Heritage preservation involves the protection, conservation, and maintenance of cultural elements passed down over time—such as historic buildings, monuments, artifacts, clothing, tools, cultural landscapes, and traditional practices. It’s a way to safeguard history and culture, detailing how people lived and the traditions that shaped their lives.

Traditionally, heritage preservation relied heavily on paper archives—such as sketches, drawings, photographs, and written records. 3D scanning is emerging as a powerful tool for documenting artifacts, introducing new possibilities for observing, studying, and analyzing the past like never before.

How do 3D scanners work?

A 3D scanner captures a physical object into a realistic 3D representation on the computer—known as a 3D model or a digital twin. This technology enables the creation of accurate digital records, ensuring our cultural heritage remains accessible and preserved for future generations to study and learn—anytime, anywhere.

Museums, cultural institutions, and university departments are increasingly adopting professional 3D scanners to document and preserve culturally significant landmarks and archaeological sites.

Main Benefits of Using a Professional 3D Scanner

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  Accuracy and Completeness

  3D scanners provide highly repeatable measurements of an object’s geometry and surface details. This reliable data that can be used for detailed study, sharing, and analysis.

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  Fast, Reliable Documentation

  3D scanners enable fast, accurate capture of artifacts and heritage sites compared to traditional methods. Document detailed records in minimal time.

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  Capture Objects in High-Resolution

  Digital 3D models let researchers examine fine details, from fingerprints on handmade artifacts to cut marks on bones. They are often difficult to see with the naked eye.

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  Ease of Use: Simple and Intuitive

  Professional 3D scanners like Artec are easy to use—simply point and shoot. Paired with intuitive software, it’s easy to capture 3D models with minimal training.

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  Portability

  Certain 3D scanners are designed for remote, on-site use. The handheld, battery-powered, wireless Artec Leo has a touchscreen and built-in processing, so you can capture data without a computer.

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  Non-Contact

  Professional scanners can capture objects without physical contact, eliminating the risk of damage to fragile or irreplaceable artifacts during the documentation process.

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  True Color Likeness

  3D scanning preserves the shape of cultural artifacts along with true-to-life colors and textures, providing a more authentic digital record for research, education, and heritage preservation.

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  Flexibility and Versatility

  You can digitize artifacts of various sizes, ranging from small objects to large monuments. Some 3D scanners are adaptable for scanning objects in both indoor and outdoor environments.

Professional 3D scanners capture digital 3D models that accurately preserve an artifact’s form and texture at sub-millimeter precision. They can scan everything from small artifacts to entire buildings and environments. Some also capture challenging surfaces such as fabric, hair, shiny materials, and dark objects.

It’s important to note that different scanners are optimized for different object sizes and applications. The following examples highlight what 3D scanning can achieve.

Extra-Small Object Example – Coin

How fast can a 3D scanner digitize a physical object?

Scanning time: 2 minutes
Processing time: 8 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes

Scanned with Artec Space Spider 3D scanner

Small Object Example – Flask

Medium Object Example – Armor

Large Objects – Buildings

Large-Scale Historical Structures – Ancient Assyrian Reliefs

The Assyrian reliefs and sculptures have been part of the British Museum’s collection for 160 years. However, traditional photographs and videos have limitations in conveying the actual scale and detail of the narrative scenes. To address this issue, the museum partnered with CyArk to create detailed 3D scans of the reliefs.

CyArk is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using emerging technologies, like 3D scanning, to build a 3D digital archive of cultural heritage sites at risk of being lost to natural disasters, human conflict, or the effects of time. They digitally document more than 200 square meters of ancient Assyrian reliefs, a massive undertaking to preserve history under the museum’s care.

Why is it important to digitally preserve physical history?

In 612 BCE, Nineveh—the capital of the Assyrian Empire—fell to the Babylonians. As in many conquests, the faces of kings and monuments were deliberately defaced to erase them from history. This pattern of destruction, repeated across centuries and still occurring today, underscores the need to safeguard material heritage. Digital preservation protects history from physical destruction by natural decay, conflict, and attempts to erase cultural memory. (Source: CyArk website: Assyrian Collection of the British Museum)

These 3D models illustrate how 3D scanning can capture artifacts from tiny, intricate pieces to massive, monumental works, ensuring cultural heritage is accurately documented, protected, and remains accessible over time.

