Between the Lines

Aerial 3D Terrain Mapping with a Drone

Recently I edited a 3D model and created a quick video in Autodesk ReMake (formerly Autodesk Memento.) The 3D model was generated using Autodesk ReCap 360 Pro from photos taken last month using an UAS/drone in the hot windy Trona Pinnacles near Death Valley California. The ability to create 3D textured models from aerial photos opens up many possibilities in design, construction, and site mapping. Autodesk has released specific features in ReCap 360 Pro named Fly that allow you to... Read more →

Reality Computing Used to Assist in Oso Mudslide Disaster

On March 22, 2014, a large landslide in Oso, Washington killed 43 people and destroyed dozens of homes. Heavy rainfall in the previous days and weeks had saturated the soil on a hillside over State Road 530 and the Stillaguamish River. This eventually triggered the slide, burying approximately 1 acre below in 30 to 70 feet of mud, soil, and rock debris. Shortly after the mudslide, the Field Innovation Team (FIT) sent a team to support first-responders in finding innovative... Read more →

Autodesk Memento Becomes Autodesk ReMake

Autodesk Memento becomes Autodesk ReMake and has formally graduated to a commercial Autodesk product! Autodesk ReMake turns reality data into hi-resolution 3D meshes for design & engineering workflows and so much more. It has been a long journey to this point and many new features and great feedback along the way from Memento users. http://Remake.autodesk.com Read the message from the product manager and Mother of Memento Tatjana Dzambazova. Memento graduates to Autodesk ReMake! Mammoth skull was being worked on by... Read more →

Monitoring the Worlds Coral Reefs Using Reality Computing

Check out what my good friend Sly Lee and his non-profit scientific organization The Hydrous are doing to help educate people and make sure there are coral reefs for our children and their children. Coral reefs are often referred to as the rainforests of the sea. They occupy less than 0.1 percent of the ocean floor but provide a habitat for 25 percent of the world’s marine species. And like rain forests, coral reefs are at severe risk due to... Read more →

Final Autodesk Memento Beta Goes Live

A new beta build of the Autodesk Memento Windows version has been announced and available for download. Memento is an extremely versatile tool for 3D mesh model repair, 3D model creation, and 3D printing. Our Autodesk Memento Team posted build 1.8.0.22 which has several new enhancements. With this new beta for Windows (Mac coming later) you can now create 3D textured models using 1000 photos, decimate by selection, a new file format, Autodesk Gallery, Play Viewer, and offline reconstruction in... Read more →

New Autodesk ReCap 360 Pro

The new ReCap 360 Pro an all in one reality capture solution is out. If you are doing reality capture then you should look at the new features like Fly features for UAV/drone photos, Auto-Cleanup tool, Scan-to-Mesh (converting point cloud data into 3D textured meshes) in addition to the new low price for such a powerful tool. Read More about the all new ReCap 360 Pro: http://autode.sk/25Ve8fK Read more →

Made In Space Additive Manufacturing Facility

Made In Space is developing manufacturing technologies that are enabling people to live and work in space. The Made In Space Additive Manufacturing Facility was launched on March 22nd, 2016 and arrived at the International Space Station on March 26th, 2016. This is a first step toward putting manufacturing systems on the Moon, Mars, and on deep space missions. Read more →

Autodesk ReCap 360 on an iPad

The Autodesk ReCap team is looking for iPad users who want to actively participate in the ReCap 360 Mobile preview project using reality computing tools on a mobile device. The projects pre-release iOS application will be delivered to participants using Apple's TestFlight platform. The team has a limited number of TestFlight slots available so if you want to participate please sign up soon. ReCap 360 on an iPad with the free technology preview of ReCap 360 Mobile via Autodesk labs Read more →

AMF in Orbit

The Atlas V launch vehicle lifts off from Cape Canaveral. Credit: NASA Congratulations to NASA, Orbital ATK, and Made in Space for launching the new 3D Printer Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF) into orbit last night. It will soon arrive and be installed on the International Space Station and provide an upgraded 3D printing capability for use by the astronauts - and possibly you. Contained within the AMF is Autodesk Memento software. I have always thought our Autodesk products were out... Read more →

REAL 2016 is a Wrap

Yesterday was the final of two days of the REAL 2016 conference ending with a great reception and stunning sunset with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. There were many great exhibits as well as presentations. Here are a few photos from some of the sessions and things I experienced. The Autodesk Memento booth was packed the entire time and I have it on good word that Autodesk Memento is going into space. Stay tuned. Airbus presented on the... Read more →

Great First Day of REAL 2016

Yesterday was the fist of two days for the REAL 2016 conference in it’s second year. Being held at scenic Fort Mason there are about 900 attendees networking, attending presentations, and looking at exhibits and vendors.Autodesk was periscoping several of the presentations yesterday (https://www.periscope.tv/autodesk) and I was tweeting @shaanhurley and posting to Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shaanhurley/ live from the event. The night ended late with my good friends the Laser Cowboys of the Smithsonian Institution at a local In n Out Burger.... Read more →

REAL 2016 – Hoping to See You in 3D

If you are involved in reality capture, computing and creation 3D technologies, I hope you are in San Francisco preparing to attend REAL 2016. The REAL 2016 conference will be the place to be to learn about the very latest technologies and cutting edge workflows. I will be there both days and am looking forward to all the great products, technologies, networking, and presentations. The location at Fort Mason is also one of the most scenic conference locations for a... Read more →

Discount Code for REAL 2016 Event

There is a discount code for readers of this blog for 25% off the conference price. When you register at http://real2016.com/ use the promotional code of BetweenTheLines. Read more →

