Digitizing Ipiranga Museum: Preserving Cultural Heritage Through GIS and BIM

FERNANDA MACHADO: Hello, everyone. Welcome to our class. We're going to talk about this theme, "Digitizing Ipiranga Museum, and Preserving Cultural Heritage Through GIS and BIM."

I'm Fernanda Machado. I'm here with my co-speakers and colleagues, Pedro Soethe, Marcelo Laguna, and Vinicius Almeida. We are all from Autodesk at the Technical Sales Specialists Organization, here in Brazil.

So in our agenda, we are going to talk about a few topics, few key topics. We are going to present an overview of the project. We are going to talk about our HBIM solutions and the workflows that were adopted during the project, highlighting some stages, such as the common data environment's definition, the reality capture process, the context and implementation stages, as well as the building modeling, and how to get all of these data together in a federated model. Finally, we are going to do some considerations about this ongoing project.

So the project itself, it's relevant to mention that we are here, at Autodesk, trying to work hard to meet some sustainable development goals from United Nations. So this project fits in one of these goals for promoting sustainable cities and communities. And we are highlighting a target to "Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage."

And how's that? The Ipiranga Museum and the Independence Park are historical assets. The Ipiranga Museum itself is a historical building that was opened in 1895. It has a unique architecture, eclectic. It has a huge collection of Brazilian art and is now in a current state of renovation and expansion.

So here at Autodesk, we are doing some partnership with the Ipiranga Museum Board. We have signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement to use our technology, to use the Autodesk technology, to preserve and guarantee that this museum is going to be digitalized for future operation and maintenance and supporting some future renovation projects.

Why is that? Actually, in Brazil, we have more than [INAUDIBLE] public museums with this similar profile. So everything we are doing here-- applying this technology and registering best practice-- can be scaled in the future. It's a project of digitization and preservation of a cultural heritage.

We are doing here some multiple user based applications with ReCap, with Revit, Civil 3D, InfraWorks, everything we have in AEC Collection. And Autodesk has this position to be here in Brazil the promoter of a BIM for heritage dissemination. It's really an excitement of us. We are doing everything in-house.

So we have as a team Priscilla Fiorin, as our geobranding marketing. That is doing all the relationship with the museum boards. And for the technical side-- me, Pedro, as technical leaders and Marcelo and Vinicius, as the technical responsible guys for everything, the hands-on process of scan-to-BIM are doing this project in partnership with FARO, in partnership with the museum board.

So we had a project scope with the museum boards, aiming to emphasize some room, some areas, that is really important to them to manage at the actual asset. So we have proposed some activities of modeling. Considering the Monumental Axis, we select a group of collected arch to do some scans.

And we are also doing the survey and modeling of the Independence Park and the Monument to Independence. We can see here, at the right, the Rio area. We are working with all this scan-to-BIM process.

And to achieve these results, we have selected some HBIM solutions here at Autodesk, and we defined a strategy. First, you set a common data environment, that is actually our collaboration environment, BIM 360. In BIM 360, we can both collaborate with each other, as our team is located in different areas of Brazil, and also, engage the museum board to monitor and to understand the status of our project.

We have the reality capture stage, thus far was responsible for do all the scanning, considering this great area of 16,000 square meters, considering both the Independence Park and the building. And we did, after that, all the processing treatment of this data, generating all the point clouds and using them as reference to subsidize our scan-to-BIM process with our technology.

So all the surveying part, we had the support of ReCap Pro and ReCap Photo. And the modeling part, as we can see in the next slides, we used Civil 3D, InfraWorks, and ReCap.

OK. I will talk about, quickly, this common data environment and the reality captures stages, and then, pass my word to Pedro and Vinicius. As we can see, BIM 360 is called a clouds collaboration platform that we have set it to receive all the data, documents, models we are working in this digitization project.

