Content Expert for virtual museums. Introduction This e-course is organized through Training Unit...

Content Expert for virtual museums

Introduction

This e-course is organized through Training Unit able to be Capitalized (TUC) which can be segmented into Didactic Unit (D.U.) and Learning Object (L.O).In order to understand the ratio behind the organization of this e-course those, notice that:

each T.U.C. involves several educational goals, which sum up to the basic skills of a web-designer for virtual museums; each D.U. discusses one single educational goal through several topics; each L.O identifies one single topic. All L.O together compose the whole e-course.

TUC 2

• LO 2.1 Contents and utilities

• LO 3.1 Basic Elements for the Creation of Interactiveand Dynamic Websites

• LO 3.2 Databases

• LO 3.3 The relational model

• LO 3.4 Management Systems of Relational Databases

DU 1:

Virtual museums: why?

TUC 2

DU 2:

Description of MU.S.EU.M. Identity Card

DU 3:

The database: hints

• LO 1.1: Virtual museum: objectives and characteristics

• LO 1.2: Personalisation of the virtual museum and accessibility

DU 4:

Internet and virtual museums

• LO 4.1 The Publication of Data on the Internet

• LO 4.2 3D Software Object Modeller

• LO 4.3 VR Worx 2.5

• LO 4.4 PhotoModeler

• LO 4.5 Pixmaker PRO

DU 1 Virtual museums: why?

This D.U. is crucial for the whole training. It is aimed at the main

characteristics and advantages of virtual museums with particular

emphasis on the possibility to attract a larger interest through friendly and

pro-active visits.

L 0 1.1Abstract Virtual museum: objectives and characteristics

The virtual museum consists of an organized collection of electronic artifacts and informational resources. The collection might be composed of pictures, diagrams, graphics, video clips, articles, numerical databases and other items which can be stored in the virtual museum. In addition, access may be gained to some of the main art-resources collected in most important museums around the world.

A separating line may be drawn between two virtual museums types:

• cultural museums – are built for educational purposes. They offer opportunities for deep researches and explorations about art-resources around the world. This service is mostly user-oriented.

• commercial museums – are usually aimed at the advertisement of art-resources stored in existing museums around the world. This service is museum-oriented.

L 0 1.2Abstract Personalisation of the virtual museum

and accessibility

E-services, unlike physical services are characterised by their configurability to customise the service towards the precise demands of the individual. In this sense, e-services mirror the mass customisation processes currently enjoying success in manufacturing.

In a virtual museum, instead of a curator dictating a route and points of interest, the virtual visitor is able to prescribe his/her own tour and to choose a deeper interrogation of those artefacts of most interest. In short visitors can create on own exhibition, emphasising those multimedia modalities they prefer.

From this viewpoint, museums shift from supply-driven to becoming demand-led, from categorising potential visitors into sets towards individual customisation and from generic marketing to one-to-one viral marketing.

L 0 1.2Abstract

Personalisation of the virtual museum and accessibility

Of course, patterns of usage tend to occur in all e-services whether the result of habit or predispositions to particular areas of interest or modalities of delivery. Cherri, Paternò and Piras ( from 2003) in the Museum of Carrara, suggest that visitors often fall into one of three sets: experts, tourists and children. It may be useful to hypothesise how each of these targets may use a virtual museum.

• Experts may particular wish to use tools supporting thematic and trans-disciplinary searches, coupled to 3D applications and digital reconstruction: a high degree of configurability and informed choice.

• Tourists (who are not experts) may prefer a recommend table d’hote rather than al a carte and prefer limited configurability: more intuitive choices using readily understood narratives explaining the context of artefacts.

• Children (some of whom may be experts and/or tourists) may prefer edutaiment or chatbox modalities, or exhibitions featuring games designed to stimulate curiosity.

L 0 1.2Case studies

Issues on virtual museums’ targets

a) COMPASS – Database of British Museum

Children’s COMPASS uses a search engine designed for children, which is both easy to use and attractive (Alfred the Lion guides children through the site). Apart from the children’s tours and the articles written for 7-11 year old pupils, there are also classroom activities and quizzes, as well as an Ask the Expert facility. The online tours are specially written to cover topics from the UK National Curriculum, including Literacy, Numeracy, Science and Art as well as History. There are also examples of children’s work, online animations, games and puzzles, web links and reading lists. In addition to the online tours, there is also a Search engine that allows children to look for information from the following areas: Africa, the Americas, Anglo-Saxon England, Asia, Ancient Egypt, Europe, Ancient Greece and Roman Britain.

