Converted a sculpture into a model kit

Role

3D Scanning with Jim Whelan

Technologies

• 3D Scanning

  • Reality Capture

  • Blender

For Birkenhead artist Jim Whelan, I undertook a captivating project focused on digitizing a sculpture and transforming it into a 3D mesh ready for 3D printing. I used Reality Capture and a single cam (Sony A6300) to capture around 500 photos at different distances for the highest texture quality and mesh fidelity.

Some details (such as under the arms) had to be recreated manually from photo reference, as the model was a single piece so couldn’t be adjusted for capture of occluded areas.

The final output of the scan was as a 3D printed model kit, so I retopologized it and cut it into sections for assembly by the end user (see photo below).