USING AN IMAGING STATION IN MAKING A 3D MODEL OF A COMPLEX CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE OBJECT

The primary objective of this paper is to present the characteristics of laser scanning technology in the documentation of cultural and historical heritage objects of complex shapes. Generally speaking, the digital recording of monuments is a complex process that depends highly on the nature of subject as well as on applied surveying methods and processing. The paper describes the geometric documentation of the monument 'Wounded Lion', which begins with the collection of data, followed with processing, and concludes with the presentation of the final results. At present, 3D models are frequently used for the dissemination of information about cultural and historical heritage objects, e.g., via web pages in the form of VRML, models. However, the creation, publication, and interaction of high-resolution 3D textured models remain rather challenging and difficult tasks. Such models, with a certain level of accuracy, are clearly invaluable tools for applications involving the restoration, maintenance, and monitoring of monuments. The goal of this paper is to explore the process of creating detailed and accurate (to the greatest degree possible) 3D models.