This document summarizes the use of digital tools and techniques in epigraphy. It discusses how digital photography and 3D modeling of inscriptions has evolved from the late 20th century to present day. A variety of free and commercial software for image editing, 3D scanning and modeling are presented. The document also outlines the development of digital skills training and online resources for epigraphy, including open access databases and virtual exhibitions of inscriptions.

1. Photogrammetry and digital
recording of inscriptions
Manuel Ramírez-Sánchez (ULPGC-IATEXT)

2. End 19th Century
End 20th Century

3. https://goo.gl/Oxpd9J

4. Digital
Literacy
Transfer of
Knowledge &
Dissemination
Digital
epigraphy

5. A. Buonopane (2009). Manuale di epigrafia latina. Roma: Carocci editore, pp. 15-16.

6. 1987

7. 2012 2015

8. 2014

9. 1997
2019

10. Basic digital skills
Initial level digital photography (Photoshop)
Basic 3D modeling with Meshlab and Photoscan
Introduction to basic processing with Blender
Inscriptions' Basic Georeferencing (GoogleMaps, OpenStreetMaps)
Introduction to TEI-XML (Epidoc)
Reference management (Mendeley, Zotero) and social bookmarking (Diigo)
Web publishing with Widget format and basic WYSIWYG editors (WordPress)

13. Advanced digital skills
Advanced digital photography (Photoshop)
3D modeling with Meshlab and Photoscan
3D printing of inscriptions
Advanced processing with Blender
Edition of inscriptions in TEI-XML(Epidoc)
Inscriptions' Advancen Georeferencing & GIS
Web processing with CMS (Drupal, Joomla)

19. Archiving Photos in
80s & 90s
Archiving Photographs 30 years ago

21. 268.281 photos
(August 2019)
Archiving Photographs today
WD Elements 4TB

22. Image Viewer & Editor Software
• ACDSee
• Adobe Lightroom
• IrfanView
• Phase One Media Pro
• FastStone Image Viewer
• Windows PhotoGallery
• XnView
• ACDSee
• Adobe Lightroom
• Preview (Mac OS X)
• WidsMob Viewer

24. https://www.faststone.org

25. FastStone Image Viewer

26. FastStone Image Viewer

27. ©Canvas
© Digitalpigeon.com
Digital Storage Evolution

28. https://www.cloudstorageoptions.com
Digital Photo’s Storage Options

29. Credits: CloudStorageOptions.com [2019/08/30]

30. Credits: CloudStorageOptions.com [2019/08/30]

34. Our epigraphical data as closed systems

35. A good example of SEO* image refered to inscriptions
* SEO = Search Engine Optimization

36. Digital library of inscriptions in Dspace

37. Latin inscriptions recorded in Dspace

39. https://www.eagle-network.eu

40. https://wiki.eagle-network.eu

41. Digital library of CIL in Wikimedia Commons

42. Digital library of CIL in Wikimedia Commons

43. For example, the Zoela’s Tabula (CIL II 2633)

44. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CIL_02_2633-02.jpg

45. Digital
Literacy
Transfer of
Knowledge &
Dissemination
Digital
epigraphy

46. A. Buonopane, P. Grossi, A. Guarnieri, F. Pirotti (2005). L'impiego del laser scanner nel rilievo delle iscrizioni sui
miliari, in M. G. Bertinelli & A. Donati (eds.), Misurare il tempo, misurare lo spazio. Atti del Coloqqio AIEGL-Borgesi
2005. Faenza: Fratelli Lega Editori, pp. 373-388.
2005

47. Análisis 2D y 3D

48. www.digitalepigraphy.org

49. 2012
©EleniBozia;AngelosBarmpoutis;RobertWagman

50. ©HugoPires
2012

51. www.superficie.pt

52. Hugo Pires Page at Academia.edu

53. Morphological Residual Model, a LiDAR* for epigraphers
(*) LiDAR = Light Detection and Ranging
M. J. Correia Santos, H. Pires (2014). A estela funerária
de Capela, Penafiel (Conventus Bracaraugustanus).
Ficheiro Epigrafico, 119, 510.

55. 2013

60. Photo processing with Autodesk 123D®

61. Triangulation that makes up the Blender model ®

62. Trabajo de recortado en y colocación de la base reconstruida con Blender®

63. Archivo jpg con las texturas y extractos de las fotografías iniciales

64. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43
Número de fotografías por inscripción

66. www.epigraphia3d.es

67. responsive design web

68. https://sketchfab.com/epigraphia3d

81. https://diglib.eg.org/handle/10.2312/gch20161402

82. 2014 2016

83. http://hdl.handle.net/10553/19827

84. www.123dapp.com
www.agisoft.com

85. Campillo de Arenas, Jaén (CIL II 2093)Obulco, Porcuna, Jaén (CIL II 2/7, 134)
Baelo Claudia, Bolonia, Cádiz (IRPCádiz 53)Italica, Santiponce, Sevilla (CIL II 4967)Italica, Santiponce, Sevilla (CIL II 5378)

89. x 68
x 51

90. Pros & cons of Autodesk 123D®:
• It does not require powerful equipment
• Less pronounced learning curve
• Work in the cloud (Internet access required)
• Optimum results with the lowest weight
• Less precise meshes and worse textures
• Is free
Pros & cons of Agisoft Photoscan®:
• It requires powerful equipment, since it works
locally
• High learning curve
• Longer processing time
• Denser meshes (greater precision) and better
textures
• Excellent results, but with greater weight
• License program, with a high cost

91. 22/03/2019
A critical self reflection…

92. Building the Academic Bubble....

93. University of Alicante: Postgraduate and University Experts

94. CSIC: postgraduate specialization course
Full
registration
700 €

95. University of Burgos: Online training on demand

96. 30 h.
115 €

97. Make yourself…
1990 __
2014 __

98. And of course, Youtube

100. Digital
Literacy
Transfer of
Knowledge &
Dissemination
Digital
epigraphy

102. https://doi.org/10.15581/012.27.006

105. The British Museum at Sketchfab

106. https://sketchfab.com/banalesmuseovirtual

107. https://epigraphica30.com

108. https://universalviewer.io
There is life for 3D beyond Sketchfab…

109. https://iiif.io

110. https://blog.wikimedia.org/2018/02/20/three-dimensional-models/

111. A long way to go…

112. Manuel Ramírez-Sánchez
University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Research Institute of Text Analysis and Applications
manuel.ramirez@ulpgc.es
@manuelramirez