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Scanning 3D Models from Photos in 123D Catch and 3ds Max

by Cristian Spagnuolo

In this tutorial, we will learn how to create a highly-detailed reproduction of an object, starting from a simple scan created with your own camera. Software required: 123D Catch, TopoGun 2, 3ds Max 2013, UVLayout, Mudbox 2013, Photoshop CS6, ZBrush 4R4.

What you'll learn

In this tutorial, we will learn how to create a highly-detailed reproduction of an object, starting from a simple scan created with your own camera. We will start shooting several images of a shoe, and we'll load those images into 123D Catch, which will compute those images (using a cloud computing system) and create a complete, scanned model of the shoe in a few minutes. After that, we'll remodel the entire shoe starting from the scanned model. We will be using a combination of TopoGun for the base modeling part and 3ds Max for the creation of the complete model and all the different pieces of the shoe. Later on, we'll go into Mudbox, where we'll project the scanned details on top of the new, clean mesh and use those details as guide reference. We'll proceed with the final parts of the tutorial in ZBrush, adding all the fine details such as wrinkles, stitches, logos, and more. Software required: 123D Catch, TopoGun 2, 3ds Max 2013, UVLayout, Mudbox 2013, Photoshop CS6, ZBrush 4R4.

About the author

Cristian Spagnuolo is an Italian freelance 3D Artist with over eight years of professional experience. He is an Autodesk Certified Professional and Instructor for both 3dsMax and Maya; he has been an Autodesk consultant since 2008, and he also teaches at a CG school in Europe. Cristian has worked for several years as 3D Generalist/Lighting & Rendering TD on various projects and for different companies all around the world. His need to face different challenges and his ability to adapt to various... more

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