Interactive Data Visualization
Unfortunately, we are unable to host our 3D models on this website. This is because the files are stored on our final project website, and we don’t have admin access to upload them there. However! You should be able to view all of our models by navigating to this link.
Data
Our data is primarily based on our pictures of the archival clothing. We took photos of the clothing at many different angles so that our processing tools would have the necessary context to render the whole image. For each piece of clothing, we took full 360-degree photos from high, middle, and low angles. We also made sure to use a neutral background so we could remove it post-processing. The information about the clothing itself came from two sources. The first source was the online metadata associated with the picture, such as a brief description of the piece, as well as the estimated date the piece was used. Next, we also collected information from David Bliss, who has extensive experience and knowledge of Carleton’s history and archives. He told us stories about the clothing, which we in turn used as data.
Tools and Techniques
We took approximately 70 images of each object in the archives. Using those pictures, we uploaded them into MetashapePro to construct each 3D model. We followed a very similar process to the one for our campus building assignment. The main difference was that we utilized a light tent to remove the background before uploading the images to MetashapePro. The light tent was simply a white background, but this allowed MetashapePro to more easily identify the object’s edges and avoid reconstructing unnecessary background features. Additionally, we used Foldio360, an innovative turntable, to make the image gathering process more efficient.
Once the images were imported into MetashapePro, we let the software generate all the models. Most of the models had holes, so we cleaned them up using a technique called hole stitching. By filling the gaps, we were able to finalize each model and prepare it for embedding on our website.
Data Viz
The 3D models on our website are exploratory and allow users to navigate and zoom on their own, while the annotations placed on them provide explanatory context, highlighting key details. We added these annotations using Smithsonian Voyager, a 3D visualization tool, which are only visible on the website if the user chooses to enable them. This level of connection is necessary because the purpose of this project was to bring more life to these items, which have been largely forgotten in the archives. This close, hands-on experience makes this possible.
Style
Before working on our website, we chose a WordPress template called “Colibri” and ensured that each of our web pages followed a cohesive structure and format. We then each created one of the website’s pages, documenting every step of our process. Each page introduces the work we did, and the “3D Models” page features all the 3D models we used on the page. We uploaded HTML links of each 3D modelled piece of clothing and displayed them on the website.
