Choosing an Infrastructure
Digital data preservation and access are complex and multi-layered topics. Developing a plan for a digital data preservation and access project requires the selection of standards and best practices, choosing between open-source and. proprietary software, planning for migrations, versioning, and much more. The incorporation of 3D data into such a project adds complexity, as emerging technologies drive the development of new software tools and standards for data storage and manipulation. While many types of 3D models are being used in humanities scholarship, this Tier I project focuses on 3D models of ancient architecture generated using procedural modeling—rapid prototyping of 3D models from a set of rules--in order to contribute to 3D data preservation and access efforts for “intrinsically-born” 3D data that stem from multiple data sources such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), architectural drawings, excavation reports, photogrammetric, and airborne LiDAR.
To achieve preservation and access of 3D data requires data compatibility and accessibility—scholars must be able to combine and recombine their data for reuse and repurposing in multiple ways. Therefore, in KDA (a Tier I NEH project) we specifically developed workflows: (1) to export 3D procedurally-generated models using a python script to a repository based on a PostgreSQL database that can assign a DOI and then (2) be imported into a 3D online viewer for reuse with real-time geometry, metadata, and paradata changes tracked and stored in the repository.
Why Procedural Modeling?
Procedural modeling is ideally suited for the development of 3D modeling standards or best practices that promote data interoperability, dissemination, and reuse because they CAN bring with them the underlying metadata, paradata (information about modeling choices), and descriptive data (e.g., data sources, textures, building type). Each shape comprises a shape symbol (rule name), parameters (boolean, numeric, string), and attributes (geometry, scope- oriented bounding box, pivot- coordinate system) inherently providing meta- and paradata embedded/linked to each model and scene.
Why Python?
Python is a scientific programming language widely used in the digital humanities and heritage communities. It is well supported by a broad user community and is supported by popular software packages for manipulating spatial data, including QGIS a free and open source Geographic Information System. Crucially python is a key language for both ESRI software and CityEngine.