I chose to explore and reve
rse engineer the Virtual Paul’s Cross Project. The project has a visual model and a web accessible model that is a digital re-creation and visualization of John Donne’s Gunpowder Day Sermon. The interactive visual model is installed in the Teaching and Visualization Lab at NC State’s James B. Hunt Library. The model uses 10 projectors and 21 speakers to provide a 270 degree image of Paul’s Churchyard.
Sources:
The main source of the project was John Donne’s Sermon. The sermon was sourced through original manuscripts and published works. The visual data of the the Church of England were sourced from engravings and paintings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. They also collaborated with various preaching venues to gather data about the acoustics of the church.
Processes:
John Donne’s sermon itself was recreated by a voice actor and linguist to replicate how it would have sounded in an early London accent. A 3D online model was created on the website where visitors can interact with the imaging as if they are moving through the church and the courtyard. Acoustic engineers created audio effects that give visitors the experience of what the speech would’ve sounded like from different locations in the courtyard.
Displayed:
The visual model of the church was made web-accessible and interactive with the use of 3D imaging. The project can let a user interactively fly around the Church and courtyard and also has audio features to hear the Courtyard’s acoustic space and the audibility of the sermon. The website can be navigated through the tabs across the top of the page. They also gave a description of the process of construction. The project presents information through the 3D model, writing, audio samples, photos, videos, and graphs.