We can see that, in this environment, beyond sharing documents, we can also comment, bring insights, share with each other some tips, and track all the issues or RFIs. We think we could communicate with each other. It's really great because not only the documents are there, but it's also the point clouds.

So the point clouds were generated through our reality-capture hybrid strategy. We counted on FARO, both in the laser-scanning process and the photogrammetry process. It's really good, this kind of technique, because to do all the surveying, it's run in two days, with a processing time of eight hours to generate the point clouds, using ReCap Pro.

And we had the use of some specific equipment. So for the laser-scanning step, we used FARO Focus S 350, with a millimeter accuracy. And for the photogrammetry step, we used a Phantom Pro drone to do all the scan of the park itself.

So all that data, then, we brought to ReCap Pro. In ReCap Pro, we imported these scans. We did all the registers and checked all the matches between each scan to generate two big points cloud files-- so one point cloud from the Independence Park and one point cloud from the building itself.

It's really great at this point when we think of a business that need to manage some acquisition in actual data or need to do some renovation acquisition assets. Because with this kind of surveying, guarantee that we can actually navigate through the building as is, check and take advantage of all the photos that were taken, taking some measures, and use this point cloud file as a reference for starting the modeling process, the building information modeling process. So we can see here both the building inside and outside as a result of this work.

Another thing that is really great, that is now part of our technology, since this year of 2022, is the possibility of publishing the point cloud data into the cloud, into BIM 360. So we can navigate both in Recap Pro, for all these data, and through the web browser to see each point of the scan.

Both stages actually, we can learn a lot about it. So here I bring to you some best practices and tips. First, considering, in this case of the Ipiranga Museum, we had to care about the mobilization and demobilization of equipment and scaffolding. We had to do some planning to organize everything before the survey.

It's also important to study before all these spaces to plan all the spots for detailed scanning of sculptures or architectural details we actually want to capture. In this case specific, we had some physical barriers because of the ongoing works of the renovation project of the museum. So we had to think how could we treat this point cloud data layer to focus on the right parts of the building.

We had some challenge with the natural lighting versus artificial lighting. So some rooms internally were too dark. And we had to also plan installing some artificial lighting to do this work.

And for the software part, it's a really good, this step, because we have to publish this point cloud data in BIM 360, uploading not only the ReCap files that are ready but also the temporary files that are generated during the process. So we can also highlight that it is really important to have this point cloud file in the local server to create the link inside Autodesk Revit, that we are going to talk a little bit later than now.

So I will pass the word to Pedro and Vinicius to talk about the implementation and context stage.

PEDRO SOETHE: Hi, everyone. Here, Pedro. And we start to talk about some-- a little bit some of the Independence Park.

We decided to digitalizing the park, as [INAUDIBLE] inside it, as planning to take the big, broad of information not only the building itself but the all surroundings. Like I say, the park, it's like a life museum park. They have a lot of historical assets, like old trees, internal streets, old lamps, and all these type of thing.

Using drones and we created a point cloud of the park and inserted this in ReCap and, after that, in Civil 3D and InfraWorks. We used these two main solutions as base of our work. But we also use other solutions, like Revit, to modeling some assets, like stairs and some stools and lamps, et cetera.

And we use a lot of information from the municipality of Sao Paulo, who has a big database of the GIS, of information from the city. And we import inside InfraWorks. This database is an online database called GeoSampa. And that this streamlines inside them both.

The process starts in Civil 3D. And when we start to drawing in top of the point cloud that we import from ReCap, and we started to create three types of objects.

One is a point for 3D objects, like trees, lamps, some stools, et cetera. And after that, we use a polylines to recreate bushes and culverts and gutters, and use polygons to create a coverage areas, like grass, brick pathways, and so on. After all this we draw in, we export each type of element as a shape file and import in InfraWorks with the correct relationships.