L 0 1.2Case studies

Children’s COMPASS was planned so that children with disabilities could use it as well. The worksheets have a set of teaching suggestions for how they may be adapted, both for children with learning difficulties, as well as for those who need extension activities.

For those with reading difficulties, there is software available for reading the text on children’s COMPASS aloud.

The site has been designed and evaluated by the New Media Unit at the British Museum, in consultation with local primary schools and with the advice and assistance of the Museum Education Department.

Issues on virtual museums’ targets

L 0 1.2Case studies Issues on virtual museums’ targets

b) Tate Galleries

The website can serve as a tool for public education both in schools and at home. The Tate Learning section includes the following categories: kids and family (with games, activities and inspiration for kids), schools and teachers, young Tate (new perspectives about modern and contemporary art for teenagers and young people), independent learning, community groups and outreach.

The section is home to an active academic program that supports students of all ages and areas for educators, teachers, artist and many others. For educators and students, there are a number of, in-service programs, games, classroom activities, The Schools Online section contains a wealth of material, including photographic and documentary sources for teachers. It is designed to help educators to use the Internet to support the teaching of the most significant elements of history of art. Tate Online launched a number of online courses, providing users with an introduction to modern art.

Expositions imaginairesLouvre

Louis Lacaze: Reconstruction of the room dedicated to his collection Discover a 3D modelization of the La Caze room – now the Bronzes room, Sully

wing, first floor, room 32 – as it was in 1913, when it housed 177 paintings by masters such as Rembrandt, Chardin or Watteau, from the prestigious collection bequeathed by La Caze to the Louvre.

3D imaginary exhibition: Jean-Honoré Fragonard This imaginary exhibition is a tribute to Fragonard, one of the greatest French

painters of the 18th century, and also one of the first curators of the Musée du Louvre.

The south church at Bawit in 3D This virtual visit to the Bawit monastery takes us back in time to ancient Coptic

Egypt in the first millennium of the Christian era. This imaginary exhibition presents the elements that were found during the site excavations and features a reconstruction of the church as archaeologists imagine it was in the 7th century AD.

DU 2 Description of MU.S.EU.M. Identity Card

This D.U. explains basic aspects of the standard record for cataloguing as created through M.U.S.E.U.M. The training programmer of this unit is particularly meaningful since, for the first time, 7 European museums agreed on basic criteria for the identification of the identikit card.

The objectives of this D.U. are:

• to apprehend classificatory rules for the M.U.S.E.U.M. objects;

• to be able to identify the communicative value of each cultural resource;

• to be able to schedule training paths for specific categories of visitors.

LO 2.1Abstract Contents and utilities

“MU.S.EU.M. Identity Card” resulted after presenting a template to all project partners and asking for their opinions and suggestions. This Identity Card can be filled in by every partner, regardless of the recording system they use at the moment.

Some of these data are absolutely necessary and could be filled in from the primary records of each partner museum. They have been selected in the data fill-in form from the European Virtual Museum website – Figure 2 (www.europeanvirtualmuseum.it).

The special and/or complementary data, which could be inserted as far as they exist or in the course of research, have Arabic numerals attached when they appear in the fields of the Identity card. These could be added in a website that can be accessed by anyone on the Internet.

Taken as a whole, the Identity card, i.e. the fields comprised here, is comprehensive enough to store, if necessary, other general or detailed data. Further on, there are the basic elements necessary to create dynamic and interactive websites, starting from the system analysis of the contents of the MU.S.EU.M. Identity Card.

LO 2.1Detail The M.U.S.E.U.M Identity Card

The final content of the Identity Card is presented in Figure 1.

This is the mask to compile, how it appears to users. The models of compilation are two: a) a synthetic model with essential data; b) an analytical one with all data of identity card.

LO 2.1Practice

Apply to a specific object from your museum - not classified yet – the MU.SE.U.M. IDENTITY CARD as reported in the next page.

