3-D scan of cuneiform tablet from Ur.

Software for Range Map Analysis

Range Map Analysis Software

The intent is to use this data collection and analysis method for computer-aided human analysis of non-industrial objects. An advantage over CT or MRI data is the much lower cost. The user is presented with an image, similar to a photograph or reconstructed CT image. Mouse clicks select landmark points, borders of regions of interest, and via points on 3-D space curves. When the user is happy with the selections, the following analysis is recorded:

thumbnail of data browser panel

Software is under development to allow "browsing" of a range map, selecting landmarks of interest, and producing reports that detail the 3-D characteristics of points, paths along surfaces, and regions. At left is a thumbnail image of the screendump, a full-sized image appears below.

Features of the interface include the following, where bold items are already in place. After working on the interface for only about eight days, all the functionality of the previous Xlib-based package had been duplicated or exceeded. A testament to the rapid development possible under Tcl/Tk!

full-sized data browser image