CultUnity3D: a Virtual Spatial Ecosystem for Digital Engagement with Cultural Heritage Sites

Abstract

[Abstract] In order to help enhance public outreach and understanding of historical sites, we developed a virtual spatial ecosystem called CultUnity3D. It consists of a set of components specifically implemented within the Unity engine that enable the user to virtually explore spatial changes over time in two different modes, and to learn about the past of a built environment through the integration of and interaction with research sources and narrative. Although we built CultUnity3D for a particular case study, which is the monastic site of San Julián de Samos (Spain), this in-progress virtual ecosystem has been thought out and designed for continued and reusable development.