A workflow for fast 3D documentation. An experience on medieval architectural fragments

Currently, the knowledge of archaeological and cultural heritage artefacts is asking for the use of 3D models. Innovative tools constantly developed make it possible for the scholars to adopt an integrative approach accessible by everyone involved in the whole process of archaeological and cultural heritage surveying and representation. The topic here discussed aims to investigate a workflow that allows a non-expert user to produce and manage a Structure from Motion 3D model, considering all the parameters that concern the reliability of the model and its scale. The proposed workflow regards the object size going from 20 up to 60 centimeters in architectural heritage field. Several examples will be presented to give a general frame of the possible results obtained by following a step by step procedure; the latter has been developed on several fragments now located in the Kyrenia Castle and surveyed during the international workshop “Reading and designing Kyrenia Castle” that was held in Cyprus Island. This study aims at identifying data capture standard process for the construction of 3D and 2D models in specific conditions, but frequent in surveying campaign. It refers to the concentration of the whole process in short time span, when only entry-level tools are available and survey operations involve non-expert user and a big number of objects. A further development of this strategy could be to provide a fast 3D documentation shared and available through a database for archaeological excavations. The study focuses on the advantages, costs, and precision levels guaranteed by SfM, as well as 3D digital model as the fundamental element of the archaeological studies.