The C²DH at the University of Luxembourg and the Urban Complexity Lab at Potsdam University of Applied Sciences joined forces to develop 3D Stories, an interface that lets users explore and learn about historic garments via 3D models in interactive and narrative-driven ways. It combines detailed notes with smooth storytelling, making history come alive. Visitors can either follow a guided narrative or explore specific features of the 3D model on their own, offering a new way to unravel history that users can enjoy on all types of devices.
Combining narratives with 3D models
Dress research draws on visual, documentary, and material evidence. Textiles as cultural artefacts though are challenging to digitize and represent on the web. In a collaboration between the Textiles, Clothing and Jewelry collection of Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nuremberg and the project Restaging Fashion a total of fifteen historical clothing items were selected for digitization and published on Kompakkt.
While 3D model viewers, such as Kompakkt or the Smithsonian Voyager, offer a presentation and annotation mode, there is clearly a desideratum for a narrative attached to the 3D model. Envisioning a tool that enables a dynamic and fluid presentation of a 3D model combined with a narrative, we created a free and reusable interface that allows researchers, experts or laypeople to enrich a 3D model with information and embed it in a scenography that supports the narrative. The application 3D Stories allows different approaches: the user can either lean back and follow the story or select one of the highlights and be directed to the relevant paragraph. By using the ‘Explore’ button the user can roam the 3D model on his or her own terms.
The people behind the project
The project was implemented in a collaboration between the Centre for Contemporary and Digital History Luxembourg (C²DH) and the Urban Complexity Lab (UCLAB) at Potsdam University of Applied Sciences. Kirill Mitsurov and Daniele Guido (C²DH) created the interface and Sabine de Günther and Marian Dörk (UCLAB) provided the 3D models and content for the stories.
Special thanks to Karin Langumier from International Relations Office and the Erasmus+ program for making it happen!
