A presentation of a survey and testbed results, investigating the way architects manage their digital assets and a round up of issues when ingesting architects' bron digital archives

1. The memory of the architect
creation and preservation of born digital
architectural archives
Henk Vanstappen, immd.be

2. CVAa:
Centre of expertise coordinating the
archiving of private documents on the
architectural heritage in Flanders.

3. research questions
¤ survey: how are digital architectural
archival records created and managed?

4. research questions
¤ survey: how are digital architectural
archival records created and managed?
¤ case study: what steps are necessary at
ingest and preservation?

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1.
survey

6. objectives
¤ understanding of process of creation and
management of digital archives.
¤ anticipate problems with digital
sustainability.
¤ exploring possible win/win solutions.

7. design proces?
“Designing is done with pencil and paper.
The CAD drawing is made by an employee.”

8. design proces?
“Designing is done with pencil and paper.
The CAD drawing is made by an employee.”
“We import an AutoCAD drawing into
Sketch-up and convert it to 3D. The result is
printed and updated with marker pen. We
scan it again and edit it further in
Photoshop.”

9. lesson #1
An understanding of the design process is a
prerequisite to make decisions on
preservation actions.

10. importance & use?
“Our archive is a tool we use daily.”

11. importance & use?
“Our archive is a tool we use daily.”
“Files are moved to the basement once the
acceptance is signed. We’ll only consult it in
case of a legal dispute”

12. lesson #2
Tell me how you use your archive, and I’ll
tell you how well it’s ordered.

13. lesson #3
Once a file is older than 10 years, attention
and care declines dramatically.

14. file format obsolesence?

15. file format obsolesence?
“Sometimes files can’t be read. We then try
to find a printed version and scan it.”

16. CAD software

17. lesson #4
Architects have little issues with
compatibility of files, formats and software
– for now.

18. security & back-up?
“Yes, it’s something we should do.”

19. lesson #5
Some architects like to live on the edge.

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2.
case
study

21. projects

22. Christian Kieckens, HOUSE VM-D, OUDENBURG
Restructuring of a farm house (1995-2001)

25. file analysis
¤ 5 projects files
¤ >20,000 files
¤ up to 65% duplicate files
¤ quasi duplicates (e.g. pdf)
¤ 73 different file formats

26. media

27. media
Apple 655-0394 Quantum Fireball 1.2GB
50-Pin SCSI Hard Disk Drive

30. file format identification
unrecognized file formats (DROID v6.01)

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32. the treats
¤ obsolete / divergent file formats
¤ obsolete / licensed software
¤ obsolete operating systems
¤ obsolete hardware
¤ obsolete media
¤ bitrot

33. preservation file format?
¤ open format
¤ usage and software libraries
¤ geometry vs. intelligence (e.g. layers)
¤ reversibility
¤ external reference files (x-refs)
¤ … and try to keep it simple

34. incompatibility 1
how to define a circle...

35. incompatibility 2
how to define a sphere (tesselation issue)

36. testbed
¤ matrix formats & software migrations
¤ visual check (!)
¤ reversibility tests

37. migrate 2D vwx
VWX (native)

38. migrate 2D vwx
VWX > DWG: tesselation

39. migrate 2D dwg
DWG (native)

40. migrate 2D dwg
DWG > DXF

41. migrate 2D dwg
DWG > STEP: intelligence lost

42. migrate 2D dwg
DWG > VRLM: more intelligence lost

43. migrate 3D skp

44. migrate 3D skp
skp > dwg: look & feel lost

45. reversibility 3D skp
skp > dwg > skp intelligence lost

46. reversibility 3D skp
skp > dwg > skp: stairs lost too...

47. turnkey?
availability
3DM
openess
✖
✖
COLLADA
DGN
intelligence
✖
✖
✖
DWG
✖
DXF
✖
IFC
other
✖
✖
✖
✖
IGES
✖
✖
✖
OBJ
✖
PDF/A-­‐2/3
✖
✖
PDF/E
✖
✖
PDF/E-­‐2
✖
PRC
✖
✖
✖
✖
✖
STEP
✖
SVG
✖
U3D
✖
✖
VRML
✖
✖
XRD
✖
✖

48. 3.
conclusions

49. recommendations 1
archival practice:
¤ document design process
¤ document hard- en software use
¤ redefine selection policies
¤ anticipate

50. recommendations 2
preservation strategy:
¤ no turnkey solution
¤ define users
¤ define users’ expectations
¤ define significant properties
¤ define migration pathway
¤ quality control

51. recommendations 3
expertise & research needs:
¤ update file format registries
¤ update file format identification tools
¤ document conversion methods & tools
¤ develop validation tools & tools
¤ develop CAD – qualified repositories
¤ research emulation strategies
¤ share expertise

52. www.immd.be/files/CVAaSurvey_rapport_final.pdf
www.immd.be/files/CADarchivering_rapport_final.pdf
henk@immd.be