A digital botanical garden: using interactive 3D models for visitor experience enhancement and collection management

Highlights: • A virtual 3D model of a botanical garden was built based on a GIS with plants botanical information and buildings, statues and other assets historical information. • The height and crown diameter of individual trees were determined from watershed operations on aerial LiDAR data. Sta...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Paula Redweik, Susana Reis, Maria Cristina Duarte
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universitat Politècnica de València 2022-09-01
Series:Virtual Archaeology Review
Subjects:
Online Access:http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/var/article/view/17629
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846144111888826368
author Paula Redweik
Susana Reis
Maria Cristina Duarte
author_facet Paula Redweik
Susana Reis
Maria Cristina Duarte
author_sort Paula Redweik
collection DOAJ
description Highlights: • A virtual 3D model of a botanical garden was built based on a GIS with plants botanical information and buildings, statues and other assets historical information. • The height and crown diameter of individual trees were determined from watershed operations on aerial LiDAR data. Statues were modelled photogrammetrically. Buildings were modelled procedurally using CGA rules. • Users found realism and information access to be the most positive points. The way of data organisation and the elaborated modelling rules make the product easily extendable for new data and objects. Abstract: Botanical gardens are important spots in urban spaces, both for researchers and for many different kinds of public. Conveying scientific information by means of an attractive digital product, on a pre- or post-visit experience, is a way of captivating the public, especially the younger generation, to the relevance of those gardens as repositories of knowledge and for conservation of plant species diversity. This approach also facilitates communication with the general public and access to historical data. On the other hand, bringing the garden to the desktop of researchers and managers can be an advantage, not only for an overview of the status quo but also in spatial planning matters. This paper describes the production of a 3D dynamic model of the Tropical Botanical Garden in Lisbon on top of a Geographic Information System (GIS). Its development included creating a spatial database to organise data originating from a variety of sources, the three-dimensional (3D) modelling of plants, buildings and statues, the creation of web pages with historic and contextual information, as well as the publication of a number of interactive 3D scenes. Several software packages were used, and the final outputs were published in ArcGIS Online to be explored by the public and researchers (link provided at the end of the text). The data are organised in a database, and most 3D modelling tasks are procedural through Computer Generated Architecture (CGA) rules. Thus, updating information or 3D models can be done without having to repeat all steps, an important feature for a dynamic botanical garden. Challenges and solutions are also addressed, providing a constructive contribution to the further implementation of similar experiences in other botanical gardens. According to a user survey carried out, the realism of the representation and the possibility of easily retrieving information from the objects are the most positive aspects of the project.
format Article
id doaj-art-d4b96201d3a64d7db8ee6e47c12a4043
institution Kabale University
issn 1989-9947
language English
publishDate 2022-09-01
publisher Universitat Politècnica de València
record_format Article
series Virtual Archaeology Review
spelling doaj-art-d4b96201d3a64d7db8ee6e47c12a40432024-12-02T09:03:13ZengUniversitat Politècnica de ValènciaVirtual Archaeology Review1989-99472022-09-011428658010.4995/var.2023.1762916819A digital botanical garden: using interactive 3D models for visitor experience enhancement and collection managementPaula Redweik0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9644-1147Susana Reis1Maria Cristina Duarte2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3823-4369Universidade de LisboUniversidade de LisboaUniversidade de LisboaHighlights: • A virtual 3D model of a botanical garden was built based on a GIS with plants botanical information and buildings, statues and other assets historical information. • The height and crown diameter of individual trees were determined from watershed operations on aerial LiDAR data. Statues were modelled photogrammetrically. Buildings were modelled procedurally using CGA rules. • Users found realism and information access to be the most positive points. The way of data organisation and the elaborated modelling rules make the product easily extendable for new data and objects. Abstract: Botanical gardens are important spots in urban spaces, both for researchers and for many different kinds of public. Conveying scientific information by means of an attractive digital product, on a pre- or post-visit experience, is a way of captivating the public, especially the younger generation, to the relevance of those gardens as repositories of knowledge and for conservation of plant species diversity. This approach also facilitates communication with the general public and access to historical data. On the other hand, bringing the garden to the desktop of researchers and managers can be an advantage, not only for an overview of the status quo but also in spatial planning matters. This paper describes the production of a 3D dynamic model of the Tropical Botanical Garden in Lisbon on top of a Geographic Information System (GIS). Its development included creating a spatial database to organise data originating from a variety of sources, the three-dimensional (3D) modelling of plants, buildings and statues, the creation of web pages with historic and contextual information, as well as the publication of a number of interactive 3D scenes. Several software packages were used, and the final outputs were published in ArcGIS Online to be explored by the public and researchers (link provided at the end of the text). The data are organised in a database, and most 3D modelling tasks are procedural through Computer Generated Architecture (CGA) rules. Thus, updating information or 3D models can be done without having to repeat all steps, an important feature for a dynamic botanical garden. Challenges and solutions are also addressed, providing a constructive contribution to the further implementation of similar experiences in other botanical gardens. According to a user survey carried out, the realism of the representation and the possibility of easily retrieving information from the objects are the most positive aspects of the project.http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/var/article/view/17629virtual model3d geographic information system (gis)lidar (light detection and ranging)procedural modellingcityenginetrees 3d modelling
spellingShingle Paula Redweik
Susana Reis
Maria Cristina Duarte
A digital botanical garden: using interactive 3D models for visitor experience enhancement and collection management
Virtual Archaeology Review
virtual model
3d geographic information system (gis)
lidar (light detection and ranging)
procedural modelling
cityengine
trees 3d modelling
title A digital botanical garden: using interactive 3D models for visitor experience enhancement and collection management
title_full A digital botanical garden: using interactive 3D models for visitor experience enhancement and collection management
title_fullStr A digital botanical garden: using interactive 3D models for visitor experience enhancement and collection management
title_full_unstemmed A digital botanical garden: using interactive 3D models for visitor experience enhancement and collection management
title_short A digital botanical garden: using interactive 3D models for visitor experience enhancement and collection management
title_sort digital botanical garden using interactive 3d models for visitor experience enhancement and collection management
topic virtual model
3d geographic information system (gis)
lidar (light detection and ranging)
procedural modelling
cityengine
trees 3d modelling
url http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/var/article/view/17629
work_keys_str_mv AT paularedweik adigitalbotanicalgardenusinginteractive3dmodelsforvisitorexperienceenhancementandcollectionmanagement
AT susanareis adigitalbotanicalgardenusinginteractive3dmodelsforvisitorexperienceenhancementandcollectionmanagement
AT mariacristinaduarte adigitalbotanicalgardenusinginteractive3dmodelsforvisitorexperienceenhancementandcollectionmanagement
AT paularedweik digitalbotanicalgardenusinginteractive3dmodelsforvisitorexperienceenhancementandcollectionmanagement
AT susanareis digitalbotanicalgardenusinginteractive3dmodelsforvisitorexperienceenhancementandcollectionmanagement
AT mariacristinaduarte digitalbotanicalgardenusinginteractive3dmodelsforvisitorexperienceenhancementandcollectionmanagement