VRML Representation of the Temple of Zeus

The model of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia has been produced by using very powerfull & the most advanced desktop computer systems. The software that was used was a 3D modeling package for the "heavy" models (that was then converted to VRML) and a text editor for the VRML primitives. All the VRML was fine tuned using a VRML Browser.

In general, the use of all the software mentioned above, doesn't present major difficulties, especially if the user has a 3D computer graphical background.

An important problem was the compatibility between the software. The conversion of models was producing 'heavier' VRML files but also the complicated could not be effectively build directly in VRML. Thus, the use of the 3D modeling program has been restraint to complicated models and the less complicated models have been produced directly to the text editor. Because of that the deadline of the project has been extended.

The textures on the model of the temple are scanned photos of drawings. Their appearence has been manipulated by using drawing and painting programs. They represent statues and relieves; kind of models that they would have made the whole scene very 'heavy' if presented otherwise or modelled.

The statue of Zeus was placed as a simple cube because an exact representation using VRML would have made the model extremely "heavy" and the file very large to download.

To facilitate the virtual tour of the viewer, we provided the scene with some viewpoints. To each of them (apart from Inside 2 and Birds'eye views), the position of the viewing point corresponds to the average height of the human eyes from the ground. Thus, the visitor can realise the splendour of the temple.