Who Cares About 3D Preservation?

Abstract

The preservation of 3D research data is a present and emerging need. An increasing number of researchers are generating, capturing, and/or analyzing 3D data, but they rarely focus on preservation or reuse of that data. This paper and presentation describe models of 3D data creation and use, outline the specific concerns for this data type, unpack the complexities and challenges of preserving it, and examine existing 3D data preservation resources while working through local case studies from the field of anthropology. Directions on how to move digital 3D data preservation forward will be discussed.

A methodological framework for studying visual information practices

“…According to the principal investigator and the co-investigators of the Community Standards for 3D Data Preservation (CS3DP) project, there are currently no agreed upon standards for the preservation of 3D data (Moore et al 2018). More specifically, establishing agreed upon schemas for provenanical metadata remains a challenge (Cohen-Boulakia et al 2017).…”

“…Existing standards lacked buy-in or were so poorly known that local ad hoc standards were being created to fill in the gap. The increase in local standards was not indicative of a desire for independence or isolation in preservation practices, as the majority (85 percent) of respondents said they would like to collaboratively develop standards and best practices as a community (Moore and Scates Kettler 2018). Community members clearly recognized the barriers to collaboration and aggregation introduced by local solutions and were ready to work together on a more unified system of standards.…”

Archiving experience: an exploration of the challenges of preserving virtual reality

“…Preserving three-dimensional data 3D data formats, particularly 3D models derived from photogrammetry, reflectance transformation imaging (RTI), light detection and ranging (laser scanning) or other methods, represent rich information sources that are being used in VR environments. There are ongoing efforts in the library and archives community to take a holistic approach to archiving 3D data that takes into account the range of stakeholders and disciplinary contexts (Moore and Kettler, 2018;Moore et al, 2019). Concern over the scholarly integrity of 3D data has sparked research in the areas of metadata creation for preservation and for documenting the 3D capture and model creation process (referred to as "paradata" in the archaeology field to refer to data about processes of creation and interpretation); repositories that support the management, analysis and discoverability of 3D data; and the selection of sustainable file formats.…”