Spatial Heritage Review Issue #13, November 2024
This issue: St. Peter's Basilica complete in 3D, playful AR, community lead digitisation, technological advances, + much, much, more!
Hi, hello, & welcome!
It was at this time a year ago that I published, almost on a whim the first issue of The Spatial Heritage Review, and I’m really pleased with how it has been received. HUGE THANKS to everyone who has supported me so far! 🙇 Scroll on down for spatial heritage highlights from last month, click through for more!
As of next month, I’m going to stop maintaining the extended issue archive document, focussing on 3-5 highlights for the Review each month (also hopefully freeing up some time for my own endeavours). If you want more frequent, granular spatial heritage updates please join the new Spatial Heritage LinkedIn Group.
What I got up to in November:
I delivered a keynote “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once” at Euromed 2024. You can check out my slides and notes here.
I accepted an invitation to become a Visiting Fellow to the Faculty of Science & Technology, in the Department of Archaeology & Anthropology at Bournemouth University, here in the UK.
I mentioned it already last month, but my spatial heritage workshop for local organisations went really well.
People also seemed to have get a kick out some 3D bits and bobs I’ve been putting out, including augmented reality business cards, 3D capture & rendering of a wooden Water Moon Guanyin statue, and a gaussian splat of a Victorian dress.
I’ve added note to this doc from the call that I organised between Epic Games and the IIIF 3D Community Group—some useful (and hopefully reassuring) info in there for anyone following Sketchfab’s new trajectory.
Until next month!
Tom
Immersive Exhibitions, Interactive Tours, Online Experiences
[Featured] “3D virtual tour of La Basilica di San Pietro (Vatican City, Rome)” link | info via Microsoft & Iconem
“Demystifying Muarajambi” link via Martin Edström
“An immersive story for NZZ on how climate change is transforming Switzerland's landscapes in 2075” link via Jon Cohrs
AR / XR
[Featured] “Step into the past with a twist of tech at Vauxhall [...] with 12 exclusive AR filters to explore” via ZubrVR | more info
“This coaster lets you see a miniature Kodakara-yu AR.” via tasklong
VR / MR
[Featured] “A redesign process of passive VR experience "Heilige und Halunken" , a 12-minute crime story at the Landesmuseum Württemberg in Stuttgart.” link via Sonya Seddarasan
“Exploring mixed reality interfaces for museums and galleries via ShapesXR prototyping. Here I am looking at menu form factors and how to summon them.” via Marco Gilardi also
“Browsing Gamebox Museum in VR on a moving train” via Gabriele Romagnoli
Digitisation & Spatial Initiatives and Projects
[Featured] “Community-Led Digital Documentation of Ukrainian Heritage: 3D Methods and Practice” video via The Heritage Management Organization / Kharkiv School of Architecture / Skeiron / CyArk
“Investigating the Stone of Destiny Through Science and Technology” link via Historic Environment Scotland
“Unfortunately, Plan 6036, which has been threatening the village of Lifta since 2006, has come into effect! [...] As part of our responsibility to preserve the threatened architectural heritage, we have partially documented the landmarks of the village of Lifta.” via Kareem Yahia
Software, Hardware, & Technology
[Featured] “Combining CT data and surface information of (museum) objects can improve the understanding of the object. [using Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D viewer]” link via Francien Bossema
“Impressive advancements in Dynamic Gaussian Splatting in Gracia.ai” via Juan Sebastian Medina Murcia
“Introducing the KIRI Engine v3.12 update with [...] 3DGS to Mesh 2.0 (Best mesh quality you'll ever see)” via KIRI Engine | also
3D printing, CNC, & Physical Reproductions
“Reproduction of the Burial and Glory of Saint Petronilla” video via Factum Foundation.
Interactive & Games
“Hiroshima and Nagasaki History Exploration Workshop Learning Through Block Crafts” peacecraft.info | info via GivingtoUTokyo
“The Mariupol Drama Theatre can now be seen in the metaverse. Its 3D model, created by our Skeiron team, has become part of the exhibition at the Museum of Stolen Art” link link via Skeiron
Articles, Publications, Presentations, Courses, Jobs
Recordings from Europeana’s Heritage Horizons week presentations are up on on YouTube (3D specific content on videos for the 26 and 27 November). You can also review slides for day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4 and day 5, and linsk to projects in this document
An Introduction to the MorphoSource 3D Data Repository for Cultural Heritage Practitioners and Depositing, Managing, and Sharing 3D Cultural Heritage Data in MorphoSource via morphosource.org
“Virtual Museums – A Plea: New Publication supported by AVICOM – Free Download!” link | info via Marta Maria Peinador Aguado
Events
Added to the events directory this month:
27-30 January, 2025
Cultural Heritage Imaging 4-Day Photogrammetry Training info
Open Surveys
“Museum 3D Imaging Practices Survey” link via MFA Boston / Helen He
“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 info via Europeana
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
Miscellaneous 3D
Gaussian Splats & NeRFs
[Featured - Left] “We want to preserve Japan's traditional industries, which are full of delicate craftsmanship.” via brother__k
Meshes & Point Clouds
[Featured - Centre] “The exterior 3D model of the castle of Quesnoy-sur-Airaines made from photogrammetry and lasergrammetry” via Drones BTP
Reconstructions, 3D Illustrations, and Renders
[Featured - Right] Newgrange Passage Tomb: Reprocessing and new models video via The Discovery Programme