EM starts from here

1. Addition of the Transformation Stratigraphic Unit (TSU) Node

• Description: The new TSU node has been introduced to formalize and represent surface degradation phenomena. It enables the description of changes in a stratigraphic unit or physical object, such as walls or other surfaces, affected by long-term degradation processes.

• Usage: The TSU node provides a conceptual and visual representation of surface changes over time, facilitating the analysis and interpretation of surfaces that have undergone structural or aesthetic alterations, such as erosion, discoloration, or fragmentation.

• Benefits: With the TSU node, users can integrate detailed information about the condition of surfaces, connecting these changes to the broader timeline of an archaeological site or architectural structure.

2. Introduction of the Dotted Connector

• Description: The new dotted connector has been added to link multiple instances of the same stratigraphic unit that has transformed or moved over time. This connector enables users to establish a relationship between different versions of the same element, describing how it evolved or was relocated.

• Example of Use: A wall with stratigraphic unit US100 found in a collapsed state during an excavation can be linked via the dotted connector to US100B, representing the same wall relocated to a different position as part of an anastylosis. This preserves the semantic connection between the two instances of the object while acknowledging the change in position or condition over time.

• Application: Ideal for representing structural elements or artifacts that have been altered, moved, or reconstructed while maintaining a unique reference to their historical origin.

3. General Improvements

• Optimization of temporal queries to incorporate degradation data through TSU nodes.

• Enhanced rendering of dotted connections for improved visualization in knowledge graphs.

Compatibility: Version 1.4 is fully compatible with previous versions of Extended Matrix and existing APIs.

For further details on implementation or technical inquiries, please refer to the updated documentation or contact technical support.

EMtools (Blender addon) 1.4

New Features:

• XLSX Reader: Added functionality to import source files in .xlsx format for easier data handling and integration.

• JSON Exporter for Aton & EMviq: Extended support for JSON serialization, enabling the export of knowledge graphs for Aton and specifically for EMviq workflows.

• External Libraries Installation: Introduced new systems to easily install and manage external libraries within the tool.

• Aton Integration: Added the ability to launch Aton directly from Blender for streamlined workflows.

• Statistics & Geometry Tools: New tools for calculating statistics, volumes, and dimensions, including surface areas of wall structures based on selected proxy models.

• Automatic Property Numbering: Support for automatic numbering of properties within the Extended Matrix.

• Collection Exporter for EMviq: Added functionality to export collections directly to EMviq for enhanced data management.

Improvements:

• Code Cleanup: General code optimization and performance improvements to enhance overall tool stability and efficiency.

• Bug Fixes: Resolved various issues and added tools for opening node-related resources, such as images, directly from the operating system.

Extended Functionality:

• Transformation Stratigraphic Unit (TSU): Version 1.4 introduces support for TSU, allowing for detailed characterization of degradation surfaces.

These updates make the Extended Matrix Tool even more powerful and adaptable to advanced workflows, enhancing integration with Aton and EMviq.

EMF 1.3 (announcement) :

• New Documentary (Stratigraphic) Unit node (orange colour) to express elements with existence is directly referenced by a source, for instance, a drawing, a writing source or a photo. See details in the technical documentation.

• Removed distinction between “epoch“ and its reconstruction “epoch rec”: now all the information regarding an epoch is stored in the same row.

• Standardized source list to organize with consistency the sources in an excel file during data collection in the library or on the field.

• New palette including coloured nodes and the new USD node to improve the visual clarity of the matrices.

• The new version of EMtools includes:

  • full support of EM 1.3

  • a refactored export panel targeting Aton 3-based web apps (like EMviq) with tools to easily optimise models  for web visualisation;

  • new button to turn off and turn on just reconstructive elements “per epoch” (according to the removal of the “epoch”-“epoch rec” duality)

  • an importer for SQLite databases (targeting several to extend alphanumeric information available within blender (building technique, etc..);

  • an importer for the official EM source list (.xlsx format) to enrich the standard information about the source (URLs, description, etc..) contained in the GraphML file.

• The new version of EMviq includes:

  • full support of EM 1.3

  • representation of paradata nodes within the EMviq online experience

• Added a first version of EMdb data structure file targeting several formalized data sheets in archaeology (Italian ministerial USM sheet, an experimental USV sheet) to be imported into Blender.

EM 1.2

• New white series node  to express series of existing elements (a series of bases of columns found in original position).

• New continuity node to express the duration time span of a stratigraphic unit.

EMF 1.2:

• Added a new palette including coloured nodes and the new USD node to improve the visual clarity of the matrices.

• The new version of EMtools includes:

  • EMviq exporter to create a non-redundant folder tree including metadata, paradata, proxies, and representation models with a manager of exporting errors

EM 1.1

• full support to 3D modelling:

  • Proxy models are simplified representations of the reconstruction through basic geometrical shapes (cylinders, boxes, spheres, etc.)

  • Representation models are focused on fine geometries, colour, and material simulations resulting in the final, aesthetic depiction of the reconstruction hypothesis.

  • Snapshots: a snapshot is a survey of a model collected at a precise moment in time (i.e. the photogrammetric survey of a Temple in 2014). The snapshots are a palimpsest of a context. In order to isolate the elements pertaining to a given epoch they are geometrically segmented and cleaned by posthumous portions.

  • EM workflow standardisation (data collection, analysis and outputs)

• Guidelines for scientific publication of a re-construction hypothesis

  • Report of virtual activities that enables an intermediate output for non-technical users

  • Dossier Comparatif for the collection and organisation of the sources

• New conventions in node connection (arches) to simplify and made clearer the visual representation of the EM have specific documentation (whitepapers, online wiki, etc.).

• and much more...

Starting from this version, along every new EM, there is a EMF Extended Matrix Framework which includes tools and software to make the use of the Extended Matrix approach smoother and more effective.

EMF 1.1

• EM Tools Blender addon

• EMviq tool, designed and developed by Bruno Fanini, which provide a complete visualisation and interrogation context within the framework.  It is a collaborative, cloud based tool which connects the 3D models (reconstructive and snapshots) with the reconstruction hypothesis (EM). It can be used as a convenient test for the formal correctness of the EM.

EM 1.0

• formalization of the core EM language with the nodes and the relations

• formalization of the proxies (created, named, and coloured manually by the user in 3D software) 

• formalization of the Virtual activities

EMF 1.0

• first yed palette for the EM1.0