A semantic-based platform for the digital analysis of architectural heritage

This essay focuses on the fields of architectural documentation and digital representation. We present a research paper concerning the development of an information system at the scale of architecture, taking into account the relationships that can be established between the representation of buildings (shape, dimension, state of conservation, hypothetical restitution) and heterogeneous information about various fields (such as the technical, the documentary or still the historical one). The proposed approach aims to organize multiple representations (and associated information) around a semantic description model with the goal of defining a system for the multi-field analysis of buildings

Semantic annotation of heritage building photos based on 3D spatial referencing

Throughout this article, we present the principles of a semantic annotation using 3D model as a support to transfer the semantic layers to images. The approach could be used as an essential tool for the documentation of buildings of historical importance. Our research focused on the analysis and the implementation of tools and techniques for semantic annotation of photo, on its storage and retrieval from a database and on the manipulation of information in a real time 3D scene. Our approach, divided in three connected steps (semantic annotation of 3D model, spatial referencing of image and semantic annotation of image using 3D object’s silhouette projection), has been finalized and tested on different archaeological sites. We have used these principles to develop an implementation model of a management and consultation system for data gathered from the Internet

An image-based approach for the architectural modeling of past states

During the modelling process, 3D models are not easily conceived to support changes over time. On the contrary, for the description of cultural heritage, it is often necessary to display not only the actual state of buildings but also their previous states so to understand their modifications. The construction and structuring of spatio-temporal models of cultural heritage demand a double conceptual effort: on one side, 3D models must be reconstructed and structured in space according to architectural concepts; on the other one, such elements should follow the criteria of temporal decomposition. For this reason, links between structured elements should be established to keep track of changes over time. Moreover, only the current state can be reconstructed in a rigorous way using a combination of different 3D measurement techniques (such as laser scanning and photogrammetry); on the contrary, knowledge about past states is conditioned by missing elements, whose morphology and dating can reveal uncertain. For this reason, this paper describes a methodological approach to make use of the existing iconographic corpus for the analysis and the 3D management of building transformations. The aim is to establish a relation between the iconography used for the hypothetical reconstruction and the 3D representation that depends on it. As a result, 3D representations can be used like visualization systems capable of reflecting the amount of knowledge produced studying historic building

An Iconography-Based Modeling Approach for the Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Architectural Heritage

The study of historic buildings is usually based on the collection and analysis of iconographic sources such as photographs, drawings, engravings, paintings or sketches. This paper describes a methodological approach to make use of the existing iconographic corpus for the analysis and the 3D management of building transformations. Iconography is used for different goals. Firstly, it's a source of geometric information (image-based-modeling of anterior states); secondly, it's used for the re-creation of visual appearance (image-based texture extraction); thirdly it's a proof of the temporal distribution of shape transformations (spatio-temporal modeling); finally it becomes a visual support for the study of building transformations (visual comparison between different temporal states). The aim is to establish a relation between the iconography used for the hypothetical reconstruction and the 3D representation that depends on it. This approach relates to the idea of using 3D representations like visualization systems capable of reflecting the amount of knowledge developed by the study of a historic buildin

Semantic annotation of heritage building photos based on 3D spatial referencing

Throughout this article, we present the principles of a semantic annotation using 3D model as a support to transfer the semantic layers to images. The approach could be used as an essential tool for the documentation of buildings of historical importance. Our research focused on the analysis and the implementation of tools and techniques for semantic annotation of photo, on its storage and retrieval from a database and on the manipulation of information in a real time 3D scene. Our approach, divided in three connected steps (semantic annotation of 3D model, spatial referencing of image and semantic annotation of image using 3D object’s silhouette projection), has been finalized and tested on different archaeological sites. We have used these principles to develop an implementation model of a management and consultation system for data gathered from the Internet

A Web Information System for the Semantic-Based Analysis of Architectural Heritage

