A five-level LoD concept for modelling of Buddhist statues in 3D with semantic information

Abstract. The concept of Levels of Detail (LoDs) plays a critical role in 3D semantic modelling by balancing geometric and semantic complexity with application needs. In our earlier work, we proposed a four-level LoD framework tailored to Buddhist statues, ranging from symbolic representation to detailed geometry, aiming to fulfil the needs for about 60 applications. However, when implementing this concept to applications in the cultural heritage domain, it is suggested to introduce an intermediate LoD between LoD2 and LoD3 because some applications need geometries coarser than the LoD3 but more detail than LoD2. In this paper, we present the analysis of these requirements and propose a new LoD for the 3D modelling of Buddhist statues. To verify the updated concept, we conducted a questionnaire among experts in geomatics and archaeology. Feedback from 170 participants confirmed that the five-level LoD concept is more appropriate and the revised framework provides a more comprehensive alignment with tasks in archaeology, conservation, museum exhibition, and risk management, and demonstrates strong potential for standardization within CityGML ADE.