It is in our human nature to enjoy the tactile experience of touching and feeling objects. With 3D scanning, once an artifact has been digitized, this data can be used to create highly accurate 3D printed replicas using a 3D printer that resembles close to the original.

In most cases, artifacts are too rare and fragile to handle regularly without risking damage. 3D printing preserves the originals while producing detailed replicas that a wider audience can touch and handle. By combining 3D scanning and 3D printing, institutions can:

• Support hands-on learning
• Enhance the experience of museum and exhibit visitors with 3D printed models of artifacts

How 3D Printing Works

This video demonstrates the process of taking an original artifact through the scan to print.

Using 3D Printing in an Innovative Way

The synergy between 3D scanning and 3D printing provides a fresh perspective on studying the past that cannot be accomplished in any other way. A notable example of this is Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation (JRF), an organization dedicated to the preservation, education, and archaeological investigation of the first permanent English settlement in America more than 400 years ago.

Over the years, the organization has recovered European pottery alongside Virginia Indian ceramics. The archeology team was able to recover one-sixth of the pot in the form of fragments, with the texture of a negative impression of a Virginia Indian thrush basket on the ceramic pot. The vessel was made by pressing clay against the interior of a woven basket made by Native Indians, leaving the basket’s impression on the pot.

The artifacts provided historical evidence of how English settlers integrated aspects of Virginia Indian culture, adapting indigenous objects and technologies for their own use.

To enhance the visualization of this particular artifact further, the 3D technology team recreated the basket from the negative impressions left by the pot by 3D printing the positive impression. The exhibition provided the opportunity for the public to see what an actual Virginia Indian basket would have looked like for the first time.

“Through this [imaging and printing] process here, we’re going to end up creating a positive of the only Virginia Indian basket that’s ever been seen.”

David Givens Senior Staff Archaeologist Jamestown Rediscovery

Digitizing artifacts and making them accessible online empowers researchers, educators, and students to explore, examine, and interact with them, broadening access to rare objects. This digital access not only enables scholars and institutions to collaborate, share discoveries, and conduct comparative studies, but also engages the public with cultural heritage. Below are a few examples of digital libraries and virtual exhibits you can explore online.

MorphoSource – 3D Data Repository

MorphoSource serves the academic community as an online repository for 3D and 2D digital models of biological specimens, paleontological finds, and cultural heritage objects. Users can access over 100,000 models—including CT scans, photogrammetry datasets, and 3D meshes—directly in a web browser, with detailed metadata to support discovery and research.

Sketchfab – Online Platform for Publishing, Sharing, and Discovering 3D Content

Sketchfab, the world’s largest online platform for publishing and exploring 3D, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR) content, offers a dedicated section for Cultural Heritage. This platform allows museums, cultural institutions, and researchers to share high-quality 3D models of artifacts and historical sites, making cultural heritage accessible to audiences worldwide.

Tapestry – Web-Based Storytelling Platform

If you are looking for an immersive experience, Tapestry brings historic places to life through immersive 3D storytelling available online. Tapestry makes cultural heritage accessible by offering virtual experiences that allow anyone to visit historical sites and discover their stories. The organization has created 100+ experiences with 2.5 million virtual visitors coming to learn about cultural heritage sites from around the world.

Using advanced 3D technologies like LiDAR scanning and photogrammetry, CyArk builds high-resolution 3D models that form the foundation of each story. These digital reconstructions go beyond visual detail—they’re enriched with narration, ambient sound, archival imagery, and personal stories from people connected to the site. The result is an interactive tour that lets you explore different cultural experiences from every angle, whether on your desktop or phone, in a way that feels deeply engaging.

