Analysing User Needs for a Unified 3D Metadata Recording and Exploitation of Cultural Heritage Monuments System

This research paper aims to address the problem of lack of a unified system for 3D documentation, promotion and exploitation of cultural heritage monuments via complete 3D data acquisition, 3D modeling and metadata recording using terrestrial laser scanners. Terrestrial laser scanning is a new fast developing technology that allows for the mapping and exact replication of the entire 3D shape of physical objects through the extraction of a very large number of points in space (point cloud) in short time periods, with great density and precision, and with no actual physical contact with the object of interest. The problem lies on the various types of hardware equipment and software systems used in the whole workflow of the 3D scanning process, including for the extraction of point clouds and the building process of the computerized 3D model development and the final products presentation. These often results in a large volume of interim and final products with little if no standardization, multiple different metadata, various user-dependent annotation requirements and vague documentation which often casts repeating a certain process impossible. This paper presents a user requirement analysis for a complete metadata recording during the whole lifecycle of a 3D product, aiming at supporting workflow history and provenance of 3D products of cultural heritage monuments.