **Brightness & Zoom**: Customize the visual experience.
+  - **Data Origin**: Configure a base URL for loading remote CSV datasets.
+  - **Backend URL**: Configure the Socket.io server connection for Live Mode.
+
+## Tech Stack
+
+- **Frontend Framework**: Vue.js 3 + Vite
+- **Language**: TypeScript
+- **3D Library**: Three.js
+- **State Management**: Vue Composition API (Reactivity)
+- **Data Handling**: PapaParse (CSV), Socket.io-client (Real-time)
+
+## Getting Started
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+- Node.js (v18 or higher)
+- npm or yarn
+
+### Installation
+
+1. Navigate to the web application directory:
+   ```bash
+   cd web-app
+   ```
+
+2. Install dependencies:
+   ```bash
+   npm install
+   ```
+
+### Running Locally
+
+Start the development server:
+
+```bash
+npm run dev
+```
+
+The application will be available at `http://localhost:5173`.
+
+### Building for Production
+
+Build the application for deployment:
+
+```bash
+npm run build
+```
+
+The output will be in the `dist` directory.
+
+## Docker Deployment
+
+A `Dockerfile` and `docker.sh` script are provided for containerization.
+
+To build and push the image (requires Docker login):
+```bash
+./docker.sh
+```
+
+Or run locally:
+```bash
+docker build -t community-simulation .
+docker run -p 8080:8080 community-simulation
+```
+
+## Usage
+
+### Connecting to Live Data
+1. Ensure your backend service (Redis + Socket.io bridge) is running.
+2. Open the application settings (Gear icon).
+3. Select **Live (Real Time)** mode.
+4. Enter your **Backend URL** (default: `http://localhost:8000`).
+5. Save settings. The app will connect and listen for `simulation:update` events.
+
+### Adding Custom Buildings
+1. Click the **+ Add Building** button.
+2. Enter a unique **ID** (e.g., "H99").
+3. Select a **Type** (Determines the 3D model used).
+4. Provide a **CSV Path** relative to the `public/` folder or your configured Data Origin (e.g., `data/my-building.csv`).
+5. Click **Add**.
+
+## Project Structure
+
+- `web-app/`: Main Vue.js application source code.
+  - `src/components/`: UI components (Modals, Overlay).
+  - `src/composables/`: Game logic and state management (`useSimulation`, `useCityObjects`, etc.).
+  - `public/`: Static assets (3D models, textures, CSV data).
+- `js/`: Legacy/Prototype JavaScript files.
diff --git a/web-app/src/components/SettingsModal.vue b/web-app/src/components/SettingsModal.vue
index 73bebd7..b8ee0f2 100644
--- a/web-app/src/components/SettingsModal.vue
+++ b/web-app/src/components/SettingsModal.vue
@@ -60,6 +60,19 @@
                 />
             </div>
 
+            <div class="setting-group" v-if="simulationModeInput === 'live'">
+                <label>Backend URL (Live Mode)</label>
+                <div class="description">
+                    WebSocket server address for real-time updates.
+                </div>
+                <input 
+                    v-model="backendUrlInput" 
+                    type="text" 
+                    placeholder="e.g., http://localhost:8000" 
+                    class="input-field"
+                />
+            </div>
+
             <div class="setting-group">
                 <label>Data Origin (Base URL)</label>
                 <div class="description">
@@ -92,8 +105,9 @@ const props = defineProps<{
 
 const emit = defineEmits(['close']);
 
-const { state, setDataBaseUrl, setBrightness, setSimulationMode, setMaxZoom, setZoomSensitivity } = useSimulation();
+const { state, setDataBaseUrl, setBackendUrl, setBrightness, setSimulationMode, setMaxZoom, setZoomSensitivity } = useSimulation();
 const baseUrlInput = ref('');
+const backendUrlInput = ref('');
 const brightnessInput = ref(1.0);
 const simulationModeInput = ref<'simulated' | 'live'>('simulated');
 const maxZoomInput = ref(120);
@@ -103,6 +117,7 @@ const zoomSensitivityInput = ref(5);
 watch(() => props.isOpen, (newVal) => {
     if (newVal) {
         baseUrlInput.value = state.value.dataBaseUrl || '';
+        backendUrlInput.value = state.value.backendUrl || 'http://localhost:8000';
         brightnessInput.value = state.value.brightness ?? 1.0;
         simulationModeInput.value = state.value.simulationMode ?? 'simulated';
         maxZoomInput.value = state.value.maxZoom ?? 120;
@@ -116,6 +131,7 @@ const close = () => {
 
 const save = () => {
     setDataBaseUrl(baseUrlInput.value);
+    setBackendUrl(backendUrlInput.value);
     setBrightness(Number(brightnessInput.value));
     setSimulationMode(simulationModeInput.value);
     setMaxZoom(Number(maxZoomInput.value));
diff --git a/web-app/src/composables/useSimulation.ts b/web-app/src/composables/useSimulation.ts
index 76d1c6c..fc31535 100644
--- a/web-app/src/composables/useSimulation.ts
+++ b/web-app/src/composables/useSimulation.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { ref } from 'vue';
 import Papa from 'papaparse';
+import { io, type Socket } from 'socket.io-client';
 
 interface SimulationState {
     currentTime: number; // 0 to 24 (hours)
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ interface SimulationState {
     totalConsumption: number;
     totalGeneration: number;
     dataBaseUrl: string;
+    backendUrl: string;
     brightness: number;
     simulationMode: 'simulated' | 'live';
     maxZoom: number;
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ const state = ref<SimulationState>({
     totalConsumption: 0,
     totalGeneration: 0,
     dataBaseUrl: '',
+    backendUrl: 'http://localhost:8000',
     brightness: 1.0,
     simulationMode: 'simulated',
     maxZoom: 120,
@@ -83,6 +86,8 @@ const state = ref<SimulationState>({
 });
 const selectedBuilding = ref<BuildingData | null>(null);
 
