France is in mourning, but looking ahead — a day after the devastating fire at the famed Notre Dame Cathedral.
The prosecutor in Paris has opened an investigation, but says all signs point to the fire starting accidentally.
The 12th-century church is home to relics, stained glass and other works of art of incalculable value, and is a leading tourist attraction.
Its organ dates to the 1730s and was constructed by Francois Thierry.
Religious statues that were removed last week from the cathedral roof as part of a restoration of the monumental Paris church’s towering spire were also spared.
But what about the parts of the cathedral that were damaged and/or destroyed?
Officials say that builders and architects will be poring over photos and videos of the cathedral to recreate it as carefully and as close to the original as possible.
Cue the popular video game Assassin’s Creed: Unity.
If you’re not familiar with the game, Unity is set in Paris circa 1789 and it features a recreation of Notre Dame, according to Gamebyte.
It’s this recreation that could be instrumental in helping to restore the landmark.
According to GPS World, a new report suggests that detailed 3D maps such as the one in Unity will play a part in the restoring of Notre Dame.
Caroline Miousse, the artist and designer of the cathedral seen in the game, told The Verge she spent “literally years fussing over the details of the building.”
“In the case of the Notre Dame, easily the biggest structure in the game, it meant recreating a version of the cathedral that didn’t actually exist at the time. Level artist Miousse spent literally years fussing over the details of the building. She pored over photos to get the architecture just right, and worked with texture artists to make sure that each brick was as it should be,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
