NEXTgen-M Speaker Line Up

If you are interested in rapid technologies and smart manufacturing then this is the event for you.



The first event of its kind in Baltimore, NEXTgen-M will bring together a diverse group to discuss the place of Rapid Technologies in the city's future. If you are a techie, educator, manufacturer, artist or anyone with an interest in 3D imaging, modeling or printing NEXTgen-M is the place to be April 27.

Still need more inducement to register? Check out this list of phenomenal speakers who are contributing their expertise to the event.

• Dave Burns | President and COO of Ex One; nationally recognized additive manufacturing expert.
• Aris Melissaratos | The Johns Hopkins University
• Michael Weinberg | Public Knowledge
• Jason Berns | Under Armour
• Bryan Sivak | Chief Innovation Officer of the State of Maryland
• Mark Schlein | P.E. Chief, US Army, Aberdeen Proving Ground Edgewood CBRNE Product Development Facility
• Gino Gemignani | Whiting-Turner
• Susan Ganz | Lion Brothers
• Vincent Rossi & Adam Metallo | The Smithsonian Institution
• John Danko | Danko Arlington
• Jenny Regan | Key Tech
• Dr. Stephen Rouse | Director, 3D Medical Applications Department at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
• Drew Greenblatt | Marlin Steel
• Jan Baum | Towson University
• Michael Raphael | Direct Dimensions
• Doug Kendzierski | Community College of Baltimore County

Register Now for NEXTgen-M!

SPAR 2012

Will you be at SPAR next week? We will!

Stop by the CMSC booth and say hello to Mike and Mike (Raphael and Agronin).

We're excited to get out there and see the great presentations (like this one from our friends at the Smithsonian) and demos and are looking forward to meeting with the usual suspects as well making new friends in the world of 3D.

If you can't get there then you can follow our conference updates on twitter, @dirdim.

Congrats to Sculptor Zachary Oxman

Our customer, Zachary Oxman, won a national commission to create a sculpture of Duke Ellington for the city of Washington, DC. After a 5 year process the sculpture was installed yesterday.


Mr. Oxman is known for his bronze art work as well as monumentally-sized stainless steel outdoor sculpture installations. His work can be found in many important collections, including the Permanent Collection of the Clinton Presidential Center.

Mr. Oxman, an artist who often leverages new cutting edge technologies, had previously worked with Direct Dimensions on a project which included maquette scanning for a monumental sized sculpture. In the case of the Duke Ellington sculpture, we worked with him on some structural dimensional design challenges that ultimately helped him finalize his sculpture for production.

Congrats on a beautiful piece!

Virtual Restoration of Ancient Sculpture in LiDAR News

Direct Dimensions President Michael Raphael has been a long-time, regular contributor to LiDAR News.

His most recent contribution details an amazing project we worked on where our team helped reconstruct a rare ancient sculpture of the Roman Emperor Caligula. From LiDAR News:

This article explains how we used “other” 3D equipment from one of the more common OEMs in the general laser scanning business - FARO Technologies, to capture the intricate geometry of an ancient Roman marble sculpture. Sure, you’ve read about us and others 3D scanning art and sculpture - modern and historic. But not many 3D projects involve teams of international experts to collaboratively create, review, and ‘virtually repair’ ancient art with this level of technical and academic precision.


Is your interest piqued? You can read the rest of the article on the LiDAR News site. You can also read more about the project on Direct Dimensions' website: Reconstructing Caligula.

Scanning Actors for The Hunger Games

One of the most anticipated films of the year opens this Friday and Direct Dimensions had a part in bringing a crucial scene to the big screen.



Last year we had the chance to 3D scan and model an actor playing one of the tributes using our one-of-a-kind ShapeShot 3D facial capture system.

The 3D model we created was used to create special effects for a very important scene between Katniss Everdeen (the main character) and another tribute.

Check out our IMDB page to see other films that have used our 3D scanning to create special effects.

Happy Hunger Games!