+let socket: Socket | null = null;
+
 export const useSimulation = () => {
 
     const togglePlay = () => {
@@ -97,10 +102,50 @@ export const useSimulation = () => {
         state.value.brightness = val;
     };
 
+    const initSocket = () => {
+        if (socket) return;
+
+        console.log(`Connecting to backend: ${state.value.backendUrl}`);
+        socket = io(state.value.backendUrl);
+
+        socket.on('connect', () => {
+            console.log('Socket connected');
+        });
+
+        socket.on('disconnect', () => {
+            console.log('Socket disconnected');
+        });
+
+        socket.on('simulation:update', (data: any) => {
+            // Expected data format: { totalConsumption: number, totalGeneration: number, buildings: { [id]: { consumption: number, generation: number } } }
+            // OR individual updates. Let's assume a snapshot for now or aggregate.
+            // If data contains totals:
+            if (data.totalConsumption !== undefined) state.value.totalConsumption = data.totalConsumption;
+            if (data.totalGeneration !== undefined) state.value.totalGeneration = data.totalGeneration;
+
+            // Update selected building if present
+            if (selectedBuilding.value && data.buildings && data.buildings[selectedBuilding.value.id]) {
+                const bUpdate = data.buildings[selectedBuilding.value.id];
+                selectedBuilding.value.consumption = bUpdate.consumption;
+                selectedBuilding.value.generation = bUpdate.generation;
+            }
+        });
+    };
+
+    const disconnectSocket = () => {
+        if (socket) {
+            socket.disconnect();
+            socket = null;
+        }
+    };
+
     const setSimulationMode = (mode: 'simulated' | 'live') => {
         state.value.simulationMode = mode;
         if (mode === 'live') {
             state.value.isPlaying = true; // Auto-play in live? Or just simple update.
+            initSocket();
+        } else {
+            disconnectSocket();
         }
     };
 
@@ -116,6 +161,15 @@ export const useSimulation = () => {
         state.value.dataBaseUrl = url;
     };
 
+    const setBackendUrl = (url: string) => {
+        state.value.backendUrl = url;
+        // Reconnect if live
+        if (state.value.simulationMode === 'live' && socket) {
+            disconnectSocket();
+            initSocket();
+        }
+    };
+
     const loadBuildingData = (_buildingId: string, csvPath: string) => {
         // Construct full URL
         let fullPath = csvPath;
@@ -156,34 +210,34 @@ export const useSimulation = () => {
                 state.value.currentTime = 0;
                 state.value.day++;
             }
-        }
 
-        // --- Simulated Community Energy Logic ---
-        const time = state.value.currentTime;
+            // --- Simulated Community Energy Logic ---
+            const time = state.value.currentTime;
 
-        // Consumption Curve: Base load + Evening Peak (18-22)
-        // Base Community Load ~4000kW
-        let load = 4000;
-        // Peak
-        if (time > 17 && time < 23) {
-            load += 2000 * Math.sin(((time - 17) / 6) * Math.PI);
-        }
-        // Morning spike
-        if (time > 6 && time < 9) {
-            load += 1000 * Math.sin(((time - 6) / 3) * Math.PI);
-        }
+            // Consumption Curve: Base load + Evening Peak (18-22)
+            // Base Community Load ~4000kW
+            let load = 4000;
+            // Peak
+            if (time > 17 && time < 23) {
+                load += 2000 * Math.sin(((time - 17) / 6) * Math.PI);
+            }
+            // Morning spike
+            if (time > 6 && time < 9) {
+                load += 1000 * Math.sin(((time - 6) / 3) * Math.PI);
+            }
 
-        // Generation Curve: Based on simplified Sun Elevation
-        // Simple Parabola from 6am to 6pm
-        let gen = 0;
-        if (time > 6 && time < 18) {
-            // Peak at 12
-            const sunFactor = Math.sin(((time - 6) / 12) * Math.PI);
-            gen = 3500 * sunFactor; // Max 3500kW generation
-        }
+            // Generation Curve: Based on simplified Sun Elevation
+            // Simple Parabola from 6am to 6pm
+            let gen = 0;
+            if (time > 6 && time < 18) {
+                // Peak at 12
+                const sunFactor = Math.sin(((time - 6) / 12) * Math.PI);
+                gen = 3500 * sunFactor; // Max 3500kW generation
+            }
 
-        state.value.totalConsumption = Math.floor(load);
-        state.value.totalGeneration = Math.floor(gen);
+            state.value.totalConsumption = Math.floor(load);
+            state.value.totalGeneration = Math.floor(gen);
+        }
     };
 
     const addBuilding = (def: BuildingDefinition) => {
@@ -198,6 +252,7 @@ export const useSimulation = () => {
         loadBuildingData,
         updateTime,
         setDataBaseUrl,
+        setBackendUrl,
         setBrightness,
         setSimulationMode,
         setMaxZoom,