Spatial Heritage Review Issue #8, June 2024
Hi, hello, & welcome!
June was another great month for projects, experiments, and discoveries in the field of 3D for cultural heritage. Scroll down for my monthly highlights and links to even more stories…
I too was keeping busy last month, even as the summer time slow down begins here in the UK:
I’ve been talking to folks at The Smithsonian, Brighton University, the City of London, and Smartify about the spatial heritage sector. More about that here.
I made a quick review of which online 3D viewers are being used for initial submissions to Europeana’s TwinIt! campaign (spoiler: it’s mostly Sketchfab).
I’ve been wondering about ‘PowerPoint’ for XR, and people have suggestions.
I’ve been dipped my toe into AI video generation (either I’m doing it wrong or it really is not that useful atm).
Finally, some newsletter housekeeping updates:
I’ve broken down the ‘Miscellaneous 3D’ section into ‘Meshes & Point Clouds’, ‘Reconstructions & 3D Illustrations’, ‘Gaussian Splats’, and (new this month) ‘AI’.
Additional stories can now be found in this Google Doc (nobody was really clicking through to the ‘Storeroom’ posts for each issue).
The list of 3D/spatial heritage related events can now be found here, I’ll add more events as I hear about them. Running a relevant event? Let me know!
Wishing you all the very best until next month,
Tom
Guest Post: The Wealth of Poverty Point
Louisiana based photogrammetrist Frank McMains shares how 3D technology is making the history of this UNESCO World Heritage Site available to researchers around the globe.
I’m always looking for new guest post authors so if you want to share your work with the SHR audience, please drop me an email!
AR / XR
French news channel TF1 INFO has published a “Commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Augmented Reality” link via Yani Khezzar.
I am impressed with the 4D photogrammetry animation loops.
VR
Continuing the D-Day theme (it’s interesting to see the same subject presented in different mediums), VR documentary makers TARGO announce their “first Vision Pro application — “Through Their Lenses.” which lets you “immerse yourself in the remarkable stories of the photographers who captured D-Day.” via TARGO via Mark John Chukwuemeka Okparaeke.
I like the re-use and 3D-ification of historical 2D images.
Immersive Exhibitions, Interactive Tours, Online Experiences
Conflict is, of course, not simply a thing of the past and Kareem Yahia is using Matterport to document “the displaced Palestinian village of Kafr Bir'im [...] the only building still standing is the Church of Our Lady and the Dome of the Bell.” Link via Kareem Yahia.
Kareem is also planning a Kickstarter campaign “to document, analyze, and digitally preserve Palestine's architectural heritage, with a focus on endangered sites”.
Digitisation & Spatial Initiatives and Projects
As creators StockGraphy put it, they have “succeeded in achieving high-precision 3D scanning of a complex shape that contains many difficult materials.” for the Japanese National Museum of Nature and Science 3D Digital Archive. Press release | 3D Models | video | Matterport tour via /begin3d.
These really are great 3D scans of tricky subjects, plus a pretty comprehensive Matterport tour of the venue.
Software & Hardware
“Could this be the future of museums and galleries?” Demo via Will Eastcott
For the record, No! I don’t think so! …but it is some really nice online interactive 3D!
There’s a huge amount of stuff going on in this section of the newsletter this month so I thoroughly recommend you click through for a more complete overview.
3D printing, CNC, & Physical Reproductions
Founding Fossils at The Peale in Baltimore, USA, is a “multisensory exhibit […] that displays content in both visual and tactile modes. The exhibit tells a complex story that involves art, history, science, and technology.” Info via Cheryl Fogle-Hatch, Ph.D
This was my first encounter with Cheryl’s work, and I am really glad to know Museum Senses exists!
Interactive Games
“Digital Munya 3 is our planned free-to-play educational game and GLAM collaboration with Maxime Durand (Ubisoft, World-Design Director).” More info | via Digital Lab for Islamic Visual Culture & Collections.
I am excited to see what Maxime & Co. get up to here 👀.
Articles, Publications, Presentations, Courses, Jobs
“With x-ray microtomography, researchers created a full 3D model of a half-billion-year-old trilobite.” Paper via News from Science.
I must confess a secret obsession with trilobites (check out this Sketchfab collection of 100+ specimens). I love these hyper woodlice from millions of years ago 🪲💕
Miscellaneous 3D
Meshes & Point Clouds
“Osun Altar Head II: Bronze Cast” 3D model via AfroArt Studios
Reconstructions & 3D Illustrations
“Today I share with you the promotional video of our latest 3D virtual reconstruction work: the Cathedral of Sigüenza” via Francisco Ruiz Acedo
Gaussian Splats
“The large camphor tree at Atsuta Shrine” via サックー@XR
AI
“Extremely honored to have my artwork selected at the CVPR AI Art Gallery among incredible artists!” via Alex Carlier
Events
You can now find a list of all the spatial heritage events I am aware of here.
Surveys
“Calling all 3D-based researchers! We'd like your feedback on how to improve the publication and evaluation of 3D projects.” link via PURE3D
Help us to map European data infrastructures for 3D cultural heritage link via Europeana
“The MorphoSource Team is investigating ways that we can improve and expand support for cultural heritage data on MorphoSource.” link via Mieke Roth
Meemoo Flemish Institute for Archives 3D Scans & Objects Survey link
“Museums in the Metaverse needs your help to understand how audiences might use virtual museums.” survey via Museums in the Metaverse