Extended Matrix

Extended Matrix Development Projects

Active and planned development projects for the EM formal language, framework, and tooling ecosystem.

Last updated: April 2026 Current: EM v1.5 (in development) Emanuel Demetrescu — CNR-ISPC

Three-level architecture

Extended Matrix (Language) — Nodes and node variants formalizing virtual reconstruction. Expandable through new node types. Currently expressed in yEd/GraphML; s3Dgraphy provides a richer property graph underneath. s3Dgraphy JSON config files encode the formal rules and are part of the core language.

Extended Matrix Framework — Tools ecosystem: EMtools (Blender add-on), s3Dgraphy (Python library), 3D Survey Collection (3DSC, photogrammetry & 3D model preparation), Heriverse (online viewer), Tapestry (AI-based proxy rendering), external standalone tools, connectors. Separation of responsibilities enables parallel development.

Governance Cycle — EM advances every 6 months. A Component is a new node or a tool using/expanding existing nodes. A Development Project impacts one or more Components. Each DP requires a Key Study with open data.

DP Lifecycle

Proposal (with Key Study) → Development → Community Review → Candidate for EM Version → Inclusion

StratiGraph EU Project

Several Development Projects are funded or developed within StratiGraph, a European project supporting the creation of a collaborative infrastructure for stratigraphic heritage documentation. DPs tagged with StratiGraph were created or advanced as part of this initiative. Use the StratiGraph filter to isolate them.

Resources

Documentation • EMtools repo • s3Dgraphy repo • s3Dgraphy on PyPI • 3DSC repo • StratiGraph project

