Proceedings of the
joint international event
9th ARQUEOLÓGICA
2.0 & 3rd GEORES,
Valencia (Spain).
26–28 April 2021
Received: 27/11/2020
Accepted: 20/03/2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/Arqueologica9.2021.12113
STUDY ON QUALITY IN 3D DIGITISATION OF TANGIBLE CULTURAL
HERITAGE
Douglas Pritcharda,*, Thomas Rigautsa, Francesco Ripantia, Marinos Ioannidesa, Raffaella
Brumanab, Robert Daviesa, Eleanna Avouria, Harriet Cliffena, Nenad Joncica, Giulia Ostia, Marina
Toumpouria
Digital Heritage Research Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Informatics, Cyprus University
of Technology, Arch. Kyprianou 31, CY 3036 Limassol, Cyprus. douglas.pritchard@cut.ac.cy; thomas.rigauts@cut.ac.cy;
francesco.ripanti@cut.ac.cy; marinos.ioannides@cut.ac.cy; robert.davies@cut.ac.cy; eleni.avouri@cut.ac.cy; harriet.cliffen@cut.ac.cy;
nenad.joncic@cut.ac.cy; giulia.osti@cut.ac.cy; marina.toumpouri@cut.ac.cy
a
b
Dipartimento Architettura, Ingegneria delle Costruzioni e Ambiente Costruito (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan,
Italy. raffaella.brumana@polimi.it
Abstract:
Following the implementation of the Virtual Multimodal Museum (ViMM) project, which finished in March 2019, the
European Commission issued a Declaration on Cooperation on Advancing Digitisation of Cultural Heritage during the
Digital Day in April 2019. One year later, in April 2020, the European Commission (EC) launched a commercial call for
tenders to develop a Study on quality in 3D digitisation of tangible cultural heritage (the study). The tender theme is to
acknowledge the increasing demand for internationally recognised standards for the holistic 3D documentation of Europe's
rich cultural heritage (CH) and address the lack of standards. The study aims to map parameters, formats, standards,
benchmarks, methodologies, and guidelines relating to 3D digitisation of tangible cultural heritage, the different potential
purposes or uses, by type of tangible cultural heritage, and the degree of complexity of tangible cultural heritage. A team
of researchers at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) leads a consortium of partners from industry and academia
across Europe to conduct this unique study. This work in progress paper introduces the research's objectives and
methodology and presents some of its first results.
Keywords: tangible cultural heritage, documentation, 3D digitisation, international documentation standards, digital
heritage
standards, methodologies and guidelines for the holistic
3D documentation of European Cultural Heritage
(European Commission, 2019).
1. Introduction
The digital documentation and virtual representation of
artefacts, monuments, and sites are essential for the
conservation, management, scientific documentation,
and cultural heritage analysis. At present, there are a vast
array of technologies, recording methods, software
solutions and post-processing techniques to address this
issue. Despite the ever-increasing demand for these
systems and procedures, there are few internationally
recognised standards or methodologies for 'the
comprehensive, holistic 3D documentation of European
cultural heritage assets.' As the value of 3D digitisation
technologies in cultural heritage is growing steadily, the
need for standards becomes ever more urgent.
In April 2020, the European Commission launched a call
for tenders to carry out for the first time a Study on quality
in 3D digitisation of tangible cultural heritage (VIGIE
2020/654). The purpose of the call is to map parameters,
formats, standards, benchmarks, methodologies and
guidelines, relating to the 3D digitisation of tangible
cultural heritage. Addressing the different potential
purposes or uses, by type of tangible cultural heritage,
and the degree of complexity of tangible cultural heritage
(European Commission, 2020b).
As illustrated in Figure 1, the Cyprus University of
Technology (2020a), which holds the UNESCO and ERA
Chairs on Digital Cultural Heritage, is leading a
consortium of partners from the industry and academia
across Europe to conduct this unique study (European
Commission, 2020c).
In 2019, 27 Member States of the European Union had
committed to the importance of these digital technologies
by signing the Declaration of Cooperation on advancing
the digitisation of cultural heritage on Digital Day (April
2019). By doing so, they endorsed the call for common
*
Corresponding Author: Douglas Pritchard, douglas.pritchard@cut.ac.cy
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EDITORIAL UNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE VALÈNCIA
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Pritchard, Rigauts, Ripanti, Ioannides, Brumana, Davies, Avouri, Cliffen, Joncic, Osti, Toumpouri, 2021
The Study's unique idea is to develop a framework of
standardised best-practices and methods concerning the
recording, processing, production, long-term preservation
and reuse of 3D objects and associated metadata.