This article focuses on the fields of architectural documentation and digital representation. It concerns the development of an information system at the scale of architecture, taking into account the relationships that can be established between the representation of buildings (shape, dimension, state of conservation, hypothetical restitution) and heterogeneous information about various fields (such as the technical, the documentary or still the historical one). The proposed approach aims to organize multiple representations (and associated information) around a semantic description model with the goal of defining a web information system for the multi-field analysis of heritage buildings

NUBES : describing, analysing, documenting and sharing digital representations of heritage buildings

The NUBES project focus on the definition of an informative system on an architectural scale which exploits the relations between the 3D representation of the building (shape, dimensions, state of conservation, hypothetical restitution of its transformations in time) and heterogeneous information coming from the various fields (technical, documentary, historical). The platform aims at organizing multiple representations (and associated information) around a model of semantic description with the aim of defining a system for the multi-field observation of historic buildings. The principles studied are implemented in a Web Application, whose main functionalities we present

An image-based approach for the architectural modeling of past states

During the modelling process, 3D models are not easily conceived to support changes over time. On the contrary, for the description of cultural heritage, it is often necessary to display not only the actual state of buildings but also their previous states so to understand their modifications. The construction and structuring of spatio-temporal models of cultural heritage demand a double conceptual effort: on one side, 3D models must be reconstructed and structured in space according to architectural concepts; on the other one, such elements should follow the criteria of temporal decomposition. For this reason, links between structured elements should be established to keep track of changes over time. Moreover, only the current state can be reconstructed in a rigorous way using a combination of different 3D measurement techniques (such as laser scanning and photogrammetry); on the contrary, knowledge about past states is conditioned by missing elements, whose morphology and dating can reveal uncertain. For this reason, this paper describes a methodological approach to make use of the existing iconographic corpus for the analysis and the 3D management of building transformations. The aim is to establish a relation between the iconography used for the hypothetical reconstruction and the 3D representation that depends on it. As a result, 3D representations can be used like visualization systems capable of reflecting the amount of knowledge produced studying historic building

An Iconography-Based Modeling Approach for the Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Architectural Heritage

The study of historic buildings is usually based on the collection and analysis of iconographic sources such as photographs, drawings, engravings, paintings or sketches. This paper describes a methodological approach to make use of the existing iconographic corpus for the analysis and the 3D management of building transformations. Iconography is used for different goals. Firstly, it's a source of geometric information (image-based-modeling of anterior states); secondly, it's used for the re-creation of visual appearance (image-based texture extraction); thirdly it's a proof of the temporal distribution of shape transformations (spatio-temporal modeling); finally it becomes a visual support for the study of building transformations (visual comparison between different temporal states). The aim is to establish a relation between the iconography used for the hypothetical reconstruction and the 3D representation that depends on it. This approach relates to the idea of using 3D representations like visualization systems capable of reflecting the amount of knowledge developed by the study of a historic buildin

Conception d'un système de référencement spatial de photographie de relevé

Dans une campagne de relevé d'un édifice architectural, on s'intéresse principalement à l'acquisition de deux types de données: les données métriques et les données photométriques. Ces données sont enregistrées sur des supports de nature différente.les données métriques sous forme de nuages de points (issues d'un balayage laser) et de maquette numérique 3Dles données photométriques sous forme de photos numériques (ou éventuellement de séquences vidéo).Ce travail naît et se développe autour de l'hypothèse qui considère le modèle 3D interactif comme moyen d'accès privilégié à l'information patrimoniale (cf.[1]). Les bases de données permettent aujourd'hui de gérer plusieurs types d'informations nécessaires à différents supports de documentation. De plus, des nouveaux moteurs d'affichage 3D permettent une interaction spatiale en temps réel avec les nuages de points et les maquettes résultantes des phases de traitement. Aujourd'hui, il apparaît donc essentiel de s'intéresser aux relations que l'on peut établir entre les informations métriques et photométriques à l'intérieur d'une scène 3D