Here the whole workflow that we used, like you see, we use a lot type of tools to create this park. We use ReCap there at the beginning. We use the point cloud inside ReCap to replicate in Civil 3D, then InfraWorks. In Civil 3D we create all the drawings that represented from the objects and the coverage areas, et cetera.

And we created some objects in Revit. And we import some other objects from another source. And in the result of that, we import all inside InfraWorks. It created a-- we call it a federal model, of all the parts of the museum and the Independence Park.

Here a little quick video, showing how that we created this process, imported the point cloud from Revit, RCP file, with this file inside Civil 3D, we can use all the tools to manage the point cloud. And it starts drawing some points, lines, and polygons, like I say, to recreate the all surrounds of the museum and to create the best information we have.

And we can do this in InfraWorks. But in InfraWorks it is more staging an initial stage of the develop. And here in Civil 3D, we can do all the information, all the aspect, and use the precision of point cloud at the maximum.

Now, Vinicius will talk about some another workflows.

VINICIUS ALMEIDA: Thanks, Pedro. Hi, everyone. We created our project environment directly in Model Builder, from InfraWorks. The surface was created from point cloud in ReCap and Civil 3D. I modified the surface to create a base for our stairs, utilizing brake lines for this process.

And then, I imported this modified surface to our central model in InfraWorks. This will work as an external base to our stairs that will be imported on this surface. So all the stairs, walls, and [INAUDIBLE] were created in Revit.

The stairs model was the bigger challenge that we had in this project. With the large quantities of stairs, we made one by one, attaching all the levels equal that we use in our surface in Civil 3D.

Once time that we modeled all the stairs that we needed, we can go back in InfraWorks and import these packages of stairs at the same time. And then, we can continue modeling our project and aggregating other elements that compose our entire park project.

Next. We utilized a public platform, who is called GeoSampa, in Sao Paulo, to connect GIS data with our central model in InfraWorks. First, we downloaded all the assets that we needed, by category and type, that was interesting to use on the project, as a shape file.

We aggregated some public lights elements to compose our park. We made this process, just importing all the shape files and configurating with the library's elements in InfraWorks. And then, the software made the generation and imported all the light elements in our model.

The coordinate system in our BIM model is the same utilized in this platform. I adjust the light element's position and modified some elements for others. With this workflow, you can build as much project as like, as you might see combining your GIS data with your BIM project based in a simple process.

We made a historical research to understand and model all the elements with the maximum detail that is possible in the project.

With some project data completed, we can start the process of extracting a specific data and quantities from Independence Park. We have already made this for our [INAUDIBLE] pavements, and some elements that compose our project.

In InfraWorks, we have all the properties about one counter pavement, or 3D element. We can get the number of the same element that we have in the entire project, what type of material that was used, and how many square meters each pavement has. This allows and help all the team with the maintenance.

PEDRO SOETHE: Great, Vinicius. As some best practices and tips from this process and we recently started this process early, the past year, and we struggle with a lot of things because it's totally new for us. And some things is very interesting here.

It's like we converted you the polylines to polygonal inside Civil 3D before import in InfraWorks. With this, we guarantee a better precision in the area and the polygons and the information that we inserted in InfraWorks.

Another thing is using, like Vinicius say, the brake lines to create some aspect that the drone and did not capture inside the whole model. It's like the stairs and the some other areas. We explore multiple types of files. Like we solve with point clouds, we use an Civil 3D to export the shape files, imported inside the InfraWorks. We used another type of 3D objects, like creating 3ds Max in Revit and other bases.

Another tip here is in shape files. When we import it in InfraWorks, we start to create it in Civil 3D in 2D only. And when we import it in InfraWorks and created the correct relationships, like a grass area, we needed to tick the Drape option to drape in the surface and put the correct location. If we don't do that, the object is going to level 0. And we don't see the object there. And then all system is crashed and is that what are the main tips that we have here.

FERNANDA MACHADO: OK. Thanks, Pedro. So now, we are going to talk a little bit about the historical building modeling process. It's really good to highlight that our workflows, until now, we can see the interoperability power of our tools.

