Studying shape semantics of an architectural moulding collection: Classifying style based on shape analysis methods

As technologies for 3D acquisition become widely available, it is expected that 3D content will become increasingly popular. Nevertheless, to provide access and enable the creative use of 3D content, it is necessary to address challenges such as the availability of open repositories dedicated to 3D content and the automatic enrichment of 3D content with suitable metadata so that content does not get lost. To address these challenges, this paper presents research on developing technologies to support the organisation and discoverability of 3D content in the Cultural Heritage (CH) domain. The main contributions of the paper include an ontology for documenting 3D representations of architectural mouldings decorated with ornament. In addition, a shape analysis method to improve the information that is automatically extracted from a 3D shape is proposed. This method is tested on part of a collection of Regency ornament mouldings found in domestic interiors. This content provides a rich dataset on which to explore issues common to many CH artefacts, such as design styles, patterns and motifs.