5/99 Vol. 11

COMPUTER GRAPHIK

Computer Graphics Reports on

SOFTCIENCIAS _ Technolo ies for

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Contents »SOFTCIENCIAS«INI-GraphicsNet Technologies for teaching 6

9Main Core Competencies Main Application Domains Services to SMEs - Animation - Architecture, Interior

Augmented Reality decoration, design Virtual Environment of Computer Supported Bank and insurancebusiness Water Molecules for Learning Cooperative Work (Csew) Biotechnology .and Teaching Science 12 Computer Vision Car construction, air and Data Exchange space travel

CP-Directorio ­Graphical Information Sys­ Chemical and pharmaceu­An Intranet-Based Resource Management

tems (GIS) tical industry Environment for Portuguese Railways 16 Graphical User Interface Consulting Human Computer Education and training Courseware for Telework Training 19Interaction (HCI) Entertainment Imaging - Facility managment

Multimedia Kiosks and theImage Processing - Marketing and advertising Ancient Times: an ArchaeologicalInternet, Intranet - Mechanical engineering

I*net-based Learning - Medicine and medical Reconstruction and History of and Training technologies Braga's Cathedral 21 Mobile Computing - Microelectronics Modeling - Mobile information sys- The Cardiac Workstation ­Multi/Hyper Media tems A Vision for Advanced Diagnosis Multimedia Data Bases - Onlineservices and Support in Cardiology 23 Networking, new media Telecommunication Pollution control COBWEB Content-based Image Neuronal Nets and Printmachines Retrieval on the Web 26 Evolutionary Algorithms Public administration DO-Framework and Publishing trade Collaborative Augmented Reality 27Compound Document - Ship construction Architecture - Social and public

Reconstructing 3D models of- Perceptual Computing health,support of older Real-World Objects from Range- Printing & Publishing and disabled persons

- Product Data Technology - Software industry Data and Color Images 28 (PDT) - Technology transfer

- Radiosity & Raytracing - Telecommunication, InViVo-Brachy: - Secure Image networking and A System for Navigation in Brachytherapy

Communication service providers Cancer Treatment 31 - Simulation - Telematics - Telework, Telecooperation, - Telework Technologies ERSO -

Telelearning - T.V. Stations Acquisition, Reconstruction and Simulation - Video Computing - Tourism of Real World Objects 33 - Visual Computing - Transport and Traffic - Virtual Reality - Visualization

Computer Graphics ZGDV Seminars 2 is the technology with wich puter graphics« also implies the pictures - in the general sen­ computer-aided intergration and

Editorial 4 se (synthetic graphics as well handling of these pictures syn­as grayscale and color images) - chronized with other data types; are generated or acquired, man­ e.g., audio, text and video (multi­aged, displayed, and processed media systems), the advanced in an application-oriented man­ dialogue techniques associated ner by means of computers, and with these data types and their with which pictures are also communication and transfer over correlated with non-graphical networks. application data. The term »com-

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CG topics 5/99 21

Multimedia Kiosks and the Ancient Times:an Archaeological Reconstruction and History of Braga’s Cathedral

Paulo Bernardes, Luis Fontes, Dr. Adérito Marcos

IntroductionBetween 1996 and 1998, overmore than two years, the Archae-ological Unit of the University ofMinho (UAUM) carried outarchaeological rescue work in theinterior of Braga’s Cathedral incollaboration with the Office ofArchaeology of Braga’s TownCouncil and the Regional Museumof Archaeology D. Diogo deSousa.

This project was sponsored bythe Portuguese Institute for Archi-tectonic Heritage (IPPAR-InstitutoPortuguês do Património Arqui-tectónico).

The archaeological richness ofBraga’s sub-soil is very well knownand although good results wereexpected from the very begin-ning, the discoveries exceeded allexpectations.

Effectively, the archaeologicalrescue permitted an identificationof important remains related bothto the roman town of BracaraAugusta and the history of theCathedral’s architecture and itsprevious buildings, from theupper Middle Age to our days.

Multimedia Kiosks and the PastThe Multimedia Lab. of theUAUM, the CCG/ZGDV, and theDept. of Information Systems ofthe University of Minho atGuimarães, joined forces to devel-op the prototype of a MultimediaKiosk that operates as an informa-tion pool concerning the historyof the Cathedral based on thedata of the archaeological excava-tion. This demonstrator presentsthe main evolution stages of theCathedral of Braga and its preced-ing buildings in a regressive read-ing and by an animation of three-dimensional models showing thearchitectonic evolution.

