A Complete Workflow for Large-Scale and High-Detail 3D Documentation of Historical Architecture

Shijiazhuang Flower Hall is a traditional Chinese courtyard house covering about 745㎡. It is named after the delicate wood carvings that decorate almost every wooden part inside — beams, brackets, purlins, and friezes. These carvings represent the craftsmanship of Dongyang wood carving, passed down through generations.

Why a Digital Archive Matters

Time does not spare even the most beautiful buildings. Humidity, temperature shifts, and human activity slowly wear away the wood and its carvings. A digital record is the first step toward preservation — but not just any record.

Restorers need precise measurements to plan interventions without harming the original. Researchers need high‑resolution details to study carving techniques and iconography, even from across the world. And the public deserves a way to experience this hidden gem without traveling to a small village in Zhejiang.

That is where 3D scanning enters the picture.

The Two‑Sided Challenge

Capturing a building like the Huating is not a simple task. In fact, it presents two very different problems at once.

• Macro scale — the entire 745‑square‑meter courtyard, its axial symmetry, its column grids and bay proportions. Traditional surveying methods are slow and prone to cumulative angular errors. Speed and accuracy across a large area are required.
• Micro details — the undercuts on a corbel, the depth of a flower petal carved into an eaves frieze, the subtle curves of a basket‑shaped bracket. Some details are only a few millimeters deep. Faithful capture demands a scanner with extremely high resolution and the ability to handle complex, recessed geometries.

One single technology cannot do both. Therefore, a combination of technologies was used.

A Two‑Tool Workflow: the Full Courtyard to the Single Carving

SHINING 3D partnered with OmniSLAM to combine two complementary scanning systems, each doing what it does best.

• The Full Courtyard: OmniSLAM R8+ mobile SLAM scanner

For the overall layout, the OmniSLAM R8+ mobile SLAM color 3D laser scanner was used. With an angular accuracy of 0.005° in leveling and verticality, it built a precise digital framework of the entire building in just 15 minutes. This provided the spatial bones — the column positions, the room proportions, the relationship between halls and wings.

OmniSLAM R8+ scanning scene

OmniSLAM R8+ millimeter-level point cloud data

• The Single Carving: SHINING 3D EinScan Libre

For the carved details, the EinScan Libre wireless all‑in‑one handheld 3D scanner was the tool of choice. Designed for true portability, it requires no external computer, making it ideal for on‑site heritage documentation. In its fine‑area laser scanning mode, the EinScan Libre delivers accuracy up to 0.04 mm and a minimum point spacing of 0.05 mm. This combination of wireless freedom and high precision enabled the capture of every turn, every depth, and every tiny cut of the wood carvings on corbels, brackets, beams, and eaves friezes.

• Fusion

Bringing the Archive to Life

This digital twin is far more than a file on a hard drive. It becomes a working tool for:

• Restoration planning — Virtual simulations can be run on the accurate model, allowing restorers to test interventions without touching the real building.
• Academic research — Scholars can study carving themes, tool marks, and techniques remotely, comparing details across different parts of the building without traveling to the site.
• Public engagement — The model can be transformed into VR experiences, letting anyone walk through the courtyard and appreciate the carvings up close, from anywhere in the world.

Serving the Cultural Creation & Art Customization Industry

This project demonstrates how SHINING 3D's All‑in‑One 3D Scanners serve the Cultural Creation & Art Customization industries. From historic buildings to museum artifacts, the technology delivers high‑fidelity 3D documentation for preservation, research, and digital display. Combined with large‑scene scanning tools from partners like OmniSLAM, SHINING 3D provides a complete workflow — from the big picture down to the finest detail. A workflow built not just to measure, but to preserve the soul of human artistry.