Pomer, Kevin

English

Ithaca College

Kevin Pomer March 4, 2018Creating Digital Models of Papier-Mache´ Ceiling Elements in Philipse Manor HallAnyone watching the news lately will be aware that historic structures are being de-stroyed both by humans, such as groups like ISIS, and natural disasters, which can wipeout important pieces of history. Additionally, as artifacts and structures age, they degradeand break down naturally, making them fragile and prone to damage. Historic preservationis important because it allows people to study how their culture has changed over time.Keeping a model of artifacts acts as a safety net so that no matter what happens to theoriginal piece, there is a record which can be used for the same purpose.While there are common methods used to preserve artifacts, these often require physicalcontact with the object either for taking measurements or creating a mold. One issue thatcould arise is the fact that certain objects are so delicate that the act of touching or movingthem in an effort to preserve them could result in damage. Creating models of fragileartifacts is a high priority because they are most susceptible to damage in the first place. Itis therefore necessary to create a method of preservation which will allow for objects to bemodeled without the ability to touch or move them.My research focused on the 17th century Philipse Manor Hall in Yonkers, NY. While thebuilding itself has historical significance, one of its main features is a ceiling that containsfifty-two Rococo style design elements made of papier-mache´. This architectural embellish-ment was a popular display of wealth at the time. Due to the fact that the ceiling elementsare made of papier-mache´, it is not possible to use common methods of historic preservationat the risk of damaging the elements in the process. The purpose of my research was to showthat 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry are viable techniques of historic preservation,and to discuss which data collection device is best suited for the task of modeling the ceilingat Philipse Manor Hall.I performed this work by traveling to Philipse Manor Hall with several different 3D laserscanning and photogrammetry tools. The two elements I focused on depicted a dog and a1Kevin Pomer March 4, 2018bust of Isaac Newton. Each tool was used to collect data for both elements, which werecompared based on the number of data points defining specific features. I then comparedthe data collection techniques themselves on the following bases. Cost ranging from $3, 000to over $100, 000, time ranging from 5 to 180 minutes, resolution ranging from 0.0001 to0.005 meters, and ease of use which I discuss having used each device.The results showed that the Artec Space Spider 3D laser scanner was the best suited toolfor the task. This method produced models with a high level of detail and a resolution ofapproximately 0.0001 meters. While there were tools that produced similar results, one ofthe key advantages of the Space Spider was its ease of use. The Artec scanners are hand heldand collect data as they are moved in front of the object. This cuts scan time down to about15 minutes, and allows for thorough data collection, which is more difficult when using toolsthat must be set up on a tripod to collect data. The speed and ease of use allow for lowercosts when considering the “cost per day” of a project, even though the device itself was$24, 800. If this work were to include scanning the entire ceiling, the Artec software wouldhave more capability to handle this scale of a project, whereas some other software optionsstruggled to handle data from a single ceiling element. While the Space Spider is best suitedfor this specific task, it does not imply that it is a “better” scanning device, because othertools used are normally intended for different scales of work.Future work would include gaining a better understanding of how the raw data is storedfor each tool, and finding a way to directly export it to compare the models prior to anysoftware processing. This could have the potential to refine the results from my research.2

Creating Digital Models of Papier-Mache Ceiling Elements in Philipse Manor Hall

https://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1245&context=whalen

Creating Digital Models of Papier-Mache Ceiling Elements in Philipse Manor Hall

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