Since the creation of its Digitisation Department in 2018, the museum has embarked on several projects involving 3D.
First, in 2019, the whole building was scanned and turned into a 3D-model. This meant that people were able to visit the museum virtually during the lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. Building on this experience, the Centre de Documentation sur la Forteresse du Luxembourg decided to scan the casemates in 3D and make them accessible not only to researchers but also to a wider public. In addition to scanning buildings, the Digitisation Department has also started scanning objects from the collection. As the digital world becomes a bigger part of everyday life, the museum also wanted to include more digital elements in its programme.
3D workshops: Where history meets technology
Using what we learned from various 3D projects, we wanted to create something related to this field. The digitisation department teamed up with Pit Molling, who is well-known for his 3D art. He is experienced in running 3D workshops and knows all about the different processes, platforms, materials, techniques, and so on. We developed two different workshops, one for adults and one for children. In the first, we connect the relatively new technology of 3D printing and the emergence of metalwork as a new technology during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Just as 3D printing today opens up new possibilities, melting metal and pouring it into moulds back then was nothing short of revolutionary. We highlight this in a guided tour of our archaeological collection, which has plenty of examples from those periods that we encourage people to use as inspiration for their 3D-printed creations.
The children’s workshop focuses on coins and medals. In a short tour, children learn about the beginnings of monetary systems. Afterwards, they create their own coins, which will then be printed for them. The aim of the workshops is threefold: learning about 3D modelling and printing, using these technologies in a museum context and learning about archaeology and numismatics. With their newly acquired skills and some inspiration from our collection, participants can create their own “Plastic Age” objects with a special software and our new 3D printers.
Creating 3D models: From concept to print
But how do you print an object? Where does the model come from? The printers are designed to print three-dimensional objects. They have an x, y, and z axis, allowing the nozzle, where the melted material called filament is pushed through, to move around. The filament is laid down on a printing platform, where the nozzle forms the object. The objects they print start as digital files. Models can be obtained in various ways. They can be digitally designed using a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) programme, or they can be photogrammetrically, computed tomography- based or laser-scanned objects converted into a 3D model.
The model is then loaded into a slicer, a programme that, as the name suggests, slices the object into different layers. Think of it like a layered cake. While the outside appears smooth, the inside consists of various layers of geometrical shapes (e.g., honeycomb), giving the object structure and strength. The slicer provides the printer with the instructions needed to build the object, which the printer then constructs from bottom to top, layer by layer.
Innovative uses of 3D printing in museums
When not used in workshops, in-house 3D printers can also be useful in other areas of museum work. They can, for example, be used to print touchable copies of the objects on display and replace them if necessary. Although different to the touch, 3D-printed copies break down the barrier between the object and the visitor. These copies can be beneficial for visually impaired people, allowing them to experience archaeology, history and art. Objects can be scaled up or down, enlarging small coins or downsizing large buildings for people to touch. The printers can also be used by our craftspeople to produce certain parts they need, rather than ordering and buying them. In the long term, setting up a makerspace for public use and offering training on how to use the printers may be possible.
Text: Anaïs Recken - Photos: Eric Chenal
Source: MuseoMag N°IV 2024
