2. 3D Modelling for the Digital Humanities and Social Sciences

Instructor: John Bonnett (Brock University)

Classroom: Zavitz 402

This course has three aims. The first is to introduce participants to the world of 3D modelling. What methods and software are available to generate 3D content? What languages are used to support their expression and dissemination over the Internet? The second purpose is practical: it will provide an introduction to 3D modelling.  Participants will be introduced to the multiple methods now available for 3D content capture or creation.  They will also be shown how 3D content creation can be integrated into courses devoted to digital history, virtual heritage, architectural history and theatre history, and related disciplines in archaeology and anthropology. Here, participants will be introduced to Sketchup, a 3D modelling software package developed by Google that can be procured for free, or for minimal cost in an education institution.  They will also be introduced to the use of historical sources typically used to produce 3D models, most notably architectural drawings, fire insurance plans and photographs.  Over the course of the week, students will leverage this knowledge in 3D model construction and source interpretation to collectively construct a heritage building.  The third aim of the course will be to explore the pedagogical, analytical and expressive benefits of 3D modelling. How can such activities support student learning, and in particular the development of their constructive and critical thinking skills? How and why are scholars appropriating 3D models to support extant and emerging research concerns in disciplinary domains such as architectural history and trans-disciplinary domains such as the spatial turn?