Total: 0
Visible: 0
Near completion (1)
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DP-02 StratiMiner
Research v1.6 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ s3DgraphyEMtools
AI tool to extract stratigraphic data from grey literature and PDFs. Absorbs former DP-49 (unified em_data.xlsx supersedes the legacy stratigraphy.xlsx + paradata.xlsx two-file schema).
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
In development (4)
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DP-01 Tapestry
Research EMBARGO v1.5 EMtoolss3Dgraphy
AI-based image-to-image generation constrained by EM knowledge graphs.
Target: EM 1.5 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-03 TSU Completion
Tools v1.6 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ yEd paletteEMtoolss3Dgraphys3D config (rules)
Grease Pencil annotation for Technical Stratigraphic Units.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Basilica
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DP-26 Spolia Project
Core Language v1.5 Thesis yEd palettes3Dgraphys3D config (rules)EMtools
New Reused Special Find node (RSF) with red border for reused elements.
Target: EM 1.5 • Key study: In progress (Nicola)
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DP-56 Georeferencing Pipeline
Core Language v1.6 StratiGraph ↗ EMtoolss3DgraphyHeriverse
Unified Georeferencing panel in EMTools orchestrating shift + EPSG across BlenderGIS and 3D Survey Collection. GeoPositionNode as a passive mirror of scene state for 1.6; active canonical source in 1.7+ when geometries enter the graph.
Target: EM 1.6
Partially implemented (8)
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DP-09 Vocabulary Project
Core Language v1.6 StratiGraph ↗ yEd palettes3D config (rules)s3Dgraphy
yEd qualia presets: measurements, properties, color-coded. Property icon and Qualia Importer exist.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Basilica
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DP-16 EM Review System
Collaboration EMBARGO v1.6
Peer review system for virtual reconstructions.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Existing (Miro)
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DP-19 Canvas Project
Core Language v1.6 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ yEd paletteEMtoolss3Dgraphys3D config (rules)
Geo-referenced canvas with Geo-node and swimlane-level qualia declared via a dedicated Swimlane Paradata Node Group.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-20 Temporal Propagation
Core Language v1.6 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ s3DgraphyEMtools
Algorithm for chronological propagation through the graph. BFS-based engine in s3Dgraphy.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-27 Building Archaeology
Core Language v1.6 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ yEd paletteEMtoolss3Dgraphys3D config (rules)
Negative SU, Neutral SU, Wall SU hypergraph with spolia. Re-targeted to EM 1.6.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Ostia Porta Marina
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DP-29 Narrative Units
New Domains v2.0 Thesis yEd paletteEMtoolss3Dgraphys3D config (rules)
Real-time narrative events with characters.
Target: EM 2.0 • Key study: Existing (thesis)
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DP-54 Surface Area
Tools v1.6 Thesis EMtoolss3Dgraphys3D config (rules)
Boolean + LOD surface generation strategy for Surface Areale. Split out from DP-50 because it is more invasive on source geometry and needs longer API stabilization.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Basilica
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DP-58 Bibliographic & Archival Sources Template
Collaboration v1.6 s3DgraphyEMtools
Spreadsheet template (source_list.xlsx) for the systematic registration of bibliographic and archival sources of an EM project.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Basilica
Planned (17)
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DP-04 Landscape & Urban Surfaces Reconstruction
New Domains v2.0 Thesis yEd paletteEMtoolss3Dgraphys3D config (rules)
Territorial graph with topographic units, sites, Canvas concept, and urban stratigraphies (elevation points, core samples).
Target: EM 2.0 • Key study: Amba Aradam
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DP-05 Geophysics Workflow
New Domains v1.6 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ EMtoolss3Dgraphy
Import and annotation system for geophysics data.
Target: EM 1.6
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DP-06 Data Transformation Chunk
Core Language v1.6 StratiGraph ↗ yEd palettes3D config (rules)
Formal data transformation steps within the EM workflow.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Basilica
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DP-08 Subjectivity Project
Core Language v1.6 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ yEd palettes3D config (rules)
Subjectivity-specific qualia in EM paradata.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Basilica
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DP-12 Temporal Branches
Core Language v1.6 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ yEd palettes3Dgraphys3D config (rules)
Alternative chronological interpretations as graph branches, including the dashed connector for mutually exclusive time branches (absorbs former DP-42).
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-15 Open Shelf
Collaboration v2.0 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ s3Dgraphy
Search engine for graph fragment comparison across studies.
Target: EM 2.0 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-18 Heritage Digital Twin Mapping
Infrastructure v2.0 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ s3Dgraphy
Mapping EM objects to digital twin standards.
Target: EM 2.0 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-21 EM Meter
Tools v1.6 Thesis s3Dgraphy
Jupyter analytics: GraphML statistics, proxy metrics.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-30 Reconstructive Elements
Core Language v2.0 Thesis EMtoolss3Dgraphy
Props and characters with micro-stratigraphy, clickable hypergraphs.
Target: EM 2.0 • Key study: Amba Aradam
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DP-31 HBIM Integration
Infrastructure v2.0 Thesis EMtoolss3Dgraphy
Integration with Heritage BIM and IFC standards.
Target: EM 2.0
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DP-33 EM Graph Project
Tools v1.6 StratiGraph ↗ EMtools
Node Editor-based graph visualization, Mini Graph for single-SU neighborhoods, and authoring helpers built on top of it.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-34 Label & Layout System
Tools v1.6 StratiGraph ↗ EMtools
Labels, metric scales, contours, section materials.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-37 Chronontology Connector
Infrastructure v2.0 Thesis EMtoolss3Dgraphy
REST API integration with iDAI.chronontology. Future work targeted at EM 2.0.
Target: EM 2.0
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DP-38 Tropy Document Import
Tools v1.6 StratiGraph ↗ EMtools
Spatialize documents in 3D space, import from Tropy.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Basilica
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DP-41 Swimlane Epoch Local Data
Core Language v1.6 StratiGraph ↗ yEd palettes3D config (rules)
Start and End epoch values displayed next to epoch name in swimlanes.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-53 Multi-source GraphML Assembly Pipeline
Tools v1.6 StratiGraph ↗ EMtoolss3Dgraphys3D config (rules)
Pipeline for assembling a single target GraphML from multiple input sources (XLSX tables, Blender scene data, manual annotation). Split out from DP-48.
Target: EM 1.6
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DP-57 Zenodo automation: push & retrieve with custom EM metadata
Infrastructure v1.7 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ EMtoolss3DgraphyHeriverse
Automate publishing of EM datasets, examples and case studies to the EM Zenodo community, with a custom metadata system that lets EM-aware tools search and retrieve them. Closes the loop between authoring (EMtools / Heriverse) and FAIR data deposit.
Target: EM 1.7
Concept (5)
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DP-13 Virtual SU Sheet
Collaboration v1.6 Thesis
Structured documentation form for Virtual Stratigraphic Units.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Sarmizegetusa
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DP-23 Music Reconstruction
New Domains v2.0+ Thesis yEd palettes3D config (rules)
EM applied to auditory heritage.
Target: EM 2.0+
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DP-24 Dance Reconstruction
New Domains v2.0+ Thesis yEd palettes3D config (rules)
EM applied to movement-based intangible heritage.
Target: EM 2.0+
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DP-28 Virtual SU Pattern
Core Language v1.6 Thesis yEd palettes3D config (rules)
Virtual SUs driven by cultural patterns, not physical evidence.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Ostia Porta Marina
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DP-59 ORCID Authentication & Identity Layer for EMtools
Infrastructure v1.7 StratiGraph ↗ EMtoolss3DgraphyHeriverse
Optional ORCID-based identity layer for EMtools that unlocks federated services (Zenodo upload, Heriverse collaborative scenes, AuthorNode/Canvas-header auto-fill) while keeping every authoring feature usable offline / anonymously.
Target: EM 1.7
Research (3)
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DP-17 Knowledge Graph & Triple Store
Infrastructure v1.7 Thesis StratiGraph ↗ s3Dgraphy
s3Dgraphy to triple store / knowledge graph connector and database backend. RDF/TTL and Neo4j export planned.
Target: EM 1.7 • Key study: Basilica
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DP-25 Basilica Iulia
Research v1.6 StratiGraph ↗ yEd palettes3Dgraphys3D config (rules)
Case study: equality and same-epoch connectors.
Target: EM 1.6 • Key study: Basilica Iulia
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DP-52 Document Wrapping of Graphs and Subgraphs
Research v1.7 Thesis s3Dgraphys3D config (rules)
Formalize the DocumentNode's capacity to wrap non-traditional entities (US, subgraphs, external graphs) for comparative reuse and cumulative reconstruction.
Target: EM 1.7