46 The advantages of using 3D modelling software as a conservation and restoration tool A 17th century vestry cabinet KEYWORDS: Vestry cabinet, Google Sketchup®, 3D modelling, volumetric reconstitution, furniture conservation. The following work arises from the internship developed during a conservation restoration master’s degree internship at the Conservation and Restoration Laboratory of the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar. The 17th century vestry cabinet is part of the furniture that belongs to the head church of Golegã, a village located in the centre region of Portugal, and it’s composed by three main levels which are the base (with the feet and a drawer), the intermediate level (where there are two doors opening from the centre to the sides, and the entablature (where the cabinet is top-terminated with a hand-carved frieze, decorated with flowers and cherubs). Its style is commonly known as “Kast”. Due to the poor state of conservation of the cabinet and the intervention already carried out at the beginning of the internship, on the cabinet when the internship began, “rebuilding” the cabinet in a 3D modelling software has ended up being an asset on the pathologies and damages identification, and useful in subsequent conservation and restoration procedures. The software used on the process has been Google Sketchup®. Although some more complex and accurate software exist, it was decided to use this one due to its simplicity and previous knowledge already acquired about it. The three-dimensional modelling was made using some pictures as resources. All the original parts of the object were measured as well as the wood joinery, and from that measurement we started 3D modelling on Google Sketchup®. Level by level, it was possible to get a complete 3D model of the cabinet, which has become an extremely useful tool for its volumetric reconstitution, considering the gaps and missing elements. By using this three-dimensional model, it was possible not only to start the structural review of the cabinet from the existing deteriorated elements, but also to reconstitute it volumetrically, by filling in the gaps, but, above all, by reconstituting the missing elements, with the aid of 3D modelling used to document information about them in terms of dimensions and the joining systems of the original parts and the reconstituted parts. rafaelsousa1996[at]hotmail.com
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