This update is a long time coming…
A module of the super-epic Lahore Fort Project is the method I have suggested to use game creation workflows to digitally preserve buildings and sites. In October of 2022, I, and a team of animation students were given the opportunity to put this theory to the test and try to make it happen.
Thanks to this smart and resourceful group, we were able to test out different types of scanning methods, compare them to other capture processes and settled on a combination workflow that uses the best of LiDAR and photogrammetry to help refine and import this building into Unreal Engine.
For the exterior roof scan, we “borrowed” a drone and pilot from the RIT Center for Imaging Sciences and got to explore GPS-based scanning for geographical terrain.
In the few weeks that remained, we were able to cobble together a small demo to show off how much fun it could be to experience a scanned location in an interactive environment!
Thanks to RIT, the Genesee Country Village and Museum, and the Center for Imaging Sciences this method went from being theoretical to prototyped!