This unique Multimedia Kioskhas been designed along threemain levels of information:– Excavated Places;– Regressive Reading;– Visit to the Contemporary

Monument.

Excavated PlacesAt this level of information, thevisitor is able to explore the threemain areas (cf. Figure 1) wherethe excavations took place. For

German abstract

Ein vom CCG, in Kooperation mitder Unidade de Arqueologia daUniversidade do Minho – UAUM(Portugal), entwickelter Multime-dia Kiosk präsentiert auf mehrerenthematischen Ebenen die Kathe-drale und die mit ihr verbundenenarchäologischen Ausgrabungen.Zu jeder Ausgrabungsstätte ist derFortgang der archäologischenArbeiten durch kurze Textbe-schreibungen, Fotografien undZeichnungen dokumentiert. EinModell der Kathedrale lädt zueinem virtuellen Rundgang ein.Ziel der Präsentation ist es, nichtnur Finanzmittel für die Fort-führung der archäologischenArbeiten einzuwerben bzw. dasInteresse potentieller Sponsorenzu wecken, aber auch den Besu-chern der Kathedrale eine bessereund interessantere Übersicht derGeschichte des Gebäudes zugeben.

Figure 1: Excavated Places

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each excavation point there is ashort text describing the workthat was carried out, togetherwith photographs and drawings.Especially in the drawings, differ-ent layers of information thatrepresent the different stages ofevolution, are visible. Both thephotographs and the drawingscan be zoomed in for better anal-yses and understanding.

Regressive ReadingThe interpretation of the findingsperformed by the archaeologistsenables a regressive reading ateach excavation area. As we cansee in figure 2, each stage alsohas text and some photographsexplaining the main transforma-tions that occurred over the cen-turies.

Furthermore, it is possible tovisualize an animation sketch at

those points where the evolutionof the marks succeed in a regres-sive way over the time: the build-ing is decomposed successivelyinto the original structure back tothe 1st century AD. Different col-ors represent different evolutionstages, and the three-dimensionalmodel was generated in verystrict obedience to the color-codefor a better understanding of thebuilding’s evolution (cf. Figure 3).

Visit to the contemporary Monu-mentAt this level, the visitor can makea tour through today’s Cathedral.More than merely giving informa-tion on the archaeological finds,the main idea behind this is todrive public interest to the cur-rent architectonic and historicrichness of the Braga’s Cathedral.

About Kiosk-SystemsOne of the application branchesof the Kiosk-Systems is the estab-lishment of a Point-Of-Informa-tion (POS), as the prominent goalis to keep some specific informa-tion available and accessiblethrough highly expressive multi-media means.

An intuitive, customer-orienteddesign of user interfaces is thekey to success of any kiosk system.In addition to familiar multimediasystems, specific WWW-basedinterfaces are used, which inte-grate the communication require-ments in an ideal manner. If nec-essary, these systems can be multi-lingual.

The Multimedia Kiosk for theCathedral of Braga integratesmost of these requirements. Itwas developed as an autonomousmultimedia system, able to recov-er from crashes and providing ahigh level of interactivity. Themultimedia environment inte-grates text, graphics and videoand specific sequences of musicthat try to recreate the auditoryenvironment of the differentepochs. The system aims to becomprehensive for the ordinarycitizen. It presents the archaeo-logical information not only forthe specialists (archaeologists, his-torians and architects), but alsofor the daily visitors of the Monu-ment. It can be seen as a way ofdemocratizing the general accessto the archaeological and histori-cal information of this uniquebuilding.

Project Partners– Unidade de Arqueologia da

Universidade do Minho –UAUM, Braga, Portugal

– Dep. de Sistemas de Infor-mação da Universidade doMinho, Guimarães, Portugal

Points of contactDr. Adérito Fernandes MarcosCCG, Coimbra, PortugalEmail: marcos@ccg.uc.pt

Paulo BernardesUAUM, Braga, PortugalEmail: pbernardes@uaum.uminho.pt

Figure 2: Regres-sive Reading

Figure 3: 3D Model