REAL 2016

Meet me March 8th and 9th in beautiful San Francisco at REAL where you will see the very latest in 3D and Reality Computing. There is will be some great presentations by some speakers like Adam Metallo and Vincent Rossi (the Laser Cowboys) who will present on the Smithsonian 3D Digitization Program. There will also be many exhibits and vendors at the event. How could you not want to attend a great conference with an epic view of San Francisco... Read more →

Graffiti Found Scratched Inside Apollo 11

Autodesk and the Smithsonian have been working together on a reality capture project of historical significance. The team are capturing for the first time the complete inside and outside of the Apollo 11 command module where the astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin sat during the historic mission back in 1969. Apollo 11 was the first spaceflight that put humans on the surface of the Moon. Read more about this amazing project in Fast Company. Scientists Rediscover Astronaut Graffiti Scratched... Read more →

REAL 2016 - The Premiere Reality Computing Event Twice the Size!

Last February, a REAL 2015 event was hosted, to showcase and underscore​ Reality Computing in a three-word declaration: Capture. Compute. Create. There were dozens of great speakers covering a diverse array ofReality Computing topics. For example, the REAL Talk stage came alive with the sinuous brass Coriolissculpture of Bruce Beasley made possible by large scale 3D printed castings, Tim Webber discussed his mind-altering visual effects work from the film Gravity. On the REAL Live stage attendees were privy to more... Read more →

Why the Fastest Route to Ocean Conservation - and Saving the Planet - Is Through Storytelling

(The National Geographic ship M/V Orion at anchor in Lissenung, Papua New Guinea during the TED Mission Blue II expedition. Photo taken by a DJI Inspire drone.) Maurice Conti “MC” a team mate of mine here at Autodesk in the Office of the CTO wrote a great article that was just published online. The article tells a great story on the importance of the ocean and how Autodesk is helping find ways to preserve and conserve this amazing and valuable... Read more →

The Hydrous Maldives 2015 Expedition

Such a visually stunning story with a very important educational angle about the ocean by Sly Lee and the 501 (c)3 non-profit organization The Hydrous. The Hydrous do what they proclaim by “communicating science beautifully.” They were recently in the Maldives in December 2015 and generated highly detailed 3D textured models of corals using Autodesk Memento to study changes occurring in our oceans. Here is one of the 3D coral models generated from photos in Autodesk Memento. Check out “The... Read more →

Autodesk Memento Now Available on both Mac and Windows

Autodesk Memento beta is now available natively for the Mac platform! This is big news as popularity grew fast about Autodesk Memento several Mac users were anxiously awaiting to use it natively on their OS. In addition to the addition of Mac supported version there has been a great deal of bugs squashed and features added.Between us, I don’t think this team sleeps. Read more →

3D scanning Apollo 11 at the Smithsonian

Smithsonian and Autodesk employees conduct a 3-D scan of the spacecraft. (Matt McFarland/The Washington Post) Some of my Autodesk colleagues and the Smithsonian laser cowboys are capturing the Apollo 11 lunar module in 3D this week. Current Reality Capture and Computing technologies allow us to preserve and study the detail of an object from a small beetle to historic items such as the Apollo module or even the USS Arizona. Read more about this project in the Washington Post article.... Read more →

3D print of the WWII Battleship USS Arizona

A completed 3D print of the USS Arizona was safely delivered to the the National Park Service at the WWII Valor in the Pacific in time for the 74th December 7th memorials and ceremonies. The 3D print of the WWII Battleship USS Arizona will located at the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was created from LiDAR, SONAR, and photogrammetry data compiled in Autodesk ReCap. It took 18 hours for WhiteClouds to 3D print it... Read more →

3D Print of the USS Arizona

Pete Kelsey of Autodesk provided some photos and a video of the 3D print of the USS Arizona that is currently being printed in sections. There are two 36” 3D prints being printed by Autodesk and the team at Whiteclouds. The 3D print is the culmination of a great deal of on-site reality capture work using LiDAR (surface and sub surface), SONAR, and some limited photogrammetry then processing the point data to a mesh ready to 3D print. The entire... Read more →

Autodesk Investment in UAV Technology from Skycatch

Autodesk has made an investment in Skycatch – a UAV manufacturer and construction technology firm. Read Skycatch’s blog announcement: Autodesk Invests in Skycatch To Evolve Construction Technology – http://blog.skycatch.com/2015/11/10/autodesk-invests-in-skycatch-to-evolve-construction-technology/ “UAV technology is rapidly transforming the way people gather information and Skycatch has proven to be among the most influential leaders in the UAV field,” said Dominique Pouliquen, Product Marketing Manager, ReCap and UAV Initiative Coordinator, Autodesk. “We look forward to expanding our collaboration with Skycatch to accelerate the development and... Read more →

New Autodesk Memento Oct 2015 Build (Windows version, build 1.5.0.30)

(3D textured model of wood statue of Ganesha photographed in Bali Indonesia and used Autodesk Memento to generate 3D model from photos) I received some great news from our Autodesk Memento Team of a newly posted free technology preview build 1.5.0.30 which has several new enhancements. Memento is a Swiss army knife for 3D model repair and creation. Read More at: http://memento.autodesk.com “Most notable news is the first ever 3D printing prep for huge mesh models (native resolution of Memento... Read more →

Diary of a Drone Pilot

A little piece just went live today about some of my work researching reality capture using UAV/UAS. The sky is no limit in Reality Capture and Computing where the cloud takes on two important and powerful meanings. Diary of a drone pilot I just returned 3 days ago from another project involving UAV flights that I can’t wait to share details with you, but here are a couple unrelated aerial images from that trip to Bali Indonesia. -Shaan (suffering from... Read more →