What’s truly impressive is that you can go through an immersive experience of historical sites anywhere in the world, from the Forgotten Ship of the USS Utah Memorial at Pearl Harbor to the Tombs of Sudan’s ancient rulers.

To go one step further, CyArk uses VR to create immersive experiences that allow people to explore heritage sites as if they were there. Virtual reality (VR) places users inside a site rather than simply showing it on a screen. Users perceive scale, depth, and spatial relationships that photos or videos often lose, making monuments and landscapes feel more lifelike. VR surrounds the viewer with 360° visuals and sound and often enables interactive exploration, creating the sensation of being there. This deeper engagement makes the experience more memorable and builds a stronger emotional connection to the site and its history.

Many precious artifacts and historical buildings that tell our story are at risk of damage or loss over time. To protect them for future generations and to preserve an accurate record of the past, 3D scanning creates lasting digital versions of these physical objects.

Conservation Efforts

The war in Ukraine has destroyed countless historical sites and artifacts, many of which are irreplaceable cultural treasures. To protect what remains, Skeiron has dedicated its work to safeguarding Ukraine’s rich heritage by 3D scanning as much of its physical history as possible and making it digitally accessible to the world. These digital archives will also enable museums to create accurate replicas in the future, ensuring that even when tangible history is lost, cultural identity can still be preserved through digitization.

Following the launch of #SaveUkrainianHeritage campaign to protect endangered architectural monuments, Skeiron—supported by Artec 3D—introduced Museum in 3D. Now featured on Google Arts & Culture, the project features over 200 museum artifacts captured with the Artec Leo, all of which can be explored online.

Repairing Artifacts and Historical Sites

As a proactive step to safeguard cultural heritage, conservators can build a comprehensive digital library of 3D models of artifacts and heritage sites. These models capture their current condition, record architectural details, and assess structural integrity. Documentation makes it easier to monitor changes over time and identify areas needing repair or restoration in the future. With accurate 3D data, conservators can plan restoration work with precision while preserving the authenticity of the original structure.

“Why is it important to preserve cultural heritage? Because culture defines who we are in principle. Culture is what makes us unique. It’s material culture, living culture, languages, writing—is what we are. Only by preserving this culture would we preserve ourselves and our identity.”

Iryna Lutsyk PhD, Junior Researcher of the Archaeology Department of the I. Krypaikevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies Quote taken from video, Digitizing Ukrainian heritage with Artec 3D

We hope this article provides a clearer understanding of the significant role 3D scanners play in preserving cultural heritage. By capturing precise, high-resolution digital replicas of artifacts, structures, and historical sites, 3D scanning allows researchers, educators, and the public to study and experience these treasures without risking damage to the originals. The true value lies in its ability to objectively document history and share accurate records with the world, making cultural heritage more accessible, engaging, and protected for future generations.

Processing 3D scan data can be complex and time-intensive. The Workflows feature automates routine post-processing steps, delivering faster, consistent results across applications such as CGI, reverse engineering, and manufacturing.

Once raw data is captured using an Artec 3D scanner, it must be processed through a series of algorithms to transform it into a usable 3D model. The output can then be exported from Artec Studio for applications such as 3D visualization, reverse engineering, or inspection. The Workflows feature allows you to build a customizable and automated processing pipeline, linking together steps like registration, fusion, mesh optimization, and export into a streamlined, one-click process. After creating a workflow, you can save it for repeated use whenever needed.

How 3D Scanning Works

Data Capture (Hardware)

Using an Artec 3D scanner to acquire information about the physical object. For AI Photogrammetry (introduced in Artec Studio version 19), you can also use photos or videos captured from your own camera-equipped device (like a smartphone, Digital SLR, or drone).

Scan Data Processing (Software)

The data is then imported into Artec Studio for further processing. What’s special about Artec Studio is that it uses AI algorithms to process the raw scans, clean them up, and then stitch each scan into a complete 3D model.

The Workflows feature automates this step so you don’t have to do it manually once it’s set up.

Export for Use

Once processing is complete, you can export the 3D models for use in other third-party software (e.g. CAD, reverse engineering, or inspection), or use them for 3D visualization applications.

