3D Virtual reconstruction and visualization of complex architectures: The 3D-ARCH project

Abstract

The 3D Virtual Reconstruction and Visualization of Complex Architectures (3D-Arch) project started in 2005 and is now completed. It proposes an integrated approach based upon a combination of different 3D measurement techniques for the virtual reconstruction of complex architectures like those found in medieval castles. This paper summarizes the work done in this project, consolidates incremental work published earlier, and details the latest developments and results. Since no established procedure has been available to model and visualize this type of architectures, the project resulted in several new contributions: an effective workflow for castle 3D modelling, increasing the level of automation, the seamless integration of models created independently from different data sets, integration of 3D models and GIS data, and developing useful visualization tools. We tested the approach on various castles in Northern Italy and the results demonstrated that it is effective, accurate and creates complete and highly detailed models suitable for many purposes such as documentation to track changes for future restoration, education, and tourism.