strategy for optimal documentation of museum objects

Strategy for optimal documentation

of museum objects

Daniel Pletinckx Visual Dimension bvba

Belgium

Joost Tangelder, Jorne Jongsma Moobels bv Netherlands

V-MUST is funded by the European Commission under the Community's Seventh Framework Programme, contract no. GA 270404.

Visual Dimension bvba

•  Active in digital heritage and architecture •  Created in 2003 (Ename, Belgium) •  Active on European scale as innovation company •  Active in commercial & European projects

Visual Dimension bvba

•  Digital Heritage projects •  3D virtual reconstruction & digital restoration

•  Interaction with digital heritage (TimeGate) •  Interactive storytelling for digital heritage (TimeFrame, TimeScope)

•  European projects •  EPOCH, Etruscanning •  V-MusT

•  CARARE, 3D-ICONS

•  Consultancy •  Training •  Project development

Ir. Daniel Pletinckx

•  Civil engineer ICT & Communication Technology •  Active in digital heritage since 1997 •  European projects

•  EPOCH

•  Etruscanning •  V-MusT

•  CARARE, 3D-ICONS

•  Awards •  Flemish Monument Award 1998

•  VGI ICT Innovation Award 2004

•  Tartessos Award 2009 for virtual archaeology (Sevilla)

3D digitisation for museums

•  Technology is ready –  Wide range of 3D digitisation techniques

–  Every computer can visualise 3D properly –  Online 3D visualisation standardised (all platforms/all browsers)

•  Needs are ill defined –  How can 3D be used in museums (also online)? –  How does 3D fit in its operations (research/preservation/outreach)?

–  What are the goals/specifications/target audience?

•  ROI (return on investment) –  Cost? Re-use? Investment?

–  Quality? Quality Assurance?

–  Stable teams? Integration in the museum structure/staff?

Museum objects in 3D

Result of the query “lebes” on the British Museum online collection


One object resulting from the query “lebes” in the British Museum online collection


One object resulting from the query “etruscan” on the MET online collection


One special object found on the Rijksstudio online collection

State of the art

•  Documentation of museum objects –  Only a fraction of the museum objects is documented/has one photo

–  Only a small fraction of the documented objects has several photos –  Only a small fraction of the documented objects has colour photos

•  Documentation is mostly linked to online libraries –  Multiple European (Europeana) and national projects –  Focus on metadata, little focus on the use of the digital assets

–  Who is the user? What is this user looking for?

•  3D –  3D in Europeana (CARARE, 3D-ICONS, …)

–  3D is a large number of techniques (CAT, RTI, laser, …)

–  Definition of quality? Use? Specifications? Target audiences?

Digitisation workflow

Digitisation test for Rijksmuseum by Moobels bv (http://moobels.com/)


•  Portable digitisation solution –  Camera rig with 6 standard cameras with zoom lenses

–  Turntable (manual or automated) –  Flat LED panels (preferable over flash)

–  USB 3.0 hub (connection the cameras to the computer)

–  Laptop with SmartShooter software

•  Post-processing •  Photoshop (colour balancing, masking, …)

•  AgiSoft (photogrammetry software for 3D creation) •  3DS Max & Z-Brush (3D cleaning & editing)

•  3D model viewer (SketchFab,Unity3D, …)

Normal digitisation workflow

•  Step 1: aligning the images –  Image alignment (automatic with manual interventions if needed)

•  Step 2: create point cloud –  Dense point cloud creation

•  Step 3: create mesh –  Convert point cloud into a mesh surface (triangular polygons)

•  Step 4: create texture –  Computer composes best selection of image pieces into 1 texture

•  Step 5: create 3D model file –  Export to standardised format (.obj, .ply, …) –  Optimise towards goal (3D print, game, online visualisation, …)

3 stage approach to digitising

•  Stage 1: make image-based visualisation –  Make the required photos with multiple cameras and turntable

–  Make ObjectVR visualisation (high and low resolution) –  Create good metadata for long-term storage

•  Stage 2: create draft 3D model –  Turn the recorded images into a 3D model when needed –  Assess if the 3D model fits with the needs

–  Add draft 3D model and its metadata to the database

•  Stage 3: create high-end 3D model –  For a specific goal, make 3D with right technology/equipment

–  Add high-end 3D model and its metadata to the database


Digitisation test for Rijksmuseum by Moobels bv (http://moobels.com/) DEMO

Stage 1: image based visualisation

•  Fits with most needs –  Online visualisation of object (low res – limited zoom – HTML5)