MU.SE.U.M. IDENTITY CARD

Image 1(whole object)

Image 2(significant detail)

Drawing

The M.U.S.E.U.M Identity Card

LO 2.1Practice The M.U.S.E.U.M Identity Card

MUSEUM, DEPARTMENT:

NAME OF THE ARTEFACT:INVENTORY NUMBER:OBJECT TYPE10:-Human figurine-Animal figurine-Vessel -Other


DISCOVERY PLACE AND DATEDateMATERIAL/ALLOY3:METHOD OF MANUFACTURE:

CountryAdditional Material4:

DistrictDIMENSIONS

Town hall affiliationLength:Width:Heigth:Thickness:Diameter:Weight:ANALOGIES11 (200 words)


VillageDESCRIPTION OF THE OBJECT5 (200 – 400 words)

Discovery Findspot

DISCOVERY CONTEXT:-Chance discovery -Survey -Archaeological excavation-Unknown DECORATION6 (200 – 300 words)

(no decoration ; incision ; excision ; application in relief )


INSCRIPTION (100 words)7

DISTINCTIVE MARKVideo-audio-textual documentation12:-Paintings, drawings, photographs-Recordings-Transcripts of interviews-Links to information resources and databases around the world

DISCOVERY TYPE:-Household-Sanctuary-Other INTERPRETATION8 (200 – 400 words)

-


CULTURAL FRAMINGAge/PeriodMU.S.EU.M. THEMATIC ROUTES9:-Amulets and magic items (AM)-Human figure (HF)-Animal Imago (AI)-Other-

Culture/Complex/Group

Phase/Cultural stage

Absolute chronology

PRESERVATION STATE(very good ; good ; poor )

RESTORATION(restored ; not restored )


COMPLETENESS(complete ; almost complete; incomplete)

ANALYSES – DETERMINATIONSAnalysis Type:Laboratory:No./Code:BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES2:-Author-Title-Periodical-Volume-Tome

-Publishing House-Place-Year-Page-Figure

-Plate-Table-ISBN-ISSN


Other resourcesFILLED IN BY:-Name-Institution-Date

Figure 1

DU 3 The database: hints

This D.U. gives to the Content Expert basic information about the characteristics of relational databases by which virtual museums can be constructed. The main objective consists of making the Content Expert able to understand the main technological requirements behind the relational database and to make him/her able to communicate profitably with the web-designer.

Then, objectives might be worthily formalized as follows:

• to improve the communication with the web-designer who is the one entitled to data uploading;

• to know the basic structure of the database and how to elaborate queries.

LO 3.1Abstract Basic Elements for the Creation of Interactive

and Dynamic Websites

In the development of the European Virtual Museum the use of a RDBMS (Relational DataBase Management System) is compulsory, due to the complexity of data necessary for the complete description of objects it contains and also due to the need for the information to be always updated by specialists of museums.

The existence of such RDBMS Databases allows the registration of all general and special information referring to objects presently suggested by partners (museums, research institutes etc.) or completed step by step. Moreover, these databases together with the multimedia files can offer supplementary packages of special information referring to other archaeological objects; research and archaeological sites in the area; museums or general or specialized museum collections; historical monuments and / or special cultural objects; useful data and addresses for transportation, accommodation, and visitation of cultural and tourist objectives; virtual shop (reproductions/copies).

LO 3.2Abstract Databases

The models and techniques of organizing databases have developed in such a way that they satisfy the needs of users to have a faster and easier access to a larger amount of information.

Shortly, the concept of a database can be defined as being one or more collections of interdependent organized data, together with the description of the data and the relation between them.

Relational databases refer to a collection of data, structured as tables called relations. The term “relational” comes from the fact that each registration in the database contains information referring to a single subject. Moreover, the data organized in categories of information can be manoeuvred by a single entity, based on values of associated data.

LO 3.2Detail Main objectives of a Databases

In the following box main database objectives are reported.

a) Centralization of data

b) Independence between data and application programmes

c) The possibility of connecting data entities

d) The integrity of data

e) Security of data

f) The confidentiality of data

g) The division of data

LO 3.2Practice Fundamental objectives of a Databases

In the following box some database objectives are reported. Indicate main advantages in the right column.

