{"id":2594,"date":"2021-08-16T10:25:08","date_gmt":"2021-08-16T10:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/?p=2594"},"modified":"2023-02-02T14:12:55","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T14:12:55","slug":"introducing-a-3d-digitisation-service-feasible-or-fantasy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/2021\/08\/16\/introducing-a-3d-digitisation-service-feasible-or-fantasy\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing a 3D Digitisation Service: Feasible or Fantasy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"For\u00a0the past eleven weeks I\u2019ve had the opportunity to intern with the Digital Imaging Unit, working on a project\u00a0to\u00a0evaluate\u00a0the potential of establishing a 3D digitisation service within the department.\u00a0\u201c3D digitisation\u201d\u00a0in this sense encompasses\u00a0everything from\u00a0the initial production of\u00a0digital models\u00a0\u2013 using suitable items from across the University Collections –\u00a0to\u00a0online display, preservation of 3D data, and\u00a03D printing.\u00a0The project was roughly organised into three\u00a0phases: research, testing, and implementation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although I worked primarily with Susan Pettigrew (Photographer, DIU) and Mike Boyd (uCreate\u00a0Manager) I always felt supported by the other Library & University Collections staff; everyone I had the chance to speak to was eager to discuss their own work\u00a0on top of contributing to\u00a0the project.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Phase 1:\u00a0Research<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Phase 1, I carried out\u00a0user research\u00a0with curators and academics across the University Collections to assess the demand for a 3D service\u00a0and\u00a0decide\u00a0which collections were suitable for 3D digitisation\u00a0(aka NOT objects which are reflective, transparent, deeply recessed, or have moving parts).\u00a0As\u00a0I have volunteered at the Centre for Research Collections since\u00a02020,\u00a0I was already\u00a0familiar with many of the\u00a0collections\u00a0we discussed, but for this project\u00a0I focussed more\u00a0specifically on\u00a0object\u00a0morphology\u00a0and how\u00a0any 3D models produced\u00a0could increase public and academic\u00a0(teaching and research)\u00a0engagement\u00a0with the CRC.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I also carried out external research, looking at\u00a0how 3D technologies are being used by other educational and heritage institutions.\u00a0It would probably be a stretch to call 3D the \u201cWild West\u201d of the digital imaging world but, for now at least, there are no\u00a0agreed standards for\u00a0capture, preservation, or sharing of data.\u00a0There are however\u00a0many individuals from heritage institutions who\u00a0have been experimenting with 3D digitisation for far longer than me\u00a0and I had\u00a0some fantastic opportunities to chat with them about what works and what doesn\u2019t.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 2: Testing<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this phase I got the opportunity\u00a0to go onsite\u00a0for one week\u00a0and work in the DIU\u00a0photography studio with Susan, where we aimed to capture\u00a0at least three\u00a0objects using photogrammetry and structured light scanning.\u00a0Photogrammetry is the process of\u00a0converting overlapping 2D images\u00a0into a textured 3D mesh of an object or space, using traditional 2D photography equipment and\u00a0computer-based processing software. In comparison, SLS\u00a0uses a handheld\u00a0scanner to project light patterns onto an object\u00a0and then captures this data to\u00a0directly\u00a0produce\u00a0a 3D mesh\u00a0\u2013 it\u2019s a\u00a0more geometrically accurate method but it produces subpar textures.\u00a0I did this scanning with an\u00a0Einscan\u00a02X Pro provided by the\u00a0uCreate\u00a0studio.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I was trained beforehand\u00a0in\u00a0safe collections handling\u00a0and use of\u00a0the\u00a0photography equipment: up until that point I\u2019d never handled a\u00a0DSLR camera in my life\u00a0and\u00a0yet by the third day I was able to set up the studio and\u00a0do the captures\u00a0myself.\u00a0The efficiency of this training\u00a0definitely\u00a0contributed\u00a0to our managing to capture\u00a0an extra\u00a0object\u00a0that week, a particularly tricky\u00a0violin head from\u00a0MIMEd\u00a0which had lots of reflections and dark, recessed areas.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span>Outside of this week I also\u00a0had a quick, easy equipment induction in the\u00a0uCreate\u00a0studio\u00a0which\u00a0afforded me the freedom to go off and experiment with 3D technology like LIDAR scanners, 3D printing, and virtual reality headsets.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 3: Implementation<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For this final phase, I produced a report summarising my research and recommending ways the Digital Library could support the implementation of a 3D service in the DIU going forward. I also processed the data we\u2019d captured in the studio to produce a few 3D models which are now on the University\u2019s Sketchfab page. These include a life mask bust of the composer Felix Mendelssohn and an object associated with the Scottish geologist Charles Lyell, the fossilised rain drops<\/a>, (tying in nicely with the Lyell Notebooks digitisation project the DIU is currently undertaking!). <\/span>\u00a0You can see the 3D models here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan and Mike were a huge help throughout this project, nudging me in useful directions with my research and always happy to explain how to use hardware and software that I\u2019d not encountered before. However, I was also afforded a lot of trust and independence during the internship to research whichever avenues I thought best and got the chance to develop technical skills that I\u2019ll undoubtably be using in the next few years as I graduate from my History and Archaeology MA.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As someone who\u00a0had\u00a0some\u00a0intermittent\u00a0experience using 3D technologies\u00a0pre-internship,\u00a0I found that\u00a0following\u00a0the process from research to implementation gave me a real appreciation for how involved\u00a0a\u00a0high-quality\u00a03D service would need to be. But I also believe it\u2019s an\u00a0achievable service,\u00a0which\u00a0could\u00a0benefit\u00a0students, researchers, academics, and the public\u00a0alike.\u00a0This can range from producing digital and physical teaching aides, to\u00a0facilitating\u00a0research into\u00a0collections material that\u2019s too delicate to study physically.\u00a0In particular, over\u00a0the past year it\u2019s become apparent that collections\u00a0need to be\u00a0more\u00a0accessible to users\u00a0who can\u2019t physically access the\u00a0CRC\u00a0and require more than\u00a0still images and written descriptions\u00a0to study an object.\u00a0It\u2019s great to\u00a0see the\u00a0Library\u00a0being so proactive about investigating such a service, especially as other heritage institutions\u00a0are increasingly\u00a0carrying\u00a0out their own 3D digitisation projects, and groups like\u00a0the\u00a0IIIF\u00a0(International Image Interoperability Framework)\u00a03D community\u00a0are getting closer to\u00a0agreeing standards for\u00a03D\u00a0data sharing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Written by Connor\u00a0Wimblett<\/i><\/p>\n

Useful Links<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

University\u2019s\u00a0Open.Ed\u00a0Sketchfab:\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/sketchfab.com\/openededinburgh<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More information on\u00a0the\u00a0IIIF\u00a03D community:\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/iiif.io\/community\/groups\/3d\/<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read the\u00a0VOiCE\u00a0blog,\u00a0a product of\u00a0the CRC volunteering I mentioned at the top of this post:\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/voiceblog1.wordpress.com\/<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For\u00a0the past eleven weeks I\u2019ve had the opportunity to intern with the Digital Imaging Unit, working on a project\u00a0to\u00a0evaluate\u00a0the potential of establishing a 3D digitisation service within the department.\u00a0\u201c3D digitisation\u201d\u00a0in<\/p>\n

Read MoreIntroducing a 3D Digitisation Service: Feasible or Fantasy?<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[133,71,70],"tags":[144,146,147,138,145,42],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2594"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2594"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2600,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2594\/revisions\/2600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}