–  Research visualisation (high res – intranet & research networks) –  No 3D but perfect representation of details and materials

–  Can be annotated

–  Separate images can be used for publications

•  Highly efficient pipeline –  Well defined photographic process

–  Well defined use of time to make digital assets –  Long term preservation is well defined/easy

–  Easy to integrate in museum and staff structure

DEMO

Stage 2: draft 3D model

•  If the need for a 3D model arises –  Process the available imagery with appropriate SfM software

–  If appropriate measures were taken for difficult materials, it will work (gold, shiny objects, …), see examples

–  Complexity could jeopardise result (occlusion, top/bottom, …) –  Fitness for use depends on use goals

•  Assess and optimise result –  Incomplete models can be fine for dimensions, cross sections, … –  Filling in missing parts can be fine or problematic

–  Reducing the detail can be fine for online visualisation, game, …

–  Good textures can mask lack of geometrical detail


400 k points 140 k points 8k6 points


400k points 8k6 points

Stage 3: high-end 3D model

•  Specify digitisation method/equipment –  Make specifications for the high-end 3D model

(resolution, material characteristics, complexity, …)

–  Assess digitisation methods that meet the specifications (rely on experts/specialised partners)

–  Specify the equipment/location/procedure (deal with material properties/limitations/complexity, …)

–  Specify access to the data (viewers/tools/IPR/multiple resolutions/3D print/…)

•  Perform digitisation –  Assess if specifications are met –  Assess if use goals are met

–  Define long term preservation


Golden disk fibula, Vatican Museums (right: original, left: 3D model by Katatexilux)


Golden disk fibula, Vatican Museums (details of 3D model by Katatexilux for Etruscanning)

Digitisation workflow Vatican

Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, Vatican Museums


Digitisation campaign for Etruscanning project in Vatican Museums

Manfrotto 300N panohead


Digitisation campaign for Etruscanning project in Vatican Museums


https://regolinigalassi.wordpress.com/ DEMO

Use of 3D models for museums

•  Interaction –  Online

–  Digital user interfaces –  Tangible user interfaces (3D print)

–  Re-contextualisation

•  Research –  Digital libraries of 3D objects

–  Digital restoration

–  Support of physical restoration

Tangible interfaces

Augustus Prima Porta @ Keys2Rome exhibition in

Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam

Virtex

Interactive 3D print of Augustus Prima Porta statue

Virtex

Electronics inside the interactive 3D print

Virtex

Interactive 3D print of Augustus Prima Porta statue at APM

Virtex

Interactive 3D print of Augustus Prima Porta statue in Sarajevo

Virtex Light

Ara Pacis 3D model

Virtex Light

Ara Pacis interactive 3D print

Virtex Light

Interactive Ara Pacis at Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam

Digital restoration

Greco-Roman Museum - Submerged Antiquities in Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Digital restoration

Caesarion in Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Digital restoration

Caesarion – digital restoration – the parents

Digital restoration

Caesarion – digital restoration

Digital restoration

Caesarion – digital restoration – hypothesis for laurel wreath

Digital restoration

Caesarion – digital restoration

Digital restoration

Caesarion – natural interaction to show digital restoration

Digital restoration

Knowhow book on digital restoration, available May 2015 at http://visualdimension.be/v-must/

To 3D or not to 3D

German Imperial Crown, Hofburg, Vienna

German Imperial Crown

Details of the German Imperial Crown, Hofburg, Vienna


Photos of the German Imperial Crown, Hofburg, Vienna


3D model of the German Imperial Crown (Henning Kleist)


3D model of the German Imperial Crown


Interactive application with 3D model of the German Imperial Crown


Interactive application and copy of the German Imperial Crown


“Heritage of Charlemagne” exhibition at Ename (2014)


3D shape model for Virtex

V-MusT.net Competence Centre

•  V-MusT = Virtual Museum Transnational Network European Network of Excellence on Digital and Virtual Museums (2011 - 2015) (http://www.v-must.net/ )

•  Keys2Rome exhibitions http://keys2rome.eu/ (Amsterdam, Rome, Sarajevo, Alexandria)

•  Continue to provide this knowledge through projects

•  In the domain of digital heritage –  Cooperate with all excellent providers of digital heritage technology

–  Implement available technologies in projects based in quality standards

–  Train cultural heritage people in use of / interface to such technology

–  Develop new projects (including European projects)

•  Register at http://visualdimension.be/v-must/

Any questions?

[email protected] [email protected]

skype: daniel.pletinckx