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<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">ISPRS-Archives</journal-id>
<journal-title-group>
<journal-title>The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences</journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">ISPRS-Archives</abbrev-journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="nlm-ta">Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci.</abbrev-journal-title>
</journal-title-group>
<issn pub-type="epub">2194-9034</issn>
<publisher><publisher-name>Copernicus Publications</publisher-name>
<publisher-loc>Göttingen, Germany</publisher-loc>
</publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.5194/isprs-archives-L-4-W2-2026-17-2026</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title>Visualization of Cultural Heritage Models with Semantic Region-Level Narratives Using glTF Metadata Extensions</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Atasoy</surname>
<given-names>Bura Adem</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5584-0427</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Akın</surname>
<given-names>Alper Tunga</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Terzi</surname>
<given-names>Fatih</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2">
<sup>2</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Usta</surname>
<given-names>Ziya</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2232-2011</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
</contrib-group><aff id="aff1">
<label>1</label>
<addr-line>Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geomatics Engineering, 61080 Ortahisar/Trabzon, Türkiye</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff2">
<label>2</label>
<addr-line>Karadeniz Technical University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, 61080 Ortahisar/Trabzon, Türkiye</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff3">
<label>3</label>
<addr-line>Department of Geomatics Engineering, Artvin Coruh University, Artvin 08100, Türkiye</addr-line>
</aff>
<pub-date pub-type="epub">
<day>28</day>
<month>09</month>
<year>2026</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>L-4/W2-2026</volume>
<fpage>17</fpage>
<lpage>24</lpage>
<permissions>
<copyright-statement>Copyright: &#x000a9; 2026 Bura Adem Atasoy et al.</copyright-statement>
<copyright-year>2026</copyright-year>
<license license-type="open-access">
<license-p>This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this licence, visit <ext-link ext-link-type="uri"  xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</ext-link></license-p>
</license>
</permissions>
<self-uri xlink:href="https://isprs-archives.copernicus.org/articles/L-4-W2-2026/17/2026/isprs-archives-L-4-W2-2026-17-2026.html">This article is available from https://isprs-archives.copernicus.org/articles/L-4-W2-2026/17/2026/isprs-archives-L-4-W2-2026-17-2026.html</self-uri>
<self-uri xlink:href="https://isprs-archives.copernicus.org/articles/L-4-W2-2026/17/2026/isprs-archives-L-4-W2-2026-17-2026.pdf">The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://isprs-archives.copernicus.org/articles/L-4-W2-2026/17/2026/isprs-archives-L-4-W2-2026-17-2026.pdf</self-uri>
<abstract>
<p>This study presents a web-based workflow for linking predefined semantic regions of a 3D cultural heritage model with externally managed historical, material, architectural, and restoration-related records. Saint Michael Church in Ak&amp;ccedil;aabat, Trabzon, was used as the test asset. Its photogrammetric model was converted to glTF and enriched with stable triangle identifiers through EXT_structural_metadata. The model was rendered in a Three.js-based viewer, while semantic and narrative records were maintained in MongoDB. When a user selected a surface, raycasting identified the intersected triangle and sent its identifier to the application programming interface. MongoDB then returned the semantic-region document whose children_ids array contained the selected triangle identifier. The retrieved information was displayed in the interface, and all triangles belonging to the matched region were highlighted on the model. Using one triangle identifier instead of three vertex identifiers reduced the identifier payload and required database references by approximately 66.7%. The prototype provided building-level access to architectural-plan and restoration-history records and region-level access to the large window, north entrance, apse, and nave dome. All tested components were successfully retrieved and highlighted, with displayed vertex counts ranging from 57,642 to 302,955. The results demonstrate the functional feasibility of connecting browser-based 3D interaction with separately managed and updateable cultural heritage narratives.</p>
</abstract>
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