Spatial Heritage Review Issue #4, February 2024
This month: gaussian splats, colossal 3D prints, Notre-Dame in London, + more!
Welcome!
February was yet another spectacular month for 3D + cultural heritage. So. Much. Good. Stuff. Read on for the highlights and click through to this issue’s Store Room for even more.
I have been keeping busy this month, too:
I wrote something about where I’m at professionally 3 months after being made redundant from Sketchfab.
I provided a seminar & workshop for Oxford University here in the UK.
Re-joined the IIIF 3D Group as a co-chair.
I attempted to capture an Iron Age roundhouse reconstruction in 3D with just my phone, in 30 minutes, in the pouring rain. More on that here.
And of course I’ve been keeping up with the weekly top 10s
Here’s wishing you a great March 🌱🌷
Tom
Gaussian Splats
If you’re a cultural heritage professional and not familiar with gaussian splatting, I think it is worth a look . It’s a funny name for a genuinely interesting new way to visualise things in interactive 3D (I wrote about why I like them here).
Splats are easy to create and while there are no standards for them yet, developments around the format are fast moving with new tools and integrations popping up all over the place. Not unimportantly, they can also just look beautiful but people are starting to add layers of interactivity & utilityover realistic gsplat scenes:
“Exhibition at Bergamo, Italy. 3D capture rendering with Gaussian Splatting, powered by next.js and react-three-fiber“ link by felixkit via 0xca0a
“Gaussian Drums” - an interactive demo using Spline Tools to build an 3D interactive based on a gaussian splat link (desktop only) via Paolo Tosolini
“Gauzilla, a 3D Gaussian Splatting renderer written in Rust from Yoshiharu (Josh) Sato has added Segmentation and Annotation.” article via Radiance Fields
3D printing, CNC, & Physical Reproductions
Featured:
Factum Foundation has worked with the Musei Capitolini and Fondazione Prada on an ambitious project to recreate the large-scale sculpture of the Colossus of Constantine (313-324) for the exhibition ‘Recycling Beauty’ (November 17, 2022 – February 27, 2023), curated by Salvatore Settis.
Link | NY Times Article, via Factum Foundation
Also something fun:
Hiding 3D prints at the location of the scan via David Fletcher
AR / VR / XR
Featured:
Time Odyssey on-site AR experience “Created in partnership with the British Museum and arts and culture charity Art Explora with visual identity designed by Johnson Banks, the immersive experience transcends traditional learning, turning museum visits into a captivating adventure.”
More info by ARCADE Playable Places & Alex Book
Also something fun:
Using Luma Ai Genie generative AI to create a 3D model of "an ancient vase with a handle with a cat painted on it."—then planting it within a museum display case with AR via Acsi_Nakabajasi
Immersive Exhibitions, Interactive Tours, Online Experiences
Featured:
“Immerse yourself in the history and spectacle of Notre Dame de Paris in the UK’s only location for this world touring interactive exhibition. Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition runs in our medieval Chapter House until 1 June.”
More info | video via Westminster Abbey
Interactive Games
Featured:
From February 28 to November 10, 2024, the presents in collaboration with Ubisoft, the exhibition Baghdad: A Journey Back to Madinat al-Salam, with Assassins Creed Mirage
More info via Dr. Tine Rassalle via Assassin's Creed
Software / Hardware
Featured:
Mozilla is shutting down Hubs, its virtual 3D platform initially launched in 2018.
Article via The Verge, statement from the Hubs team
Also:
“After more than a year and a half, here is the long awaited 2.13.0 version of CloudCompare!” via CloudCompare CloudCompare
Upcoming Events
March 14 2024
University of Amsterdam Data Science Centre, Data Science Seminar: Uncovering narratives of the past with 3D reconstructions with Chiara Piccoli. More info.
March 21-24 2024, Online
XR4Heritage | INVISIBLES, Augmented Art Festival highlighting the unseen in history. 2024 theme: unknown and forgotten African heroes. More info.
8 April 2024
Defining Paradata, Metadata & Data in 2D/3D Digital Heritage Documentation, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/defining-paradata-metadata-data-in-2d3d-digital-heritage-documentation-tickets-852784600697
20 April 2024
Xrchiving “Where heritage, data and immersive technology meet” xrchiving.london (2022 proceedings)
29-31 May, Amsterdam
Rijksmuseum 2and3D Conference | More info.
28-31 August 2024
30th Annual Meeting of the European Archaeological Association, Rome, IT. inc. session #797 “Best Practices on Archaeological 3D Data Management (Julian Hollaender und Florian Thiery et al.)” more info | via NFDI4Objects
Digitisation & Spatial Initiatives and Projects
Special shoutout this month to Europeana and the EU Commission as they ramp up several 3D digitisation projects:
“Europeana Foundation Business Plan 2024” link via Europeana
“Scanning cultural heritage in 3D in challenging situations: a practical approach” link via Europeana
“How the 5DCulture project supports the reuse of archaeological content in 3D” link via Europeana
“Digitisation process at Museo della Carta di Pescia” video via Photo Consortium
“Cultural heritage objects at BIBRACTE EPCC” via Eureka3D
“The new Digital Europe Programme announces calls for €760 million investment for Europe’s digital transition and cybersecurity including an action to develop and deploy an online Competence Centre for 3D” via digicultEU
Miscellaneous 3D
Featured:
Ever find it a struggle to match the sections to the plan in an #Archaeology report? I solved this for the Nutbane long barrow with a 3D model, hosted on the fantastic Sketchfab.
Also:
“As a gift to the Museum to celebrate the Megalosaurus Bicentenary, ThinkSee3D has used the latest techniques in photogrammetry to create the highest resolution 3D surface render of the dentary ever made. Launched today on SketchFab! #Megalosaurus200” 3D via Oxford University Museum of Natural History, 3D by ThinkSee3D
Explore the ancient walls of the Broch of Gurness 3D via Historic Environment Scotland
Articles, Publications, Presentations
Featured: “Building Worlds with RealityScan | Unreal Fest 2023” video via Muhammad Awais Azhar