Multimedia in Monuments Manipulation

Abstract

Churches and other structures in monuments family are quite complex objects technically, functionally and visually. This kind of structures has always be described by the Architects through a variety of traditional means, like drawings, writing and scale models.

The computer based multimedia technology has begun to automate architectural designing giving promizes in monuments CAAD manipulation and better chances for monuments presentation using authoring tools.

The monuments CAD models could be combined with raster images (photos), video clips, recorded sounds, etc, to show in a realistic way the proposed ideas of the Architect, and then Archaeologists could use the new presentation technology and particularly authoring tools for monuments promotion.

In our pilot application and in order to create the prototype, a 3D church model based on existing old drawings (in scale 1:50) was used. The church model was enhanced by a number of scanned photographs which have been manipulated with Aldus Photostyler image-editing software. Finally a navigation system, based on MacroMind’s Director and IBM’s Storyboard Live!, was used to link everything together.

Obviously the prototype could be expanded into a complete CD-ROM library of relative monuments for eventual distribution to promotion agencies, educational establishments, etc.