RDBMS advantages Weight Explain

dynamic web-editing

on-line query and data management

data access through browsers

customize websites

on-line protection

compatibility with any browser

minimize website traffic

For a better understanding of this topic, associate “weights” to each of the RDBMS advantages reported below. Use (*), (**) and (***) in order to indicate low, medium and high relevance respectively. Explains the main rationale behind your choice in the last column. Finally, discuss your choices with your colleagues.

LO 3.3Abstract The relational model

The data and relations are explicitly represented, using a logical structure called relation. On the other hand, the relational model was mathematically defined, providing a modern means of studying the logical properties of a database system.

The components of the relational model are:• the relational structure of data.• the operators of the relational model.• integrity restrictions of the relational model.

LO 3.3Detail Story of relational model

The relational model was defined and published for the first time in 1970 by Dr. Edgar F. Codd, a researcher at the IBM laboratories from San Jose (California), who published his works referring to the relational model for databases.

This relational model has the advantage that it allows the designer of the database to study the properties of the managing system of the database without being forced to implement it. The theoretical fundament of this kind of a database is represented by the mathematical theory of relations.

One of the main characteristics of the relational model is its simplicity and strictness from a theoretical point of view, a fact that placed it before other models, being adopted within the last decade by the majority of researchers and programmers in the field.

LO 3.3Case studies Tate Gallery’s website

The mission of the Tate Gallery’s website is to foster within society an awareness, understanding and involvement in the visual arts through policies and programmes which are excellent, innovative and inclusive.

This website was created to facilitate access to information about history of art. Tate Online is the UK's most popular art website and it has, over the last years, won two BAFTAs, for online content and for innovation. In 2002 the site won both a prestigious BAFTA award for i-Map and the first ever “London Tourism Award for Best Website”. Then, in 2003, the Tate Gallery’s website was awarded a second BAFTA, for the “Best Online Factual site”.

The Tate Collection consists of over 65,000 works of art encompassing the national collection of historic British art from 1500, and the national collection of international modern art. As part of its digital activities, Tate has launched a long-term programme to provide greater access to the collection beyond the gallery walls. Tate has succeeded to complete the online displays of some of its strongest holdings.


Every item in the collection has its own information page and the majority are illustrated. Almost all available works in the Tate Collection have by now been captured, including the following main categories:

• over 4,000 works in the national collection of British paintings dating from the sixteenth century to now;

• over 1,500 sculptures from the late nineteenth century to the present day;

• over 11,000 prints of all periods, including the nation's foremost study collection of modern British prints;

• over 8,000 works on paper from all periods, including the magnificent Oppé Collection of historic English watercolours and an extensive group of 20th Century items;

• the Turner watercolours with over 6,500 items, mainly from the Turner Bequest (the Turner Bequest comprises nearly 300 oil paintings and around 30,000 sketches and watercolours);

• the Turner sketches with over 25,000 studies, pencil drawings and sketchbook pages.


The subject index allows users to see different interpretations of the same subject, which in a collection as heterogeneous as Tate’s frequently joins very different items, which might never otherwise be seen together. The search engine includes:

the simple search provides searching about artist name and work title;

the advanced search: artist name, work title, object type (block for printing; installation, on paper, print; on paper, unique; painting; relief; sculpture), on display, accession no, artist birth date, work date;

the subject search with 16 categories: group/movement; abstraction; architecture; emotion, concepts and ideas; history; interiors; leisure and pastimes; literature and fiction; nature; objects; people; places; religion and belief; society; symbols and personifications and work and occupations arranged in checkboxes;


each category comprises few groups (between 2 and 20); for example the architecture category includes: agricultural

architecture, bridges and viaducts, features, garden structures, industrial architecture, military, monuments, periods and styles, places of entertainment, public and municipal architecture, religious, residential, ruins, townscapes, man-made features;

a saved search feature.

LO 3.4Abstract Management Systems of Relational Databases

In order to reach the objectives for which it was created, a database must have an associated system of data management, which is the software of the database. Through the system of data management the following activities can be accomplished:

defining the structure of the database (organizing data in tables and their connection);

introducing and modifying data; fast access to data through different types of queries; presentation of data as reports (listed on the screen or printed) in

which the data resulted from queries are summarized; security of data;

The main RDBMS which are the basis of dynamic and interactive Web pages:

• Oracle (www.oracle.com• Microsoft SQL Server (www.microsoft.com/sql/)• Microsoft Access (www.office.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx• MySQL (www.mysql.com)

DU 4 Internet and virtual museums

This D.U. gives to the Content Expert basic information about the characteristics of relational databases by which virtual museums can be constructed. The main objective consists of making the Content Expert able to understand the main technological requirements behind the relational database and to make him/her able to communicate profitably with the web-designer.

