Latest Developments in Reality-Based 3D Surveying and Modelling

Reality-based 3D surveying and modelling is playing an important role in various domains and applications. They are protagonists in the documentation, preservation, and valorisation of Cultural Heritage but also in city planning, energy assessment and audit, territorial monitoring, hazard recording, etc.

Recent technological advances supported by the development of fast and efficient algorithms and computer power have enabled the gradual adoption of the above by almost all scientific communities, including Cultural Heritage experts. Consequently, it is always with great interest that the members of this community follow and study reports about this progress. Specialised forums on these very interesting and attractive topics, such as conferences, workshops, and summer schools, are always well attended by multi-disciplinary audiences.

This book originates from the ISPRS/CIPA Workshop, “3D-ARCH 2017 – 3D Virtual Reconstruction and Visualization of Complex Architectures”, which was held in March 2017 in Nafplio, Greece. The workshop’s main scope was to bring together scientists, developers, and advanced users in 3D surveying and data processing and to encourage cooperation and practice sharing in the various fields where 3D technologies are nowadays used. The workshop focused primarily on multi-source and multi-sensor approaches, low-cost sensors and open-source algorithms for terrestrial 3D modelling, automation in data registration, image matching and 3D reconstruction, point cloud analysis, 4D modelling, BIM/HBIM and procedural modelling, accuracy requirement and assessment in 3D reconstructions, 3D applications in terrestrial and underwater environments, Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) applied to the visualisation and conservation of complex architectures and heritage. The most exciting and innovative papers presented at the workshop were selected to be extended and included in this cornerstone collection.