Töpfer, FabianChrist, ElianeYu, ZhongyuanEngeln, LarsMcGinity, MatthewCampana, StefanoFerdani, DanieleGraf, HolgerGuidi, GabrieleHegarty, ZackaryPescarin, SofiaRemondino, Fabio2025-09-052025-09-052025978-3-03868-277-6https://doi.org/10.2312/dh.20253050https://diglib.eg.org/handle/10.2312/dh202530503D digitisation offers unique opportunities for research, preservation, distribution, presentation, and contextualisation of artefacts in museum and heritage contexts. However, despite advances in the field, no single contemporary capture method or representation can perfectly capture all artefacts for all purposes. For example, heterogenous materials, transparent surfaces, intricate structures, motion, and interactivity all remain significant challenges for contemporary 3D digitisation techniques. From the perspective of digital heritage, we present here an analysis of two prominent techniques: ''structure from motion'' surface-based ''geometric'' representations and surface-free ''photometric'' Gaussian Splat representations. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both with respect to digitisation workflows, usability, integrability, and practicality in museum contexts, with a particular focus on performative artefacts, and propose a goal-oriented guide for digital heritage professionals embarking on digitisation projects.Attribution 4.0 International LicenseCCS Concepts: Applied computing → Digital libraries and archives; Arts and humanities; Computing methodologies → Rendering; Shape modelingApplied computing → Digital libraries and archivesArts and humanitiesComputing methodologies → RenderingShape modeling10.2312/dh.2025305010 pages