In particular, we focus on image uploading for the virtual museum. Images and graphics are a fundamental source of communication. 2D and especially 3D graphics are quickly becoming an integral part of dynamic, interactive web sites. Following is a description of some 3D graphics software currently available.

The two objectives can be formalized as follows:

• to improve the communication with the web-designer who’s the one entitled to data uploading;

• to apprehend how uploading information and images on the website.

L 0 4.1Abstract The Publication of Data on the Internet

For the creation of the Web site of the European Virtual Museum, the M.U.S.E.U.M. project used Microsoft Active Server Pages technology. Further on we are going to introduce the main elements that are part of this technology.

HyperText Markup Language (HTML). One of the first fundamental elements of the WWW (World Wide Web) is HTML (HyperText Markup Language), a standard which describes the primary format in which the documents are being distributed and seen on the WEB. Many of its features, as the independence of the platform, the structuring of formatting and the hypertext connections, make it a very good format for documents published on the Internet.

Active Server Pages (ASP) is a powerful instrument developed by Microsoft. An ASP file may contain text, HTML tags (markers) and scripts. The scripts in an ASP file will be executed by the server through IIS (Internet Information Server) which is part of Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0 (Option Pack) or PWS (Personal Web Server) in Windows 95-98.

L 0 4.1Abstract The Publication of Data on the Internet

ActiveX Data Objects (ADO). It is used to access a database through a WEB page. It was created by Microsoft and it is automatically installed at the same time with Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Server) package.

Structured Query Language (SQL). It is an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard language used for the querying of MS Access, MS SQL Server, DB2, Informix, Oracle, Sybase databases etc. With the help of SQL we can make selection or action queries (adding, deleting and modifying registrations) upon databases.

JavaScript. It is a programming language for WEB pages. It is used in many sites for improving their design, for the validation of some forms etc. It has been developed by Netscape and it is the most popular script language for the Internet. It is recognized by all popular browsers (navigators) from version 3.0 and more.

The complete description of the Active Server Pages technology, and not only, can be found at www.w3school.com

L 0 4.1Case studies COMPASS, the Database of British Museum

COMPASS (Collections Multimedia Public Access System), first launched on the web in June 2000 (www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/index.htlm), is an online database featuring around 5,000 objects chosen by curators to reflect the extraordinary range of the British Museum’s collection. The database has versions for both adults and children. Apart from the web, COMPASS, the Museum’s multimedia object database, is free to use and available to all Museum visitors on touch screens in the Reading Room. For each object, there is a short article written by a specialist and high quality images that can be enlarged and studied in detail. COMPASS was designed for easy browsing and there are links between objects, background information, as well as suggestions for further reading.

The “main” COMPASS is very well organized and the search page has several facilities. Apart from the index search, users can also search for Places and Dates (information about objects from a particular place and time), and Galleries (information about some of the objects that are on display in any gallery in the British Museum). Furthermore, there are many useful links and background information about some of the object in the Museum. There may be articles about cultures, historical periods, specific places, archaeological sites, people, types of object, materials or techniques, as well as a number of images, such as maps or photographs.


Apart for the fact that each object featured is illustrated with high quality scalable images for detailed study, there is also plenty of information about the objects, as well as references and links to related objects. The database was designed for the general visitor and thus the information has been written accordingly. Therefore, technical terms are explained in glossary links and if one is interested in learning more about an item, most of the articles give references to books written or recommended by the Museum’s curators.

The website is very accessible and users have the possibility to change the text size, style, colour and background colour. There is also a full text-only version of the COMPASS, which has been designed to ensure that the database is fully accessible with screen readers and speech synthesisers used by people with visual impairments (a link to the text-only version can be found nearly every page of the site). Thus, COMPASS was one of the six UK websites that were presented in December 2002 with Visionary Design Awards for their outstanding efforts in ensuring their websites are accessible to visually impaired people. These awards are part of a campaign by the National Library for the Blind to encourage website publishers and designers to consider access technology such as magnification, text-to-speech and refreshable Braille when they are designing their sites.


