eCorpus
eCorpus: An open-source 3D editing tool for researchers and curators
eCorpus allows users to store, annotate, and share a collection of 3D models. It utilizes DPO-Voyager as a 3D viewer and metadata editor and includes features such as a user rights management system and a modification history tracker.
The development of eCorpus was initiated within the framework of the eThesaurus consortium. The project focused on the digitization of six medieval goldsmithing works, preserved at the Sandelin Museum in Saint-Omer and the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille.
The development is jointly carried out by the University of Lille, the University of Liège, and the company Holusion.
Conservation, mediation, and dissemination of content
eCorpus allows for the dissemination of 3D objects and metadata in two different configurations.
- On one hand, integrating the Voyager viewer into a webpage or application llows for directly retrieving the latest version of the 3D object from the server based on its dissemination rights. This is the simplest method for presenting results on institutional websites, via email, or through mobile applications. The latest developments in Augmented Reality allow the object to be disseminated directly in this format through Apple's ARKit 8 or Android, without the need to install a third-party application.
- On the other hand, when an internet connection is not possible (such as in off-site installations), eCorpus allows for creating applications that work with a local database, previously exported from the online platform. This enables asynchronous work and the addition of data without an internet connection. The data must then be resynchronized by exporting it back.
Features of eCorpus
Full-featured
eCorpus allows you to directly link data to each 3D object through enriched annotations: title, abstract, and articles that may include multimedia content (videos, images, links, etc.).
You can then orchestrate this data, linked to your 3D objects, to create animated scenes (called "Tours"), ideal for showcasing your 3D objects in a museum or educational context. It also facilitates collaborative research through analysis and export tools.
Accessible via browser
The eCorpus software is fully accessible from any standard web browser. This means you can easily log in on any machine and showcase or even share your 3D object catalog by creating a new account for a third party.
Open yet secure
The application’s architecture operates through the deployment of independent instances, with databases that are compatible with each other but fully separate. Most use cases involve entities that already have a content management solution, and eCorpus data can be integrated into and searchable within it.
Open source
The results of the development are disseminated in an Open Source format, ensuring that the user is fully in control of their data and environment. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of an Open Source project is crucial to its success and dissemination. The availability of its documentation on a platform like GitHub and the regular activity of the development team, which is clearly identified, contribute to this success.
Structure
Each entry in the database has a data structure organized in a reference JSON file, with linked files (3D object, textures, articles, images, videos, etc.).
This organization provides great flexibility : the exported data can be used as-is, regardless of the server on which they are stored.
The scene description file allows for the management of models with multiple levels of detail (LOD) as well as the translation of various metadata.
Each entry in the database can therefore consist of an assembly of sub-elements, and each of these can contain multi-resolution models, offering optimized geometry loading on the client-side by limiting the loading of complex data based on its needs.
Digitization of objects
The digital models derived from photogrammetry contain information related to the geometry of the object in the form of a mesh, as well as information related to its visual appearance, as described in a PBR (Physically Based Rendering) model. This model defines the optical properties for each point on the object, including color, reflection, specularity, roughness, etc.
eCorpus is developed within a public-private ecosystem of heritage digitization specialists, forming a center of expertise in these activities. You can contact us to access resources or services from the University of Lille, the University of Liège, private companies, or partners, depending on your needs.
eCorpus and digitization techniques are also taught as part of Digital and Heritage modules at several universities.
Alternative models
They can be derived from non-photographic capture methods, such as invisible light or radiography, and therefore offer different visualizations of the model.
These 3D models also allow for the storage of data related to their animation. This step of storing movement information is crucial for mechanisms simulations, such as clocks, or for demonstrating complex assembly/disassembly processes.
Among the various export formats for mediation, eCorpus supports visualization on touchscreen tables, mobile tablets, holograms, and virtual and augmented reality devices. The eThesaurusdemonstrator, created by Holusion, enables the visualization of an export from an eCorpus database. The display is split across two screens:
- The transparent screen is dedicated to the visualization of 3D objects, animations, and concise annotations.
- Navigation is provided by a secondary screen, placed in front of the device. Touch control was chosen for its prevalence among users, who are accustomed to handling smartphones and tablets on a daily basis. On this screen, the user can also access textual information and supplementary media, such as photos and videos, included in the articles.