Introduction
3D modeling is quickly transforming the world of cultural heritage. Its potential is clear for increasing access to and engagement with material that is rare, fragile, remote, or otherwise incapable of being displayed for public consumption. As the paths of cultural heritage and digital technology intersect and sprint forwards, their rapidly evolving relationship should be documented and shared.
An interactive timeline, as a visual narrative, is the best format for communicating the developments in 3D modeling and for highlighting its implications for the cultural heritage community, because it provides both a base in the linear progression of time and the opportunity for users to cater their experience to the extent of their interest. Segel and Heer classify this approach as an interactive slideshow which “incorporates interaction mid-narrative within the confines of each slide”(Segel & Heer, 2010, p. 1146).
Discussion
The design of the timeline stems from a single theoretical framework: “How might multiple media be better integrated for storytelling?” (Segel & Heer, 2010, p. 1147) After viewing the timeline, users should be able to outline the major developments in the conservation, preservation, and curation of cultural heritage that make use of 3D technology in service of institutional missions. Users should also be able to recount specific organizations or sources from which they could find further information at their leisure.
Materials
To complete the assignment, I relied on a computer (sometimes a cell phone) with internet connection, the Timeline JS interface, and the Google Drive suite. In compiling sources, I made use of Zotero, storing websites and scholarly articles that I wanted to provide as exploratory material and that provided me with key background information to construct an accurate timeline.
Methods
Timeline JS is incredibly user friendly and I followed the instructions for the design of my own timeline that are given on the Timeline JS homepage. Next, I modified the Google Sheets template that forms the “backend” of the timeline to include the data collected from literature review. Where relevant, I included links to outside sources using the following html command structure <a href=></a>. The nature of my timeline subject is such that simulations of 3D models would be an expected medium for visuals. Overriding the constraints of Timeline JS, I added the embed codes for simulations in the “Media” column of the Sheets template. I discovered this hack by observing an internal project by Sketchfab (“Sketchfab’s history,” n.d.).
Results
The interactive timeline currently holds 14 data points spanning from the early 1990s to the present. Navigation is forced to be linear, but users can exit the timeline to research topics of particular interest using the links provided on each “slide.” Every data point includes a title, a visual, and a description. For most 3D modeling projects, the description is an excerpt from a corresponding work report.
Difficulties in the execution of the timeline primarily consist of the many constraints on creator and user capabilities. Certain forms of media, like embedded, interactive models, are not supported by the Timeline JS template and either require a customized approach or cannot be included. Additionally, users must move through data points one at a time in chronological order. While this should certainly be the default, as a creator refining my design, I resented having to comb through multiple data points to find the appropriate slide. Further, I can foresee a user interested only in a certain era within a timeline becoming frustrated with the seemingly endless swiping.
Future Directions
If I were to continue expanding the timeline, I would make use of Timeline JS’s “group” feature to better display the categories into which I feel the data points already fall: technological advancement, legal support and field standards, and project development. The separation would aid users in appreciating the intersections of these topics and in grasping the cause and effect relationships of the data. On a related note, I would search more diligently for data in the “legal support and field standards” category, as a review of the literature revealed a conspicuous lack in the concentrated study of that aspect.
View the timeline in a separate window here.
[iframe src=’https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1U3SSjp5eF9Cq9fq1n-0QHUG0nEcx_9iSYwHpgsL4I0A&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650′ webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder=’0′]
References
Segel, E., & Heer, J. (2010). Narrative Visualization: Telling Stories with Data. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 16(6), 1139–1148. https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2010.179
Sketchfab’s history. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://sketchfab.com/timeline