Rapid2013: Visit Direct Dimensions at Booth 326 for your ShapeShot

This week we're at the Rapid2013 Conference and Exposition and 3D Imaging Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. Stop by booth 326 to get your ShapeShot!

Preview of "SuperScan" Travelling Exhibit

SuperScan: Digitizing the World, a traveling exhibit by Science Visualizations could be making its way to a museum near you in the near future.


Direct Dimensions is thrilled to be part of this incredible new exhibit. Check out  a sneak peek of SuperScan.

For more information on booking SuperScan contact
Krista Steele
E: krista@sciencevisualization.com
P: 858.829.9420

Video: As-Built BIM Models from 3D Scanning

Tis the Season: Conference Season

April showers might bring May flowers, but they also usher in the start of conference and event season for the 3D scanning and printing communities. This year we are already off to a busy start at Direct Dimensions!

Last week we attended the annual SPAR conference in Colorado where Direct Dimensions' President Michael Raphael gave a presentation entitled Crossing Over:  3D Scanning Smaller Scenes and Objects. The Forest and the Trees.  The discussion highlighted the set of tools, methods, and applications designed for ‘close-range’ 3D scanning and in particular their use as complimentary to the long-range scanning tools. If you didn't get a chance to see it, check by here in the next few weeks. We regularly post conference presentations to our YouTube and SlideShare channels.

Michael Raphael shows off 3D hologram created with the help of our ShapeShot facial capture system

This busy week finds us at 3 events in the New York and DC areas.

Monday and Tuesday you can find us at the Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. Michael will be on a Lighting Talk Panel called Next Generation Market Makers at 4:45 on April 23.

Wednesday we'll be at the 3D/DC II event in Washington DC. This educational event allows you to experience the remarkable new 3D printing and scanning technologies in person.

To cap off a very busy two weeks, Mr. Raphael and our Preservation Specialist, Joseph Nicoli, will be be presenting a paper at the Association for Preservation Technology's annual symposium in DC (Friday April 26) on"3D Laser Scanning and Cultural Resource Management".

And those events were just for April! May contains the AAM Museum Show, June the Annual Rapid Show and 3D Imaging Conference and July has CMSC 2013. As usual we will be heavily involved with these events and we encourage you to attend them.

ShapeShot at ECAN Cancer Dancer Gala

Feel like seeing yourself in 3D, dancing the night away and being charitable? Then we have good news for you: this evening you can have your ShapeShot taken at the Esophageal Cancer Action Network's Cancer Dancer Gala.

This annual event will feature dinner, dancing, a silent auction (in which you can bid on a ShapeShot sitting and ShapeShot product), and the chance to be immortalized in 3D! Gala attendees can have their ShapeShot taken and view their 3D selves by logging into our (private and password protected) 3D viewing gallery.

The ShapeShot system quickly captures your image in 3D - just like a snapshot.

 Once logged into their individual accounts attendees can also visit our ShapeShot Marketplace where they can order various products personalized with their own faces. We've even created an ECAN specific product, partial proceeds of which will be donated to the Esophageal Cancer Action Network.

Your mug on a mug: the ShapeShot face mug is just one of the items that can be bid on or purchased in our ShapeShot Marketplace

 This is a great event and we are very excited to be a part of it.

If you aren't attending the Cancer Dancer Gala but are interested in having your ShapeShot taken, please contact us, info@shapeshot.com

3D Printing Continues to Grow 3D Scanning

3D Printing Continues to Grow 3D Scanning (or is it the other way around?) 

In this month's LiDAR news, Direct Dimensions' President Michael Raphael discusses the big news and changes in our industry:

The new year is starting out rather interesting as it relates to news and change in our 3D scanning industry.  We’re not even half way into March and it would not surprise me if we had more news about 3D scanning already this year than all of last year – which was already significantly more than the year prior.  What gives?  Why is 3D scanning making the headlines more often?  Certainly this is a good thing – more news means more interest and hopefully more business activity, which is what we all want for our 3D scanning world.  Let’s take a look at some of the more significant news items so far in this young year and see what is in common.

See this month's LiDAR news to read the rest of column. 

Scanning Snapshot: Surphaser Class Portrait

At Direct Dimensions we believe strongly in spreading the word about 3D scanning and imaging. For us this often takes the form of education. We often hold classes and demonstrations for college and high school students,  professional organizations, and sometimes even interested groups from the community.

The picture below is a "class picture" of a group of Towson University students taken with the Surphaser HSX Spherical Laser Scanner.

Project Snapshot: Scanning a Monumental Historic Sculpture

Direct Dimensions' digital modelers scan the 18 foot tall monumental sculpture, The Genius of Connecticut.

See more of the incredible projects we've worked on in our 3D scanning and imaging portfolio.

3D Imaging and Manufacturing Exhibited for Congressional Subcommittee

In the State of the Union Address President Obama singled out new technologies, specifically 3D imaging and 3D printing, as the future of American manufacturing. He highlighted the new Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Youngstown, Ohio and even called for 14 additional advanced manufacturing hubs as part of a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.

National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Youngstown, OH

Direct Dimensions (along with RMI of Maryland and Towson University's Objet Lab) has had a busy couple of weeks demonstrating these important new tools to both state and federal lawmakers.

Why is Rapid Manufacturing important to our nation's leaders? One word: JOBS!

With the continued loss of manufacturing jobs in the United States, the introduction of rapid technologies, such as 3D imaging and printing, offer a beacon of hope for manufacturers and job seekers. The strength of these technologies lies in their ability to create and manufacture specifically designed parts on demand, often in very small batches. This is the opposite of the mass manufacturing jobs that are being sent off-shore.

With a focus on customizable on-demand manufacturing, 3D imaging, design and printing are set to revolutionize the aerospace, medical and consumer products industries. The value of the 3D printing industry is estimated to reach $5.2 billion by 2020. Obviously our policy makers would love to see that value stay in the United States.

And that is where Direct Dimensions comes into the picture. With over 17 years experience using 3D scanning, imaging, and design in the aerospace, automotive, and consumer products industries (among others) we are in a unique position to explain these amazing rapid manufacturing technologies.

First we traveled to Annapolis, where over 250 elected officials and state staffers attended an all day educational event about 3D scanning, imaging and printing technologies. We also demonstrated our ShapeShot face scanning system, capturing almost 200 faces.

Staffers and Officials at MD Statehouse line up for their ShapeShots

Then we were invited by Congressman John Sarbanes to demonstrate these technologies to the House Energy and Commerce Sub-committee at a "Manufacturing Showcase".

Congressman Sarbanes gets his ShapeShot

 The attendees were excited to see these much discussed technologies in action. We were honored to be asked to demonstrate them.

Time Magazine Showcases ShapeShot

Time Magazine writer Salim Essaid visited 3DEA to learn all about 3D printing and scanning. He talks to our very own Dominic Albanese starting at the 1 min 35 second mark.

You can read the full article here.

If you are interested in having a ShapeShot or full body scan, please contact us @ 410-998-0880.