The special topics course was a success! Not only did my four students get highly involved in refining the process, but we were able to successfully export a few different samples of the game, ready to play and with a secondary level to show a few additional details preserved during our research.
From our tests, we discovered how useful it is to have humans working alongside good scanning techniques. We used gimbal powered selfie-sticks to keep cameras level as we scanned features high up on the walls. Then, we were able to clean up the geometry using the additional photogrammetry we employed in our process.
This helped clarify the need to bring in a modular creation approach, since the process of transferring textures can be cumbersome on big sections of the building.
Exciting stuff! Next up: getting non-animators to play the game and give us feedback.