My name is Katherine, and I am a junior art history major with a minor in German language. For this project, I will largely be replacing Sonia (big shoes to fill) and will be working to translate Paatz The Churches of Florence and other German writers into English. Information from the Paatz collection will provide us with detailed accounts of the buildings of Florence. Although apprehensive, I am excited to translate such a dense source of information. I have begun with the entry on the Baptistery of St. John, as it is the building on which we are currently focused. This week, I truly dove in for my first attempts. It took me some time to unscramble one sentence and relearn the future perfect tense. Additionally, I plan to make a key for abbreviations as those posed a challenge for me in the endnotes. It has become clear that I have my work cut out for me, but I am confident that understanding will come with practice.
In addition to German translation, I will also be working with Aidan on website design and management. While the translation aspect of the project is relatively familiar to me, the web design and 3D modeling aspects of the project are entirely foreign territory. As such, I have sough to educate myself on the subject. In attending a meeting with MC, Dave, and Sam a few weeks ago, I discovered just how little I knew. I assumed that photogrammetry was the blanket term for all 3D modeling. Dave demonstrated UV Mapping and modeling on Cinema 4D and other programs. Later in the day, I met with Aidan to talk about web design. He introduced me to how he runs the website, explaining CSS and HTML languages. With the help of Mackenzie Brooks, Aidan, and a textbook that he loaned me, I hope to be fluent in these new languages soon.