Pumpkin props.
We frequently photograph additional props for our CGI, usually in situations where it's not possible to use full CG due to the time restrictions. In an ideal world we would sculpt all items in 3D, but it is a time consuming process, especially for more natural forms where superior textures and details are required for realism.
Automating the capture process.
Having recently designed and built a bespoke high resolution photogrammetry rig, we decided to test out the capture process using pumpkins and squashes that one of the 3D artists brought to the studio before Halloween.
We've succeeded 3D scanning food a few years ago, albeit at much lower resolutions and with far less automation. But with this new automated photogrammetry rig, assets can be captured quickly at high resolutions.
Reference Points.
The initial scans of smaller squashes worked perfectly with only a few tweaks required for exposure and size. However the larger pumpkins with less colour variance proved more troublesome for the software to process. A simple solution here was to add a few reference points to the pumpkin with a marker pen.
High quality - high speed.
These new assets were created and processed in a day - a similar timeframe to photographing and manually photoshopping an asset in. Including them in a well composed scene shows off the detail and quality that can be realised using this 3D scanning tech.
Buy the pumpkin models.
If you would like to purchase the models for use in your own scene they're available here