GEOMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION AND INTERACTIVE 3D VISUALIZATION OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE PROVINCE OF CACERES (SPAIN)

The three-dimensional (3D) visualization of historical and cultural heritage in the province of Caceres is essential for tourism promotion. This study uses panoramic spherical photography and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) for the geometric characterization and cataloguing of sites of cultural interest, according to the principles of the Charter of Krakow. The benefits of this project include improved knowledge dissemination of the cultural heritage of Caceres in a society that demands state-of-the-art tourist information. In this sense, this study has three specific aims: to develop a highly reliable methodology for modeling heritage based on a combination of non-destructive geomatics methods; to design and develop software modules for interactive 3D visualization of models; and to promote knowledge of the historical and cultural heritage of Caceres by creating a hypermedia atlas accessible via the Internet. Through this free-of-charge hypermedia atlas, the tourist accesses 3D photographic and interactive scenes, videos created by 3D point clouds obtained from laser scanning and 3D models available for downloading in ASCII format, and thus acquire a greater knowledge of the touristic attractions in the province of Caceres.