Dassault teams with Harvard to create 3D recreation of Giza
Dassault Systemes has unveiled a new project that will allow the public to explore a 3D recreation of the Giza plateau in Egypt.
The announcement was made at a gala event at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Computer Graphics World, Dassault Systemes is offering access to the 3D interactive application for free via the project's website, www.3ds.com/giza3d. Visitors will be able to go on a guided tour of the city, as well as explore on their own. Among other landmarks, the 3D creation will feature the pyramids of Khufu and Menkaure, four ancient temples, restored tombs, shafts and burial chambers.
Perhaps most notably, the program includes a model of the historic Giza Necropolis.
In addition to these ancient objects, visitors will also be able to view contemporary pictures, allowing them to compare the current state of the city with Dassault Systeme's model of the past.
According to Computer Graphics World, the project is not aimed exclusively at the general public. Educators will be able to use the program to improve their ability to teach students about ancient Egypt. The program is accessible via a range of devices, allowing teachers to display the recreated city in the classroom and students to view it in their homes.
Additionally, thanks to Dassault's 3D imaging and computer-aided design (CAD) programs, researchers can view inscriptions on the backs and sides of statues that may otherwise be inaccessible due the constraints of glass museum displays.
At least one teacher has already begun to use the Giza project in his classroom. Harvard University professor Peter Der Manuelian, who teamed with Dassault Systemes to create the project, says that it has allowed his students to visualize Giza and integrate that knowledge in a new, previously unavailable way, according to Mass High Tech.