PSI - Issue 64

L. Cecere et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 64 (2024) 2189–2196 Author name / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000 – 000

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Reorganization of the virtual space: in this phase, a spatial reorganization of the environment is carried out in order to reduce issues and make the experience comfortable for all categories of users. Once these phases are concluded, it will be possible to proceed to the fruition phase using the viewer. The use of this device allows not only to increase the degree of immersion in the virtual space but also to increase the user's entertainment. So, at the end of the process one should get an environment, similar to reality, that is both immersive and interesting; and an entertainment experience that goes beyond mere pastime and allows users to appreciate art and culture in innovative and engaging ways. This may help preserve and disseminate cultural heritage and expand access to traditional and contemporary art forms for a wider audience. 4. Case Study In this section, the previously described methodology was applied to a specific case study. A virtual space was constructed, within which some of the digital objects belonging to the MAV Museum - Museo Artigianato Valdostano, located in Valle d'Aosta in the small town of Fènis, were placed. The objectives pursued in this work were multiple: to make possible a remote fruition of the museum spaces, to increase the cultural understanding of the place, to broaden the visibility of the museum, allowing it to be known to a wider audience but, above all, to explore the interaction of users with the three-dimensional environment, to understand the perception and effectiveness of such virtual museum space as a means of communication and artistic fruition. This collection of digitized resources should not be regarded as the end point of the project, but rather as the starting point for innovative solutions related to the museum sector. Step 1. Object scanning and modeling. Data acquisition is the first step in this process in order to achieve the set goal, which is fundamental because it allows the transition from physical to digital object. The work involved the processing of eleven wooden and iron elements belonging to the MAV that were returned in virtual form following specific modeling techniques. The objects were scanned using a structured light laser scanner that sends structured light beams to measure the shape, geometry, and details of the object as well as the colored part of the element. During scanning, numerous points in space are acquired, creating a three-dimensional point cloud that, after being processed, allows a digital representation of the object to be created. With special software, such as “ Artec 3D studio ” , the acquired points are analyzed and merged to create a triangular mesh that takes into account the geometry and details of the object, and which is the starting point for the actual modeling of the objects, which, in our case is done with the software “ Blender ” . Step 2. Design and modeling of the virtual space. Once the virtual three-dimensional elements were obtained, the environment design phase was initiated to create a satisfactory immersive experience for users. Initially, a basic environment was created, in the creation of which several key factors were considered, including intuitive access to the content and functionality of the virtual environment. At this stage, efforts were made to simplify navigation by optimizing the organization of virtual objects, landmarks, and possible interactions so that users could easily orient themselves and take full advantage of the environment's potential. Having designed the environment, we moved on to the modeling phase using “ Blender ” software. “ Blender ” is an open-source software used for the creation of 3D content, animations, modeling, simulations, rendering considered a comprehensive tool for the production of computer graphics. In addition to modeling at this stage there was also surface texturing to create a comfortable and engaging environment for users during exploration. Step 3. Model import on virtual platform. Once the objects were modelled and inserted into the created virtual environment, the next step was to import the model onto the immersive virtual platform. For this purpose, “ Spatial ” was used: this is an immersive social platform that offers immersive real-time experiences that are accessible and user-friendly on the web, mobile devices and VR. While merging the 3D objects, special attention was paid to the organization and structure of the final file. A systematic methodology was adopted in order to ensure that each object was correctly placed in its spatial context to create a consistent and realistic virtual environment. Once the merging operation was completed, the final file in *fbx format was exported for later transport to the “ Unity 3D ” game engine. “ Unity 3D ” is a powerful development software for creating three-dimensional interactive applications and was chosen for its ability to handle the complexity of virtual space, as well as its compatibility with the "Spatial" platform. This software played a key role in the later stages of the development process where the goal is to create a virtual space that responds to users' needs and preferences, allowing them to explore, interact and fully immerse themselves in the created virtual environment.