Lecture “The History of 3D Scanning: From SfM to Europeana” for the Garage UA Lab IT Community

On March 25, Fedir and Yana Boitsov delivered a lecture at the Garage UA Lab community, where they discussed the evolution of 3D scanning technologies and their application in cultural heritage preservation. The focus of the meeting was the topic “The History of 3D Scanning: From SfM to Europeana,” which combined a historical overview of technologies, practical case studies, and a vision for the future of the digitisation of Ukrainian heritage.

During the lecture, Fedir Boitsov spoke about 3D scanning — from the basic principles of photogrammetry to modern approaches used to create accurate digital copies of objects and environments. He outlined the Structure from Motion (SfM) method, which makes it possible to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of a scene on the basis of a series of two-dimensional photographs, determining the positions of cameras and forming a sparse point cloud as the basis for further reconstruction. It was also about Multi-View Stereo (MVS), which works after SfM and makes it possible to build the dense geometry of an object, turning photographic material into a detailed 3D model.

In addition to photogrammetry, the lecture also presented other relevant technologies: LiDAR laser scanning, structured light scanning, NeRF, Gaussian Splatting, X-ray computed tomography, and RTI photometry. The speaker explained that each of these methods has its own area of application: some work better with large architectural objects, others — with museum artifacts, jewelry, or complex surfaces with reflections and transparency. Thus, modern 3D scanning appears not as one technology, but as a whole set of complementary tools that make it possible to obtain accurate, realistic, and suitable for different tasks digital models.

A separate block of the lecture was devoted to practical approaches to scanning objects of different scales. For large buildings and locations, combinations of aerial and ground photography are used, which make it possible to cover the object completely and at the same time preserve sufficient detail. For sculptures, small architectural forms, and museum objects, the team uses circular shooting, lighting control, ring flashes, turntables, macro lenses, cross-polarization, and special fixtures for delicate or moving objects. In some cases, photogrammetry is combined with structured light scanning in order to achieve maximum geometric accuracy. Fedir shared practical cases — scanning buildings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and jewelry from museum collections, including the Odesa Museum of Personal Collections named after O.M. Bleschunov and the National Archaeological Museum of Verona.

Yana Boitsova spoke about experience working with web platforms for publishing 3D content (Sketchfab, Europeana) and gave examples of how the results of 3D scanning can be used in practice. This is not only about the preservation of cultural heritage, but also about the creation of VR and AR experiences, visual effects for film, digital production, scientific research, damage documentation, exhibition formats, and online catalogs. Such an approach demonstrates that a 3D model today is not a final product, but a multifunctional digital asset that can work in education, museums, tourism, engineering, and the creative industries, and these relevant issues are being laid in the cultural policy of digitisation, in particular the Strategy for the Development of Culture of Ukraine until 2030.

The full recording of the lecture is available on YouTube: History of 3D Scanning: The Path from SfM to Europeana

This event is an example of how technical communities and cultural initiatives can interact with each other, creating new points of intersection between engineering, digital production, and the humanitarian sphere. Educational events not only popularize modern technologies, but also show that 3D digitisation is an important tool for preserving memory, documenting losses, and opening Ukrainian cultural heritage to an international audience.

The lecture was prepared within the activities of the project “3D-4CH — Online Competence Centre in 3D for Cultural Heritage,” which is being implemented in Ukraine by the public organization Pixelated Realities,, a partner of the 3D-4CH consortium, and co-financed by the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme. In accordance with Ukrainian legislation, the project is registered as international technical assistance, with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine indicated as the beneficiary.