Internet Archaeology 7. Terras. A Virtual Tomb for Kelvingrove: Requirements Analysis

4.1 Requirements analysis

The system will provide a VRML display of an ancient Egyptian tomb for use in the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow.

The model will be a scale replica of an actual Egyptian tomb; that of Sen-nedjem in Deir el-Medina.
The model will maintain archaeological integrity at all times.
The initial view of the model will be the outside of the tomb; the user will be allowed to navigate inside by means of an animated fly-through.
The user will be able to explore the inner chamber of the tomb.
The model must be able to be viewed in real time.
The model will be navigated using one source of user input, the mouse.
The model will accept only one source of input at any time (i.e. the model will not be multi-user).
The model will incorporate interactive animated elements to add to the atmosphere of the display.
A user interface will assist the user in the navigation of the model.
The model will only be rendered once per session, and have the ability to be used by many different users in that session.
Animation and instructions will reset at the beginning of each new user's viewing of the model.
The screen saver utility will be used to provide an 'at rest' introductory screen to invite a new user to use the model.
The model will be thoroughly tested before installation in the gallery.
The model will be made available via the C drive of the computer installed in the museum or on a CD-ROM (the system will not be attached to a network).
Comprehensive documentation will be provided along with the model that will cover all aspects of the model and system.

The model will be easy to navigate for a user unfamiliar with VRML and computers.
The system will be easy to install and maintain (having adequate documentation to aid technical support).
The model must be reliable, i.e. have a long mean time between failures and short 'up-time' (i.e. up-time being the time it takes a system to reboot after a crash).
The model and system must be secure from interference from unauthorised users.

The model will be constructed using VRML 2.0.
The model will be constructed using a word-processing package and CosmoWorlds 2.0 on a PC system.
Images will be digitised using Fotolook 2 on a PC system with scanner, and manipulated using Adobe PhotoShop.
The model will be viewed using Netscape and the Cosmo Player 2.0 plug-in on a PC system.
Images for the model will be taken from the publication Das Grab des Sennedjem, Ein Kunstlergrab der 19.Dynastie in Deir el Medineh, Abdel Ghaffar Shedid, 1994, ISBN 3-8053-1756-5. Other general reading about the tomb will be undertaken.