Virtual reconstruction of urban environments from historical photographs through Image Based Animations (IBA). The Plaza de la Virgen de Valencia around 1870

Abstract

[EN] The recreation of the historical environment of emblematic urban spaces in our cities through interactive technologies, allows to extend their knowledge among the interested users while contributing to its assessment. When the documentary bases are photographs it is possible to carefully model the recorded elements using photogrammetry techniques based on 3D primitives, so that by means of an immersive navigation limited to certain points of view, an appearance of acceptable tridimensionality is obtained, where only isolated images of dispersed frames are available. The virtual recreation can be completed increasing its realistic appearance through its edition with animations of objects (for example, carriages) and characters, texts, musical setting, etc. The results can be presented in formats such as video or navigation through virtual reality helmets. From a selection of the first historical photographs of the Plaza de la Virgen, that we have obtained searching in several documentary sources, our multidisciplinary team is interested in a reliable, realistic and pleasant presentation of the urban environment of one of the most representative places in the city of Valencia, whose spatial configuration has changed significantly over the years.