Time-Dependent Illumination and Animation of Virtual Hagia-Sophia

Abstract

This paper presents a case study centered on the virtual restitution and virtual life simulation of a highly complex and endangered heritage edifice: the church of Hagia Sophia, in Istanbul, Turkey. The goal of this article is to describe the techniques used in order to achieve a real time rendering and animation of the selected space and its characters, as well as to point out the challenges and solutions that such a work implies at different stages in production. Most of these issues are focused on the reconstruction of the architecture of the site; however, in order to achieve an accurate simulation, the social aspect is not to be omitted. The importance of a heritage site resides as well in the historical characters and the social interactions that were taking place there: this information allows a better understanding of the function and the importance of the selected site in connection with the cultural aspects of the life at a certain time. In order to strengthen the feeling of immersion in a heritage edifice virtually restituted, it is important to recreate virtual life and describe the timely evolutionary aspects of the edifice as well.