Articles by Enrico Cavada

Modern 3D modeling techniques (e.g. laser scanning and photogrammetry) make it possible to create accurate, realistic and measurable digital 3D models of cities, buildings, terrains, artifacts and archaeological sites. The model of the Church of San Martino was created not only for the visualization but, in particular, for the study of the 3D application in archaeology and the comparison of the information provided by these techniques with data obtained by traditional techniques. The digital model of the church was created using a time of flight laser scanner. Besides this, HDR pictures were taken with a Kodak DCS ProSRL/n digital camera for the texturing of the 3D model and photo-realistic visualization. The 3D building was georeferenced using GPS data for the correct insertion into the surrounding Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Some operations in the lab (range data alignment, editing, mesh generation, geometric simplification and texture mapping) transformed the 3D data points into a complete 3D model (300 working hours). Precise measurements of distances, surfaces, thicknesses and volumes of the structures or architectural elements were performed. Particular elements were also recognized and emphasized thanks to the creation of the 3D model. These elements were inserted into a database according to their characteristics and this led to the generation of several 3D thematic maps (i.e. building phase maps or litho-topes). The integration of the digital model of the church into the DEM could be used for the clarification and understanding of settlement trends and territorial organization in the past.