There was a complex team working on the COMPASS website: a Project Manager (the head of the New Media), a Content Manager (responsible for the content on the site), an Imaging Manager (responsible for the images on the site), a Creative Editor (responsible for all the text), a Design Manager (responsible for the design of the site), an Access Officer (responsible for all access issues for the site), an Education editor (responsible for the editorial content on the children’s COMPASS site), an Imaging Assistant (helping the Imaging Manager and also HYML coding for some pages), a Support Officer (administration for COMPASS project), and I.S. Support (providing IT support for the project, though not full time on COMPASS alone). In addition, there were also Editorial Assistants to help with editing the text. The object texts/articles were written by curators and freelancers. A number of interns who worked for fixed periods of time (usually to compliment their studies) also contributed to the creation of this website. The technology for the site and delivering it to the web was provided by a company called System Simulation Ltd. ( www.ssl.co.uk ). COMPASS uses their Index+ database software to create and manage the COMPASS content and to deliver it on the web and on the terminals in the Museum. System Simulation Ltd. worked closely with the COMPASS team and supplied the software architecture for the COMPASS project.

L 0 4.2Abstract 3D Software Object Modeller

3DSOM from Creative Dimension Software Ltd. is a fast, cost-effective software tool for generating photo-realistic 3D models from images of real objects, based on technology originally developed by Canon. With the 3DSOM Viewer Java applet, interactive plugin-free 3D content can easily be created for compelling e-commerce sites, eye-catching internet advertising, online museum exhibitions, and more. A fully customised 3D modelling service is also available delivering high quality multimedia content for CD marketing campaigns, exhibitions, education, digital product brochures and streaming over the internet.

Version 2.1 of 3DSOM Pro is a major new release with numerous bug fixes and improvements. You can now import and export data in several new formats including our unique 3D Flash and Java based web formats.

For further information: www.3dsom.com

L 0 3.2Detail 3D Software Object Modeller

System Requirements

3DSOM runs under Windows XP (Home or Professional Editions) or Windows 2000. Although it is possible to run under a Windows emulator on a Macintosh, this is not recommended, as intensive processing is required.

Recommended specs for a PC: CPU x86 compatible, PC/AT compliant Pentium 3 or 4 is preferable 32-bit graphics card with OpenGL support Monitor resolution 1024x768 minimum (small system fonts) Physical RAM: 128MB minimum, 256MB recommended Mouse and Keyboard

L 0 4.3Abstract VR Worx 2.6

QuickTime Virtual Reality is an extension of the QuickTime technology developed by Apple Computer, Inc. that allows viewers to interactively explore and examine photo realistic, three-dimensional, virtual world. Unlike many other virtual reality systems, QuickTime VR does not require the viewer to wear goggles, a helmet or gloves. Instead, the viewer navigates in a virtual world using conventional computer input devices (such as the mouse, trackball, track pad or keyboard) to change the displayed image via the QuickTime VR movie controller.

The VR Worx™ is the award-winning suite of VR authoring tools for QuickTime™. The latest version, The VR Worx 2.6 Engineered for Mac OS™ X and Microsoft Windows™ XP, with a new streamlined

and simplified user interface, it delivers powerful technology along

with fresh advancements to its famous feature/function set.

The ultimate in QuickTime VR for the most discriminating user.

(Coming Soon - Microsoft Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard updates!)

L 0 4.3Abstract VR Worx 2.6

Version 2.6 has the ability to create an object movies with a panoramic movie as a moving background. And v2.6 has the capacity for transitions within a multi-node scene, like standard wipes, dissolves, explodes, and others, as well as actual linear video as a transition. The VR Worx 2.6 can construct multinode environments with cylindrical panoramas, Cubic VRs, multi-row objects, absolute objects, still images

and linear QuickTime movies.

For further information: www.vrtoolbox.com

L 0 4.3Detail VR Worx 2.6

System Requirements for Macintosh

Power PC (or compatible)

Mac OS X 10.2 to 10.5

QuickTime 6 or later

512 MB RAM

System Requirements for PC

Pentium Class PC (or compatible)

Windows ME, 2000, XP

(not Microsoft Windows VISTA compatible)

DirectX 9

QuickTime 6 or later

512 MB RAM

L0 4.4Abstract PhotoModeler

PhotoModeler is a powerful 3D software product that calculates measurements and constructs 3D models from your photographs simply and easily.