Project Snapshot - ShapeShot Bust

We scanned contest winner Kyle with our ShapeShot 3D facial capture system to create his prize bronze bust.

More NextGEN-M Details

Hold the Date for NextGEN-M on Friday, April 27, 2012

If you are interested in rapid technologies and smart manufacturing this event is for you. We are bringing together manufacturers, designers, entrepreneurs, educators, techies, and all who see a future for rapid tech in the Baltimore Region. You will learn how rapid tech is being applied in industries to include manufacturing, forensic, medical, art, and military. Technologies include 3D imaging, 3D designing & modeling, 3D printing (additive manufacturing), laser cutting and CNC milling (subtractive manufacturing).

You can learn all this and more at NextGEN-M: Rapid Tech for Make + Manufacture on Friday, April 27, 2012 (see link for speakers, details and registration).

This full day event is designed to:

1) Show you rapid technologies (exhibits)

2) Introduce you to companies using this technology

3) Allow you to talk with experts in the field, and

4) Invite you to be part of the constellation of rapid tech leaders and learners in the Greater Baltimore Region.

Do you have rapid tech to showcase? Exhibitor space is available. See website for details.

For any questions, feel free to contact Michael Raphael 410-998-0880, or Mike Galiazzo of RMI at 410-771-8111.

January/February Newsletter

Before we begin sharing amazing new projects in 2012, we decided to take a quick look back at some of the best stories and blog posts from 2011. In the first newsletter of the year members of our staff share their favorites.

Michael's Pick: Scanning Beams from the World Trade Center for the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland.

Charlie's Pick: We scanned a half finished structure for a new Medical Center to help create a Building Information Model (BIM).

Mike's Pick: Since introducing Mantis Vision's F5 we've used it for a host of applications -- scanning movie sets, people, vehicles, and especially facilities. This article discusses utilizing the F5 scanner for scanning structures and facilities.

Harry's Pick: The Andy Monument project is a great example of using body scanning, high-resolution scanning, digital portrait sculpting, and artist-directed model modifications in a sculptural project.

Sara's Pick: To create the Emeco 111 Navy chair, we laser scanned the famous classic Navy chair to aid in the creation of a new mold. With a new mold, Emeco was able to create a version of the iconic chair created from recycled Coke bottles.

Make sure to sign up for Direct Dimensions' newsletter, we'll be bringing you some great new stories and features in 2012!

CMSC Call for Papers Deadline March 1

Just a reminder that the deadline on CMSC's Call for Papers is March 1, 2012.



From CMSC's website:
The organization welcomes abstracts for presentations and technical papers submitted by metrology professionals from leading manufacturers, science laboratories, and academia. Suggested topics include industry best practices, scientific research and developments, and successful applications of 3D coordinate measurement systems. The CMSC is the only North American conference dedicated solely to users of portable, high-precision measurement technology used to inspect manufactured and assembled components on the factory floor.

Important Deadlines for Submission and Publication:

Abstract Submission Deadline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 1, 2012
Notification of Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 15, 2012
Technical Papers Due . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 15, 2012
Presentations Due. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 15, 2012
Final Paper/Presentation Revisions Deadline . . . . . . July 1, 2012
CMSC Conference Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 16 -20, 2012

For more information about the 2012 CMSC “Call for Papers,” visit the CMSC website or contact Michael Raphael, Technical Presentations Coordinator at presentations@cmsc.org.

Presidents Day in 3D

In honor of Presidents Day we present Four Presidential 3D projects:

1) During the last election we helped renowned cartoonist KAL create a digital Obama cartoon by laser scanning and modeling one of his sculptures.




2)When a portion of George Washington's Campsite at Valley Forge began to erode, we were called in to scan the site to aid in its preservation and excavation.


3) A documentary film crew relied on our 3D scanning of the Lincoln life mask when they wanted to compare the measurements of Lincoln's actual face with artistic renderings and daguerreotypes.


4) George Washington gave his resignation speech at the Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis which we documented for preservation during an extensive renovation.