The gallery of pictures above is an exhibition of the power of 3D Modeling. While it may not be the most intricate or complex building to create a model of, it still contributes to the growing practice of creating digital models. 

In order to create this model, I used photographs taken from multiple angles around the Old Concert Building. To create the digital model itself, I used the program SketchUp Online. This online tool allowed me to be able to draw the Concert Building from scratch using various line, geometric, scaling, spatial, and texture tools. I began at a glance, taking note that the building’s physical structure was very basic and boxy. I made a decent-sized box when I realized that I didn’t have dimensions. I searched Carleton’s website and other related links for information about the floor plans or possibly the blueprints but to no avail. I ended up using the character model that is innately available at the start of a new SketchUp session and used her for scale. In fact, I actually cross-referenced the model person with another feature of the building to get the approximate dimensions of the building. I simply assumed the model person was the same height that I am and used a personal picture that I have next to the building to approximate the height of the black glass extension entrance at the north end of the building. This allowed me to construct the black glass entrance. Once I had fully constructed the base of the glass entrance, I used the photos provided to scale the height of the entrance to the height and width of the building. Soon after I had the foundations of the model and began to work on finer details such as the indented windows, the protruding pipes, and the colors and textures of the building. Overall it was a fun yet tedious process but not as tedious as designing this subdomain.

Being relatively new to the web developing environment comes with a lot of challenges, the primary one being self-confidence. I grappled for a long while with trying to perfect this subdomain. Certain colors and fonts could make a world of a difference in the experience of a web page as a consumer, and this is magnified when one is making such decisions through the lens of. the creator. I wanted to go for. professional, classy, sleek look, using white and black as my color foundations and some gold trim, but this turned out to be terribly dull! I ended up using a more mustard color paired with a basic design, which much better because it makes the site far more intriguing.

Looking back on the work I had to do, just to get the foundation measurements of the model, and to figure out how to configure this subdomain, my appreciation of the intersectional nature of digital arts and humanities was further reaffirmed. I already touched on the importance of color choice and organizational flow for a user to have an enjoyable experience on a website. I think the real gem lies in the preparation and adaptation of the project. I experienced curveballs when making the subdomain, I struggled with importing files, planning how images would fit into the webspace, etc. I overcame these issues by pivoting and finding new avenues to make my vision work, be it by downloading a new theme, deleting menu options, or selecting what space I wanted to make use of. While making the 3D model, I had to improvise to approximate the dimensions of the building, critically thinking and being resourceful with the tools I had to work with such as a random picture I had next to the building and using that as a scale for the model. In doing all this on such a small scale with relatively low stakes, I couldn’t help but think of all the larger, more advanced, and important historical models in which 3D modeling could be used. At just the Carleton level, the Concert Hall is a historical building that probably will not exist in a few years because of its structural integrity issues. Digital Modeling allows us to capture the building as it is so that in its destruction, the building is never truly lost. It is possible to even use digital modeling to make suggestions about how to improve the structure of the new building or structure that will take its place, allowing Carleton to learn what caused the structural issues and how they could possibly solve them. On a much bigger scale, I think digital modeling could be very important to The Ethiopian Orthodox Church and its people, who are in extreme danger due to attacks from Etrian soldiers. Their church in itself is a historical foundation for Christianity that should be conserved and protected but could be destroyed soon. The data of such a historical site could digitally preserve an entire culture that is at threat of being wiped out. The potential of digital 3D modeling is endless and in certain circumstances could be considered priceless. In an ever-changing world, digital modeling could offer a degree of stability in its ability to capture anything we measure.