From drone to web visualisation

Accessing the 3D model of the Roman thermal complex of Massaciuccoli.

Abstract

During the last ten years, photogrammetric surveys have become more intensive in archaeology, both in excavation and obtaining accurate 3D representations of architectural monuments. The paper illustrates a project aimed at creating a free web interactive visualisation of the Roman thermal complex of Massaciuccoli (Lucca, Italy) 3D model and increasing its usability to a broader audience. The workflow to achieve this goal is analysed step by step. In the first part, the methodology used to build the 3D model is described, starting from a terrestrial and aerial photogrammetric acquisition to its merging, in a subsequent data processing phase, with a point cloud made in 2016 by the inter-university centre e-GEA with a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) within the project 'Visual Versilia 3D'. The result of this work is the web visualisation of the ancient monument designed according to the open-source 3DHOP (3D Heritage Online Presenter) framework developed by the Italian CNR. The workflow delineated has enabled not only to obtain a high-quality 3D model, both from a metric and radiometric point of view, but also to support the interactive visualisation of that building, thus allowing a more significant number of people to enjoy the Roman bath complex of Massaciuccoli remotely.