Who is this feature built for?

The Workflows feature is a major time-saver for users who regularly scan similar objects with Artec 3D scanners or AI Photogrammetry. It allows you to create, save, share, and reuse predefined sequences of processing steps as Workflow presets. Once you’ve found the ideal settings for a particular object, you can save them as a Workflow and apply the entire sequence effortlessly whenever needed—eliminating the need to reconfigure everything from scratch. Setup is straightforward.

Step 1: Add the processing tools step by step.

In Workflows, go to the Add tool button and add all the necessary steps you want to process the scan data. The tools are divided into sections for easy viewing and selection.

You can configure your preferred settings for each step as shown below. You can define the workflow first and then go back to adjust the settings for each step. This ability to fine-tune each step gives you greater control over how the scan data is processed.

Step 2: Run the Sequence

After configuring the workflow, select Run to initiate automated, step-by-step processing of the scan data in Artec Studio.

Exporting Workflow

Once a workflow is saved, it can be selected and used again for future projects without reconfiguring the steps by exporting it. You can also share the file with other users so they can run the same workflow you created.

How to Import Existing Workflows

You can import existing workflows simply by going to the gear icon and selecting Import Workflows. Select a file with the file extension .aswf

Tutorial Video

For a detailed tutorial on using Workflows, Artec has created a step-by-step video that walks you through this feature.

Below is a full list of all the tools included in the Artec Studio 20 Workflows feature at the time Artec Studio 20 was released.

Automation + Scripting

If you’re on the Artec Studio yearly subscription, you get an extra perk! You can run workflows via command line—ideal for autonomous file-to-model workflows.

In Artec Studio 20, automated scripting lets you fully automate scan data processing tasks—from importing raw scans to creating finished 3D models and exporting them—without manual intervention. Command-line scripts enable batch processing, repeatable results, and integration with third-party tools like Geomagic Control X to generate inspection reports, reducing repetitive work and freeing you from being tied to your workstation.

Not familiar with scripting? No problem! Our team can help you create a script to automate your scan data processing. With an automated workflow in place, you can focus on the work that really matters. Contact us to learn more.

Reason #1: Automating data processing with Workflows yields faster results

There are three ways to process the same data into a 3D model in Artec Studio 20: Workflows, Autopilot, and manually. Creating 3D models with Workflows is faster than launching individual tools. Workflow automation in Artec Studio 20 is 70% faster compared to the other two methods. Let Artec Studio do the work, empowering you to focus on other tasks without interruptions. Once a workflow is set up, it becomes a one-click process.

Reason #2: Get repeatable results—even when working in a team environment

Once a workflow is saved, you can easily share it with colleagues or team members—even those with minimal experience using Artec Studio 20. This ensures that everyone working on the same project can follow the exact same processing steps, delivering consistent results every time.

Reason #3: Customizable to suit different use cases

If your projects have varying scanning needs, you can tailor a workflow to:

• a specific object type
• an Artec 3D scanner (if you use different models), or
• other criteria such as accuracy, resolution, or polygon count

In addition to the Workflows feature, Artec Studio 20 has many improvements, including Artec Micro II HD Mode, Spider II Autopilot, improvements to the AI Photogrammetry feature, RCP file type integration, and a revamped user interface.

Here is an overview video that features the highlights of Artec Studio 20.

For more information about this latest version, visit our Artec Studio page.

Artec Studio Brochure

The brochure highlights the new improvements in Artec Studio 20 and includes a comparison chart showing how it differs from previous version of the 3D scanning and data processing software.

Release Notes

For a bullet list of new features and upgrades, check out Artec Studio 20’s release notes.

Artec Online Courses

As a bonus, Artec created a free online course, What’s New in Artec Studio 20, that gives in-depth video tutorials. They take you through the new features and upgrades to Artec Studio 20, including Workflows, 3D scanner upgrades, AI Photogrammetry feature upgrades, and more!

Artec has also released a step-by-step tutorial video on manually processing 3D scan data in Artec Studio 20.