Pretty Pictures and Research Tool: Enhancing 3D Documentation of Historic Clinker Boats Through Parametric Modeling

Abstract Recent advances in photogrammetry and LiDAR have transformed the digital preservation of archaeological artifacts by capturing detailed surface geometries. Yet, such methods often overlook the underlying construction principles that define complex objects, such as historic clinker-built boats. With this paper we present a case study from the Mjøsbåt Project, a conservation initiative for early 20th-century clinker-built boats in Norway, demonstrating how parametric modeling in SideFX Houdini can complement photogrammetric documentation. By overlaying scans with procedural reconstructions, we capture not only the visual form but also the logic of clinker boat construction, including plank overlap, bending, and alignment. The resulting models enable the generation of 2D drawings, physical scale models, and interactive assets while preserving intangible craft knowledge recognized in UNESCO’s listing of Nordic clinker boat traditions. We argue that aesthetic quality and research utility are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing, and propose that parametric reverse engineering offers a pathway toward more comprehensive digital heritage practices. Beyond clinker boats, this approach has potential applications for documenting other complex archaeological artifacts where construction processes are as important as surface detail.