This document discusses challenges of sharing 3D cultural heritage content through Europeana. It notes that while file sizes were previously too large, HTML5 and WebGL have enabled real-time streaming of 3D models in browsers. However, the 50+ file formats used present standardization challenges. Europeana relies on adoption of standard media players to provide a good user experience. The document advocates for high-quality metadata and dissemination strategies to make 3D cultural heritage models more findable, accessible, and reusable.

1. Europeana 3D
Kate Fernie, 2Culture Associates and
CARARE
Multidimensional visual datasets in the
Arts and Humanities, 29th March 2022
Poulnabrone Portal Tomb, Discovery Programme, CC-BY-NC-SA

2. Europe’s platform for digital
cultural heritage funded by
the European Commission
• 50+ million items –
photographs, videos,
music, newspapers, text
(books, reports, diaries,
letters), spoken word
• c. 20,000 3D models
https://www.europeana.eu/

3. Sharing data with Europeana
• Europeana is a metadata
aggregator
• The digital content is external –
on the provider’s website or in
a repository/service platform
• CARARE is an accredited
Europeana aggregator
https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/9200579/kvpmjvqz

4. Providing a good user experience
Sjösccouten Idris på Daphne lägger till..
Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, CC-BY
• People are used to being able to use
content on the web immediately on
their devices
• Images and text documents can be
zoomed and scrolled
• Video and audio files can be played
Europeana prefers direct links to digital
objects to offer users this functionality

5. Challenges of 3D
• Until fairly recently publishing 3D content online was considered
to be an unsolved problem
• File sizes were vast and too heavy for speedy download
• Users had to download and install various plugins or software
before they could view the content
• HTML5 and WebGL brought about a revolution
• 3D content could be streamed in real time
• Accessible on web browsers and mobiles
3D pdf, model of Helmet from Peretu
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României, CCO

6. • Europeana depends on the
adoption of standard media
formats and players to offer
users a good experience
• 3D is not well standardized
• There are 50+ formats in use
in the Cultural Heritage
Challenges of 3D for Europeana

7. The format and viewer chosen affects the
experiences that (Europeana) can offer users
when they find 3D online

8. Towards better user experiences of 3D in Europeana
• 3D is developing rapidly
• 10 years ago 3D PDF was in use
• No longer recommended but CH content
still exists in this format
• 5 years ago Europeana implemented
the Sketchfab viewer
• Widely used for CH
• More (standardized) viewers are being
added
https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/181/share3d_218f

9. So far I’ve focused on the User Experience
Three final points to finish

10. • Everyone wants their content
to be easily findable,
accessible, and interoperable
with various systems and
ready for re-use
• Let’s make this work for 3D
cultural heritage

11. We need high quality metadata
 For discovery, access, preservation and re-use of the model
 To understand how it was produced, its technical characteristics and quality
 To understand the cultural heritage object(s) that the model represents
 With open licences clearly expressed
https://share3d.eu/dashboard/
Yet metadata for 3D is often minimal
Karin Glasemann, National Museum of Sweden, CC-BY-NC-SA

12. Dissemination and archiving
People need a strategy for both
For example
• Disseminate 3D content online via
Sketchfab, MyMiniFactory and other
platforms
• While depositing the full dataset for
archiving in a repository
Castle of St Magdala de Pulpis, ADD&4D, CC-BY-NC https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/181/share3d_936

13. kfernie27@gmail.com
Thanks for your attention!
www.carare.eu