According to the terms of the original EC tender, the Study
addresses two broad areas of tangible cultural heritage.
One refers to 'immovable' tangible cultural heritage
including buildings, monuments, sites, and maritime
archaeology. The other looks at 'movable' tangible
cultural
heritage,
such
as
museum
objects,
archaeological finds and other artefacts.
Figure 1: Consortium of experts and external partners for the
Study.
2. The study
The ongoing VIGIE 2020/654 Study draws upon existing
analysis and information sources, comprising a large
amount of prior knowledge represented by the in-house
team, supplemented by preliminary research. These
emanate from a variety of relevant sources, including
literature
reviews,
scientific
publications
and
technological surveys, and information from scientific
organisations, cultural heritage institutions, SME’s,
industry, and government. Previous efforts to develop
guidelines for cultural heritage documentation include
Historic England (2017; 2018), Historic Environment
Scotland (2018) and the European Commission (2020a).
The Study also incorporates a wide range of External
Experts, which forms part of the study team and will be
extended through the subsequent investigation
throughout the Study (see Fig. 1).
Of particular importance in the 3D documentation process
is that the VIGIE 2020/654 Study must address surface or
geometrical complexity as a general classification. For
example, "low complexity refers to tangible cultural
heritage with few and straightforward features. At the
other end, tangible cultural heritage with a very high
degree of complexity is very detailed and has a large
number of complicated features that require considerably
more effort to capture."
Defining the degree of complexity in a 3D documentation
project is essential as it typically prescribes the necessary
production effort. Complexity in architecture or sites can
be determined by various factors such as geometrical
exuberance, height, accessibility and surface quality. For
example, a High Gothic church's documentation such as
the Cologne Cathedral would take considerably longer
than an office building constructed in the 1950s, even if
they have the same dimensional footprint.
The digital representation of cultural heritage objects,
architectural structures and environments is an essential
tool for analysis, conservation, interpretation and
exhibition. However, selecting the most effective
recording technology and efficient production workflow for
the 3D digitisation of tangible cultural heritage is a
complicated procedure requiring careful consideration.
As identified by the European Commission there is no
generally accepted framework for specifying the level of
detail and accuracy in CH digitisation. Documentation
projects are typically determined on a case-by-case basis,
using the many available methods, and often require
significant interdisciplinary cooperation. In addition to the
cost of hardware and associated software, there is also a
considerable investment in knowledgeable staff and time
dedicated to specialised training (European Commission
2020).
3. Preliminary results
3.1.
Complexity and quality
As cultural heritage is highly diverse, and the resulting 3D
models are often quite complex, it can be challenging to
achieve a certain level of quality in 3D digitisation. There
are many parameters involved at the various stages of the
3D documentation process. They can vary by the purpose
of the Study, user, equipment used and methodology, as
illustrated in Figure 2.
The purpose of the VIGIE 2020/654 Study is to investigate
the parameters, formats, standards, benchmarks,
methodologies and guidelines, relating to the 3D
digitisation of tangible cultural heritage. The Study is
intended to be exceptionally comprehensive and will
address topics such as:
quality parameters;
degrees of complexity;
purposes, audiences and use;
formats, standards, benchmarks, methodologies
and guidelines;
equipment;
past or ongoing digitisation projects and 3D
models and data sets that can serve as
benchmarks and future technological advances.
The term quality is highly subjective and easily open to
misinterpretation. Formulating a clear, precise definition
concerning 3D digitisation is a challenge. The study's
initial data quality indicators include accuracy, precision,
resolution, and the acceptable margin of data error.
Further considerations, as expressed in a recent report by
the Expert Group on Digital Cultural Heritage and
Europeana (2020), are also taken into consideration in
this Study: “Quality in 3D digitisation of cultural heritage is
not only about capture accuracy and resolution, but also
about other key aspects such as historical accuracy,
range of data and metadata generated and collected, and
fitness for purpose.”
recording hardware, for example, LiDAR
scanning, photogrammetry etc.;
types of data, formats, standards, benchmarks,
methodologies and guidelines;
defined digitisation process stages and attention
to the importance of a structured approach to
managing 3D digitisation projects;
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STUDY ON QUALITY IN 3D DIGITISATION OF TANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
surveying and digitisation require to be addressed within
a holistic framework, where models are related to
information. Despite the BIM limitations when applied to
the HBIM, the world of Heritage Building Information
Modelling could help orient 3D quality models (Brumana,
Banfi, Cantini, Previtali, & Della Torre, 2019; Brumana et
al., 2018).