PhotoModeler is used by professionals around the world to:

Create "as-built" drawings and measurements for process and plant engineers

Measure accident and crime scenes for forensic analysts

Create "as-found" and "as-built" drawings for architects and historic preservationists

Model sets, objects, people and vehicles for animators and film/video producers

L0 4.4Abstract PhotoModeler

Measure and create drawings of buildings, excavations & artefacts for archaeologists

Measure and model anatomical morphology for anthropologists and medical practitioners

Reverse-engineer mechanical parts and assemblies for manufacturing engineers

Survey complex 3D shapes, structures and volumes for civil engineers and surveyors

Model objects for 3D databases for virtual reality builders

L0 4.4Detail PhotoModeler

System Requirements

PhotoModeler runs on Windows NT 4.0 (SP6), 2000, and XP. The minimum system requirements are 800 Mhz Pentium, 128MB RAM, 100MB hard disk space, CD-ROM drive (4X+), 800X600 screen with 32,000 colours and sound hardware for the video tutorials. [Pro 5 will run on Windows 98 and Me but these legacy systems tend to have more video and interface driver problems - on some machines PM Pro 5 runs without problems and on others there might be issues.

International copies of PhotoModeler may include a parallel port hardware lock. To create your own models, a method of capturing images is required, such as a digital camera, scanner, or video capture board.

On the web site are PhotoModeler 6.2.2 Free Upgrade

For further information: www.photomodeler.com

L0 4.5Abstract Pixmaker PRO

Following the simple 3 steps of Snap, Stitch, Publish!™ in PixMaker 1.0, PixMaker Pro enables you to create 360° interactive PixAround content complete with Hotspots efficiently with customization options for Hotspot, Postcard and Web pages via its proven friendly, intuitive and easy-to-use graphical user interface.

PixAround Scenes can be published online as Web pages, offline as Postcards, Screen Savers, PowerPoint® presentations; and onto mobile devices based on both Palm OS® and Windows® CE. You can create as many PixAround Scenes, Web pages, Postcards and Presentations as you wish at no additional cost. No additional software or browser plug-ins are not required for viewing the PixAround content.

L0 4.5Detail Pixmaker PRO

Supported Formats•Image files - JPEG (.jpg), Bitmap (.bmp), Photo CD (.pcd), Tagged Image file (.tif), Portable Network Graphics (.png) •URL files - HTML (.htm, .html), Server side (.shtm, .shtml, .stm)•Video* files - MPEG (.mpeg, .mpg, .m1v, .mp2), AVI (.avi, .wmv), QuickTime (.mov, .qt), Flash (.swf), RealMedia (.ra, .ram, .rm, .rmj) •Audio* files - Audio (.wav, .snd, .au, .aif, .aifc, .wma), MIDI (.mid, .rmi, .midi), MP3 (.mp3), RealMedia (.ra, .ram, .rm, .rmj)

Minimum system requirements•Windows® 98 Second Edition, 2000, Millennium Edition, XP •333 MHz Intel/AMD Processor •128 MB RAM •50 MB available hard drive space•Video display capable of 800 x 600 pixels or higher with 65,535 colors

L0 4.5Detail Pixmaker PRO

Pixmaker Lite

Optimum system requirements Pixmaker Pro•Windows® 98 Second Edition, 2000, Millennium Edition, XP •650 MHz Intel/AMD Processor or higher •256 MB RAM or more •50 MB available hard drive space •Video display capable of 1024 x 768 pixels or higher with 16 million colors

Pixmaker Lite Recommended system configuration * Windows® 95, 98 2000 or NT 4.0 Service Pack 5 * Pentium® II 333 or faster * 128 MB RAM * 200 MB or more free hard disk space * Video display capable of 800 x 600 pixels or higher with 16 million colors:

For further information: http://web.singnet.com.sg/pixaround/index.html

Content Expert for virtual museums. Introduction This e-course is organized through Training Unit...

Documents

Transcript of Content Expert for virtual museums. Introduction This e-course is organized through Training Unit...