What have we done so far?
We took nearly 200 photographs of our object – a Tomb figure of a camel, loaded them into Autodesk Recap Photos (which took 1 ~7 hours to automatically generate a 3D model), and cleaned up the 3D model by deleting the irrelevant parts, and filling the holes. Then we exported the model in two file types. In the meantime, we wrote a description of our object on Omeka.
How does attempting to model an object compare to simply viewing one in an exhibition?
There is a lot more consideration put into modeling an object than simply sightseeing in the exhibition. While attempting to model an object, I will frequently refer back to the photographs I took of the real object and carefully observe and replicate its size, shape, color, etc. My group once tried to remove the support of the camel and had to fill a huge hole on the left side of the camel’s belly. We took a lot of effort into making sure that the arc of the belly is preserved.
Does the process of photogrammetry encourage close looking and attention to details you might otherwise have ignored?
Photogrammetry encourages close looking and attention to details, as well as keeping a record of all the details we might have ignored as a resource we can refer to.
Does engaging with objects in this way make you more curious about this (and/or other) things, as well as the stories they can tell?
Engaging with objects in this way made me feel more tied to the object and therefore made me more curious about the details like the original color, the host (since it’s a tomb figure), and the more specific years that it came from (We only knew that it’s from the Tang Dynasty, but we wonder which emperor it was produced during the governance of).
4 thoughts on “3D Model Generation of a Museum Object”
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Thank you for sharing! I agree that modeling an object needs more attention than just observing the object since modeling the object requires us to be as precise as possible. we need to pay attention to all the details. Also, I was thinking basically the same questions about the story behind the object as you are thinking.
I appreciate the commitment to preserving the model. My group didn’t have to play around with the model as much so it’s interesting to hear how you guys dealt with any difficulties or irregularities. I wonder how you’re group’s “mends” compare to reality and how important it is for every detail to be perfect. What details do we need to make perfect and which ones can be fudged a bit?
I agree with your comment about there being more consideration when creating the 3D model. I really like the questions you bring up in the end about the history of the model. I do feel that the closer you work with creating the model and the details you see, it evokes more questions like the coloring of it and when it is from.
I find your point about there being more consideration put into modeling than rather than sightseeing really interesting. Particularly, I wonder where this places art historians within the hierarchy of things. Are all 3D modelers art historians in some regard? Should all art historians be 3D modelers?