Getting to grips with 3D modeling

3D acquisition technology has made big strides forward over the past years. Systems have become easier to use, cheaper, and faster. These developments are discussed in the plenary presentation that goes with this paper, both for the capture of shape and of surface textures. As the breadth of topics would only allow for a very superficial description of any particular method, the paper focuses on one such recent development as a good case in point: a structured light approach that supports interactive modeling. Textured 3D models are produced on-line, while manipulating the object in front of the system. This allows the user to check the quality of the result during the scanning and to perform effective view planning. Moreover, the projected patterns are automatically adapted to the scene. The system only requires a regular camera, LCD projector, and PC.