3D quality models are required to support the digitisation
of state of the art (SofA) as resulting from:
Figure 2: Cultural Heritage Documentation according to the
needs of multidisciplinary users.
Another factor to consider is the degree of complexity of
the cultural heritage object to be digitised. The complexity
of an artefact or building can refer to its size, geometry,
interior/exterior, surface and many other parameters that
may impact the challenges in capturing the object in 3D,
as illustrated in Figure 3.
past stratified layers across the centuries and
transformation phases with its materials,
techniques and geometry;
the fragility coming from the state of decay and
deformation occurred throughout the centuries.
Conditions that can be detected through the
geometric analysis together with the knowledge
of the processes involving the materials and their
construction techniques, with the help of NonDestructive Techniques and other diagnostics;
fragility as impacted by current hazards and
pressures (i.e., climate change, earthquakes,
flooding, flash water bombs, landslide,
hydrogeological risks) within the context of the
built environment.
The common element is that the geometry cannot be
considered a standalone issue, but requires integration
with the materials. These materials are intended to extend
the understanding of construction techniques within a
multiscale concept.
The scale concept inherited from the cartographic domain
in surveying specifications can be applied to the models
to help define the need and drive transparent data
sharing. One parameter for determining the quality of 3D
models is dimensional accuracy, which encompasses
tolerance and details incorporated. The richness of the
information collected in the digitisation process
represents the second pillar of the knowledge process.
Figure 3: Complexity of an artefact, the Antikythera
Mechanism, (interior/exterior).
The concept of HBIM Level of Development (the
combination of the Level of Geometry and Level of Detail)
can be integrated to enrich the quality of 3D models
during the phases of the modelling and preservation
process. To this aim, a new definition of LOD is proposed
by the contributors to the VIGIE project, which differs from
the BIM building construction process logic. This can vary
from LOD100 up to LOD600 depending on the information
embedded in the 3D BIM model.
Establishing a definition of the degrees of complexity of
tangible cultural heritage and identifying the parameters
that determine quality in 3D digitisation of cultural heritage
has been the Study's initial focus. CUT has consulted with
a consortium of experts to provide input on these
questions during the Study's first months. The budget of
a documentation project, physical and environmental
conditions, technology, and equipment influenced
complexity and quality, as highlighted by these experts.
The consortium is now compiling the information into a
comprehensive report on the technical parameters that
determine the quality and complexity of 3D digitisation.
Therefore, the quality of 3D models needs to match the
following requirements:
a)
3.2.
3D quality models and HBIM
opportunities
b)
3D models have the opportunity to become core digital
gears leveraging knowledge, interpretation and
understanding. They are tools through which it is possible
to decode cultural heritage's complexity, extract contents,
and integrate them within multidisciplinary processes.
c)
d)
Complexity is related to several issues which need to be
taken into account with an overall approach: methods of
to reflect the exact geometry and any other
anomalies available on the surface of the
artefact/monument (such as corrosion, cracks, etc.);
to support information enrichment with materials
properties and construction techniques analysis;
to support the assessment and the data
interpretation (structural behaviour);
to drive the preservation plans starting from
understanding and interpreting state of the art up to
supporting the design and decision-making process;
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Pritchard, Rigauts, Ripanti, Ioannides, Brumana, Davies, Avouri, Cliffen, Joncic, Osti, Toumpouri, 2021
e)
f)
g)
running digitally on the platform LimeSurvey, and the plan
is to collect responses in the period 21/10 - 31/12/2020. It
is advertised through the DHRLab social network profiles
(Facebook, Instagram) and the consortium.
to prevent future damages fostering planned
preservation (Long Life Cycle Management);
to deploy knowledge transfer of enriched models
among different operators;
to promote the use and re-use for dissemination
purposes (MR/VR/AR).
3.3.
The questionnaire consists of 40 questions, grouped into
four sections:
Awareness and Dissemination
The Study was presented to a broad audience of heritage
professionals, students and culture enthusiasts at the 8th
International EuroMed Conference on Digital Cultural
Heritage
(Cyprus,
2-5
November
2020,
www.euromed2020.eu). It was organised online this year
due to the global pandemic, it attracted over one thousand
participants from more than seventy different countries
(EuroMed, 2020).
The questionnaire requires a minimum of 15 minutes to
be filled and is also scalable: respondents have the option
to describe up to three digitisation projects, answering the
same set of questions three times.