So we manage all the point cloud data. We bring it to Civil 3D and InfraWorks. But you do all the parking modeling. And we now can also use this kind of workflow to do the building as well and merge everything, even in different scales, in a single model.

So about the historical building, it's really important to highlight that we also did some historical research to understand the architecture, to understand the logic, to understand the architect, and the existing project. And beyond that, we started to plan and to decide all the standardization process, the naming standards, how the elements and the objects would be modeled, and the strategy related to each ornament and historical aspects of our virtual building.

So it's really good to say and highlight that we did all this prework because after that, we had to meet some requirements from the museum board because they want to use this sort of data to help them to manage and operate the museum itself.

So in the kickoff process, we cared about the template settings. We cared about the interoperability settings. Since we already had some real coordination data from Civil 3D, so we georeferenced our Revit file to receive both the topography that was generated in Civil 3D and the point cloud data generated from ReCap. And we also planned the creation of the Revit families, mainly for these ornaments and historical details that are really a challenge when we don't know.

So it really required some research to do all of that. But it's good to highlight that it's a process that is different from doing the modeling of a new project, of a new building because we really need to know how things works, how things work with that actual building, and how the modeling process is going to be.

So about the point cloud management, it's also important to highlight that we had to merge some techniques of manipulating view range and the section box, plus using the educated workset for the point clouds to avoid some size file problem. And with this configuration issue, configuration, we started to model the building itself.

So I will pass over to Marcelo, so he can talk more deeply about this work-- Marcelo.

MARCELO LAGUNA: Hi, everyone. Thanks, Fernanda.

We used the cloud-point slicing technique to visualize the silhouettes of the elements, creating profiles. These profiles are repeated at different scales and were included in the modeling process of the first families used.

The project consists of digitizing a historic building using the latest generation of Autodesk tools to create a model that will be used for online visitors and building maintenance. In the same way, it is a guarantee that this building is externalized and accessible to future generations.

My job is to model the building using the point cloud as a source, reproducing elements of the eclectic architectural style. And in this process, I find myself in a relationship with the architect-- fighting, laughing, and falling in love again, looking for the right, and trying to understand his decisions. Many times what doesn't make any sense at first turns into something impressive and complex in the end, making me see how clever the architect was.

You can change, Fernanda, please.

The building is a small palace and was built with bricks by the Italian architect Tommaso Guadenzio Bezzi, in the year of 1885 to 1890. As this constructive system, the dimensions of the walls are different. They changed between each other. And the openings of walls and windows are small. And its walls are full of details and decorations.

This is the one of the biggest difficulties of the project because you need to find the guidelines between the decorative elements, where one justify the other. Here, in this image, you can see the complex group of elements in a simple part of the building. Another difficulty is to reproduce the details hiding in spaces between columns and cavities because the architect did a very work rich in details.

Well, if you're in a same situation as me and you are looking at beautiful and huge eclectic project and don't know where to start, I recommend that you study the areas, sectors, pavements, starting to model from the base to the top, going from the outside to inside.

First are walls, floors, columns, stairs, guardrails, roofs, and ceilings. In this sequence, this will allow you to have more control over the manipulation of point cloud and not go crazy over the details that will be more complex in cornices and eaves, [INAUDIBLE] and ceilings.

I also recommend the use of worksets for each section and pavements. Make links to facilitate the cloud section and the base of the topography, as the model will become heavier over time.

The key to all the work is the organization. And you will notice that many of the profiles of decorative elements are repeated, completed, and interact with each other, forming new patterns and the families and descendents.

With a lot of patience and attentive eyes, the rest will come soon. Another building, a historic building, will externalize, and another incredible architect will be awarded. In this way, we will not run the risk of losing our identity or our example of such rich architecture.

