The sepulchral chamber was recorded using the long-range laser system FARO s150.
CAPTURING REALITY SOFTWARE VS COLMAP SERIES
The scanner works by projecting a series of patterns in white light onto the surface of an object and then recording and interpreting the deformation to those patterns created by the three-dimensionality of the object. The Smartscan H5 white light scanner is a structured light triangulation scanner designed specifically for recording cultural heritage.
Two cameras were used for the recording: a 42 Mpx Sony ILCE-7RM2 and a 58 Mpx Canon 5DSR with 50 mm sigma lenses. When the processing software locates common points between images, a completely white surface can appear featureless to the software. The white, glossy marble surface challenged photogrammetry's usual efficiency. The greatest difficulty of this particular recording resulted from the material qualities of the marble, as well as from the size of the sepulchre. The process of obtaining 3D data from image pairs is known as photogrammetry. The images were processed and prepared to generate a 3D model. Over four days, a team from Factum Foundation captured over 2500 images of the sepulchre from different angles.
In May 2018, a team from Factum Foundation carried out the digitisation of Cardenal Tavera’s sepulchre in Toledo. By recording the sepulchre and then using 3D modelling software, Factum was able to accurately reintegrate missing areas and fix cracks to create a ‘restored’ digital model, which was rematerialised as individual facsimiles.Ī facsimile of the sepulchre of Cardinal Tavera is part of the exhibition display in the new Spanish Gallery at Bishop Auckland. The second phase involved the digital reconstruction parts of the ‘Virtues’. The resulting data will serve as a reference for the future restoration of the sepulchre, giving a precise description of its current state. The marble is an especially complex material for photogrammetric recording as it is glossy and featureless. The objective of the first phase was to record the sepulchre using different methods, including photogrammetry and structural white light 3D scanning. The white marble sepulchre was the final commission of the sculptor Alonso Berruguete – it was made in 1552 for the Hospital of San Juan Batista (better known as the Hospital Tavera) in Toledo, Spain. This project forms part of the wider restoration of Cardenal Tavera’s sepulchre and was conceived as a collaboration between Factum Foundation and the Fundación Casa Ducal de Medinaceli.