Processing sampled 3D data: reconstruction and visualization technologies

The introduction of new technologies in the context of Cultural Heritage (CH) and Archeology has often been a difficult issue. This is probably related to the lack in confidence in replacing consolidated approaches with experimental methods heavily based on innovative hardware or software systems. This already happened for a number of revolutionary technologies: for example, the advent of photography, color images and digital cameras took some time before changing the reference methods for archival and studies in the context of archeological excavation or of restoration actions. The same considerations hold for the use of digital 3D models in CH applications. One basic issue is the need to switch from a two-dimensional visualization and reasoning approach (essentially based on photos and drawings) to the possibility to explore and visualize the object in its full three-dimensional (3D) nature. Nevertheless, in the last few years both 3D modeling and 3D scanning have become a valued way to present and analyze CH artifacts. Several interesting practical applications have been made available to the publicly in museums, or virtually on the Web. Here we just cite a single sample paper [56], which deals with the problem of interactive inspection and rendering of complex 3D models; many other experiences are presented in this Chapter.