The first workshop of EuroMed 2020 (2 November 2020),
organised by the Digital Heritage Research lab and was
specifically dedicated to the Study, featuring speakers
from all subcontracted expert organisations and
institutions, such as:
The demographic section asked respondents about,
among other things, provenience, professional
background, years of experience and affiliation to relevant
organisations. In the overview of the used technologies
section, data about the most popular acquisition
technologies are collected. The section regarding the
description of the project requires each respondent for
information on a successful digitisation project on
immovable and movable objects and for specifics about
the used technology, metadata, paradata, limitations and
problems.
Historic Environment Scotland.
Zoller & Fröhlich GmbH.
National Technical University of Athens.
ArcTron 3D GmbH.
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Bene Construere.
Politecnico di Milano.
Time Machine Organisation.
ICOMOS.
The data is intended to enrich the information collected
from the core subcontractors about quality and complexity
and support the study in showcasing the best-practice
projects in the digitisation domain. More than 200
completed responses have been collected from more
than 40 countries worldwide after the first month.
The workshop also invited speakers from beyond the
network of experts involved in the Study, including:
As indicated in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7, the data collected
so far comes from a wide range of experts in digitising
both monuments and sites and museum objects
worldwide and will be processed in early 2021.
Getty Research Institute.
Global Digital Heritage.
Smithsonian Institution.
IIIF 3D Community Group.
Cambridge University.
Mnemoscene.
Duke University.
Cultural Heritage Imaging.
Uppsala University.
The keynote speakers were all asked to present their
experiences on the different degrees of tangible cultural
heritage from the 3D documentation process and the
parameters that determine quality in 3D digitisation of
tangible cultural heritage. In this way, their presentations
directly contributed to the requirements of the Study. The
workshop outcomes are currently being processed and
will feature in the Study’s final output report in June 2021.
3.4.
General information and demographics.
Overview of the used technologies – where data
about the most popular acquisition technologies
are collected.
Description of the project.
Final questions.
Figure 4: The map shows the geographical provenance of the
respondents (n=235).
Online Survey
The main objective of the questionnaire entitled “Survey
on quality in the digitisation of tangible cultural heritage”
is to support the study by collecting from multidisciplinary
experts in the domain of digital acquisition data about the
use of acquisition technologies, metadata, paradata, and
the definitions of quality and complexity for 3D (Cyprus
University of Technology, 2020b). The survey is currently
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STUDY ON QUALITY IN 3D DIGITISATION OF TANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
Figure 5: The graph reports the answers to the question "How
many years of experience do you have in the digitisation area?"
(n=203).
Figure 7: The graph reports the answer to the question “In
which area of digitisation are you an expert?” (n=296).
4. Conclusion
The Study consortium has collected data from different
experts in digital cultural heritage regarding the
significance and applications of quality and complexity in
the 3D digitisation of tangible cultural heritage. The team
will now focus on compiling this data and supplement it
with the information coming from the online survey.
In parallel, the consortium has begun identifying existing
formats, standards, benchmarks, methodologies, and
guidelines relevant for 3D digitisation of tangible cultural
heritage, including metadata and paradata (Task 3). The
first results of these activities will be presented and
discussed during the study's online mid-term workshop in
March 2021.
Figure 6: The graph reports the answers to the question “What
is your professional background?
Acknowledgements
Study at the request of and financed by the European
Commission, Directorate-General of Communications
Networks, Content & Technology under contract no. LC01549024
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STUDY ON QUALITY IN 3D DIGITISATION OF TANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
Proceedings of the joint international event 9th ARQUEOLÓGICA 2.0 & 3rd GEORES, Valencia (Spain). 26–28 April 2021, 2021
Following the implementation of the Virtual Multimodal Museum (ViMM) project, which finished in March 2019, the European Commission issued a Declaration on Cooperation on Advancing Digitisation of Cultural Heritage during the Digital Day in April 2019. One year later, in April 2020, the European Commission (EC) launched a commercial call for tenders to develop a Study on quality in 3D digitisation of tangible cultural heritage (the study). The tender theme is to acknowledge the increasing demand for internationally recognised standards for the holistic 3D documentation of Europe's rich cultural heritage (CH) and address the lack of standards. The study aims to map parameters, formats, standards, benchmarks, methodologies, and guidelines relating to 3D digitisation of tangible cultural heritage, the different potential purposes or uses, by type of tangible cultural heritage, and the degree of complexity of tangible cultural heritage. A team of researchers at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) leads a consortium of partners from industry and academia across Europe to conduct this unique study. This work in progress paper introduces the research's objectives and methodology and presents some of its first results....Read more
