Challenges faced in documentation and publication of 3D reconstructions of Cultural Heritage

How to capture the process and share the data?

Authors

Keywords:

3d models, documentation, web-publication, metadata scheme, source-based 3D reconstruction

Abstract

This paper presents significant challenges in documenting and publishing source-based hypothetical 3D reconstruction of Cultural Heritage (CH).  The authors focus on the lack of standardized procedures, difficulties in data sharing due to diverse file formats, and technological limitations in web-based model viewing. They highlight the role of key guiding documents, namely the London Charter (LC) and the Seville Principles (SP), which outline principles for computer-based visualization and virtual archaeology. While these documents emphasize the need for documenting uncertainties, sources, authenticity, and historical rigor in 3D reconstructions, they lack detailed practical implementation guidelines. This gap has led to varied documentation approaches in related fields such as archaeology and architectural history. The authors also discuss principles for the publication of data, including FAIR Principles and the 5-Star Open Data Scheme introduced by Time-Berners Lee. Three main methods of documentation, namely the Knowledge Graph, Reconstruction-Argumentation-Method (R-A-M) and web-based visualization, are examined. Each of these methods offers different advantages and meets varying principles of LC and SP. Three publication methods based on the virtual research environment (VRE), using SciDoc, an institutional repository for documentation of digital reconstruction projects, and Sketchfab, a commercial repository for 3D models, are also discussed. The paper concludes with a presentation of the DFG 3D-Viewer,  an infrastructure project for the publication of digital reconstructions and a proposal for a basic metadata schema. The shared metadata schema is a first step towards developing methods for archiving 3D models. The authors also advocate for collaborative efforts among stakeholders and funding institutions to develop standard, comprehensive solutions for preserving digital reconstructions of CH.

Author Biographies

Igor Piotr Bajena, University of Bologna

PhD student of the Architecture and Design Cultures course at the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna (XXXVII cycle), conducting his research on infrastructure for documentation and publication of 3D reconstruction of lost cultural heritage. He belongs to the community of the International PhD College of the Institute of Advanced Studies at Univeristy of Bologna. He is also a part of Institute for Architecture at Mainz University of Applied Sciences (AI Mainz) in Germany, where he works on research projects of digital reconstructions architectural and urban heritage.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Piotr Kuroczyński, Hochschule Mainz

Piotr Kuroczyński is an architect specializing in the field of digital 3D reconstruction, documentation and visualization of cultural heritage. Since 2005, he has been researching and teaching at the Department of Information and Communication Technology in Architecture at the Technische Universität Darmstadt. After his doctorate in architecture in 2010 he has also been a lecturer at the Department of Computer Aided Design at the Warsaw University of Technology and at the Digital Design Unit at the Technische Universität Darmstadt. Since 2013 he has been a scientific member of staff and project coordinator at the Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe. He is co-founder and convenor of the Digital 3D-Reconstruction Working Group in the Digital Humanities in German-speaking Region Association. Since 2017 he has been Professor for Computer Science and Visualization in Architecture at the Hochschule Mainz – University of Applied Sciences Mainz. Since 2018 he is the head of the Institute of Architecture and the chief-in-editor of the book series Computing in Art and Architecture at the Heidelberg University Library. His interests include Virtual Research Environments, semantic data modeling, (Heritage/Historic) Building Information Modeling, 3D modeling, documentation and visualization standards for digital 3D reconstruction of cultural heritage.

References

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2025-01-09

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Vol. 26 No. Preview (2021): Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Cultural Heritage and New Technologies 2021

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