<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> In the last few years, the evolution of acquisition techniques allowed to acquire reality-based models increasing accurate and rich of information. On the contrary, the ability to exploit the acquired data in the most efficient, economic (in terms of invested time), and impartial way (in terms of arbitrary choices of the operator) represents the most significant gap. Interoperability theme between points cloud and informative systems becomes relevant. Excellent results were achieved in 3D data exploitation in HBIM and GIS environments, as well as in VR and AR applications, whereas the structural analysis with the Finite Element Method (FEM) still lacks robust workflows based on point clouds. The present paper proposes a methodology allowing to transform the TLS point cloud obtained from the survey directly into a 3D FEM, in a semi-automatic way and, therefore, proposes a hybrid reverse engineering approach that aims to: (i) maximizing the correspondence between the model for structural analysis and the real object; (ii) minimizing the time and the operator’s decision. The strategy is validated on the belfry of the Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Cyriacus in Ancona, Central Italy. The reliability of the proposed model is assessed through a comparison between the model obtained from the Boolean modelling within a FEM software and the model obtained directly from points cloud processing. The comparison between the two numerical models highlights the enormous potential of the exposed method. The proposed case study shows how it is possible to develop high-quality 3D models, able to connect geometrical-historical survey with thematic analysis about structural behavior.</p>

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Thrilling the society toward science and research is not trivial. Albeit the “academic industry” lavishes many efforts to spread its results not only among the insiders but to the whole mankind, the importance of sharing the knowledge of research is seldom a priority. The European Researcher Night is probably the most important EU action trying to overcome this limitation, putting altogether researcher from different disciplines to show their findings through stands, short communications and events. Within this framework, the event able to attracts citizens is the video mapping projection. In this article is described a multi-disciplinary process that makes use of a photogrammetric survey as an accurate source for video projection mapping. While well-established geomatics technologies (e.g. laser scanning and photogrammetry) paves the way for the virtual reconstruction of the architecture, they are even essential to perform analysis and studies which enables visual artist or art historians to tell the story of a building in a new and fascinating way. Besides the realization of the visual mapping and a critical discussion over the procedure that has been used to translate a 3D model in a visual storytelling of the building, the article also describes an innovative way that has been set up for the management of the whole SHARPER event. The system is app-based and was designed to allow the visitors to interact with the event directly from their smartphones; several active sensors have been displaced among the city, asking the user to search for virtual owls and to catch them by answering some questions, engaging the people by exploiting the gamification paradigm. This latter has been stressed further, since the video projection was conceived as a competition between the students of the Master degree course in Engineering-Architecture. Through the application, the attendant to the visual mapping where thus enabled to vote his/her favourite video in real-time.</p>

Abstract. The digitization and geometric knowledge of the historical built heritage is currently based on point cloud, that rarely or only partially is used as digital twin for structural analysis. The present work deals with historical artefacts survey, with particular reference to masonry structures, aimed to their structural analysis and assessment. In detail, the study proposes a methodology capable of employing semi-directly the original data obtained from the 3D digital survey for the generation of a Finite Element Model (FEM), used for structural analysis of masonry buildings.The methodology described presents a reliable workflow with twofold purpose: the improvement of the transformation process of the point cloud in solid and subsequently obtain a high-quality and detailed model for structural analyses.Through the application of the methodology to a case study, the method consistency was assessed, regarding the smoothness of the whole procedure and the dynamic characterization of the Finite Element Model. The main improvement in respect with similar or our previous workflows is obtained by the introduction of the retopology in data processing, allowing the transformation of the raw data into a solid model with optimal balancing between Level of Detail (LOD) and computational weight. Another significant aspect of the optimized process is undoubtedly the possibility of faithfully respecting the semantics of the structure, leading to the discretization of the model into different parts depending on the materials. This work may represent an excellent reference for the study of masonry artefacts belonging to the existing historical heritage, starting from surveys and with the purpose to structural and seismic evaluations, in the general framework of knowledge-based preservation of heritage.