This course offers an in-depth introduction to the field of Virtual Heritage, which leverages 3D technologies to document, digitally restore, recontextualize, and analyze cultural heritage artifacts across a wide range of scales, from small objects like vases to expansive sites such as houses, settlements, and entire landscapes. Students will explore best practices and standards in the discipline, trace its historical development, and gain hands-on experience with essential tools commonly used for 3D documentation and restoration.

For the 2025 iteration, the course will center on the Medici Venus sculpture as a case study. Casts of the sculpture’s torso and right hand, housed at Indiana University’s Virtual World Heritage Lab, will serve as training materials for students throughout the semester.

You will learn how to use photogrammetry to capture high-resolution 3D data from a physical work of art, such as a sculpture or its fragments. The course will guide you through the process of transforming raw photographic input into a reality-based polygonal model using photogrammetric software.

Next, you’ll be introduced to general-purpose 3D modeling tools to reconstruct missing portions of the sculpture. You’ll also learn how to rig the model, enabling pose manipulation and dynamic presentation of the figure.

You’ll then explore how to integrate the reality-based scan with hand-modeled components to digitally restore the artifact—reconstructing missing elements such as limbs or the head. This restoration process will include digitally painting the model to reflect its original coloration.

Finally, you’ll learn how to publish your completed 3D models online, complete with appropriate metadata and paradata to ensure transparency, scholarly rigor, and accessibility.

Class Meeting Days and Times: Tuesday and Thursday from 11:10 am-12:30 pm

Class Location: Luddy Hall, Room IF 1019

Course materials: Students will have access to classroom computers equipped with all necessary software for the course. Alternatively, they may choose to install the open-source applications listed in the Methodology section on their laptops. For optimal performance, a computer running Windows 11 or a MacBook Pro (Intel or M-series) with at least 8GB of RAM is recommended.

Assigned readings will be made available on Canvas at the beginning of each Module, under: Module > Module # Readings

Course Goals: By the end of the semester, each student should be able to:

• Understand and apply the interdisciplinary methodology of Virtual Heritage, beginning with a philological analysis of mythology, art history, and archaeology related to the Venus sculpture used as the course’s case study.
• Design and execute a 3D acquisition project using photogrammetry or related techniques.
• Post-process the captured data to generate a high-quality 3D mesh model.
• Optimize the mesh for further modeling and restoration work
• Digitally reconstruct a complete human figure that aligns with the surviving fragments and reflects the results of the philological analysis, including posing the figure appropriately
• Integrate the original scanned components with the reconstructed elements through digital anastylosis
• Apply textures to the final model based on physical evidence (e.g., polychromy) and scholarly interpretation
• Publish the completed 3D model online, accompanied by accurate metadata and paradata to ensure transparency and scholarly integrity

Methodology: The course will consist of:

• Theoretical lessons on the principles behind digital photogrammetry (slides will be available at the beginning of each class), with questions and discussions
• Training on specific software packages 
  
  • AGISOFT Metashape Pro for processing 3D data acquired through photos in the Lab; proprietary
  • Meshlab for mesh integrity check and repair; open-source
  • Meshmixer for merging different meshes, proprietary but free
  • Makehuman for human figure setting; open source
  • Cascadeur for human figure rigging and pose; proprietary
  • Blender to edit and texturing 3D models; open-source
•  In-class/lab activity for practical exercises and for developing the project planned in the semester, supervised by the instructors.

Grades and Course Expectations

Grades Breakdown: Grading will be derived by the percentage of points obtained, according to the standard IU policy. During the course, each student will be asked to complete the assignments specified below. The dates when these assignments are due are listed in the Detailed Schedule. 

Model Submissions: Each student will submit five 3D models over the course of the semester. These models will be digitally created and demonstrate various stages of model development with Virtual Heritage: from the reality-based state model to the restored and textured digital model. More information will be delivered in class and on Canvas.

Final Paper and Presentation: The final paper and presentation topic will be a researched description of the student’s modeling activities and how such activities are relevant to Virtual Heritage research. Students may also discuss how such activities are relevant to their own work, if applicable. This group of assignments will consist of three parts (see ‘schedule’ for deadlines below). First, students will submit a preliminary outline concerning their paper. Second, students will prepare a video-recorded presentation of their modeling activities during the final week of class. Third, students will submit a final research paper on the last day of the term. For undergraduate students, the paper must be five pages long. For graduate students, the paper must be eight pages long. More detailed information will be provided in class and on Canvas.

Attendance: Owing to the structure of this course, attendance is mandatory.

Attendance will be taken formally at each lecture in some manner. This will either take the form of a simple roll call or a short in-class exercise.

Students who must miss more than two classes for legitimate reasons should: 

• Watch missed lectures by accessing the lecture slides posted before class. 
• Submit an asynchronous version of in-class assignments.
• Make up for missed scores by possibly completing extra credit opportunities.

Students are responsible for submitting assignments on time, regardless of whether they are present on the day of class, because they will be informed of upcoming assignments well in advance.

Students should familiarize themselves with Indiana University’s attendance policies; some information can be found here: https://studentaffairs.indiana.edu/student-support/dean-of-students/attendance.html

Student Guidelines and Resources

Detailed week-by-week program and assignments

Synthetic PDF version of this syllabus