A Defined Process to Digitally Reproduce in 3D a Wide Set of Archaeological Artifacts for Virtual Investigation and Display

This paper contributes to depict the current pattern of applications of digital 3D models for professional research and practice, and for broader dissemination of cultural heritage. Passing from a general review to the illustration of the background project, named MUSINT, the authors underline the objectives. The present case study primarily aims to share information about valuable archaeological collections which have little visibility. To enhance the project’s contents, which include a whole set of different artifacts, the authors have reproduced high resolution, faithful and measurable digital models on one side, and on the other, lower resolution and geometrically simplified models are yet completed and very close to reality. The former are meant to implement a scholars’ archive for further scientific activity. The latter to provide content for virtual exhibitions on the Web or on stand-alone interfaces situated in the actual physical museum spaces. The data acquisition and post-processing methods which have been tested and chosen are here briefly described. Hence, the authors then give an account of the most recurrent problematic issues of the established work-flow and how they should be solved. Touched instances are the delicate placing of the artifacts, which must be digitized, in relation to the triangulation-based laser scanner’s functionality, the refining operations in order to build a coherent single polygon mesh, the most effective ways to deal with unavoidable missing parts or defected textures in the generated model and so on.