I hope you will fall in love with your architect and understand the product within the dynamics of the time and place based on that constructive system using the incredible tools of 21 century. I hope you enjoy it and that you continue to make the internalization of ancient architecture with a lot of passion, just I did it.

OK, Fernanda-- please, you.

FERNANDA MACHADO: Nice. Thank, you Marcelo.

It's really awesome when we see the results of a beautiful architecture, as we see with the Ipiranga Museum. But it's also important to care about the "I," the information of the building information modeling itself. So here, we are not only taking care of the level of detail in the geometry part but also caring about the data that will be useful for the museum in the future.

And they are using to do this double check two main Autodesk solutions. One of them is Navisworks. And the other is the Tandem.

In Autodesk Tandem, we have synchronized our BIM 360 model. We brought all that data, in some structure of this data, here. So we have all the Revit categories, families, types. We can understand elements that are not assigned yet to some category or family, the data and metadata inside of each element, and watch what we have to review in our process.

So it's really great to make a DNA of our model and do the feedback to the design team. We have here some vision of this library, organized by level. But we have also organized it by category, family, types, and so on, to understand what can be improved.

So Marcelo said already some tips and best practices. We can see here that how we organized our model in worksets to facilitate the modeling process. And it's really important, in each existing building, to understand first, the existing building, the existing asset, the history, background, and so on and all the elements that composed that building before starting this scan-to-BIM process and prioritize sections for interoperability and georeferencing.

Since we, at this point, wanted to bring this model back to the Independence Park, that was modeled in Civil 3D and InfraWorks. We actually want to build the whole historical landscape. So this prioritization, it's really important.

All the standardization, work with naming, with cataloging, and creating a digital inventory of the elements, et cetera, helps in this process of historical modeling. Define key parameters to identify the objects. Facilitate the modeling activities.

Actually, we are now in the process of mapping each of these historical elements and objects and match with some images and photographies, to help and support the museum board to understand the actual status of each area and elements they want to renovate in the future.

As I said, we created worksets and links to manage all the external data and the file size. It's really important to avoid in-place families and plan actually to do a great part of the work with systems and loadable families, to facilitate the scale and the replication of it in many parts of the building.

And to synchronize and publish it recurrently to the cloud, so we have this model. The central model is on the cloud. So we have this synchronization process daily, to everyone be up to date to the modeling work.

So to finish our presentation, I will call Pedro back, to talk a little bit about the merging everything in InfraWorks. And we will pass to a video and do some considerations.

Pedro.

PEDRO SOETHE: Nice. Thank you, Fernanda. Yes.

And with all that made, we put all together inside InfraWorks, using the, as I say, the same geolocation. The beauty of it, the museum itself is geolocated in Revit. We've got the assets geolocated in Civil 3D, then all information from the point clouds, the GeoSampa database, all these inside our InfraWorks to generate the federated model.

And now, we have us a little, quick video showing the results of our work since until now. Thank you.

[VIDEO PLAYBACK]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

- That's good.

- Ay, ay.

- Ay, ay.

- Ay, ay.

[END PLAYBACK]

FERNANDA MACHADO: OK, guys, some final considerations-- we are here. It's our target to disseminate just this knowledge. We are creating and producing with this scan-to-BIM process.

So we are doing some internal workshops with the museum and the University of Sao Paulo. We did already a webinar of "BIM for Cultural Heritage," bringing some parts of this learning process. We are also creating some cards for municipalities to understand and to see the possibilities of the digital transformation for preserving the memory and the cultural assets they have.

We are now here, at Autodesk University, doing this class with you guys, to show a little bit of our work. And we have some other initiatives, that I would like to highlight just the e-book. We have started to catalog all the best practices, all the technical workflows we are testing, to make it available in public to everyone.

So I would like to thank everyone who watched until now. s you like this class, we will appreciate it. And please feel free to contact every one of us, in LinkedIn and social media, to further information.

Thank you, a lot. And goodbye.