Virtual Inspector: A Flexible Visualizer for Dense 3D Scanned Models

Virtual inspector lets novice users inspect dense 3D models at interactive frame rates on commodity PCs. The system obtains visualization efficiency without sacrificing quality by adopting a continuous level-of-detail representation. Visual inspector´s use of XML to encode the GUI´s structure and behavior makes it flexible and configurable. We can improve the virtual inspector system by adding new functionality and increasing its efficiency. Few restorers would consider the simple visualization of a digital 3D replica as the ultimate goal for the use of 3D scanning technologies in cultural heritage contexts. Once we can visualize an artifact with great accuracy, the need to map other data on the 3D model will rise. We´re working on a slightly extended version of the tool to support mapping and selective visualization of different sources of surface data. We´re also developing tools to compute measures. Finally, we´re working to more dynamically enrich the data linked to the mesh by letting users add annotations or link multimedia material to selected points of the artifact surface. Our goal is to transform virtual inspector into a more dynamic instrument for cultural heritage research and restoration.