Preserving History

Tutuveni: Documenting Endangered Hopi Sites in 3D

A team from Cyark, a non-profit organization dedicated to documenting historical sites around the world, is working to preserve the memory of an important art of the Hopi Native American Culture. 

Tutuveni, located between Mesa and Flagstaff in Central Arizona, boasts more than 5,000 Hopi clan symbols that were inscribed during the ceremonial pilgrimage to Ongtupqa, or the Grand Canyon, which is for many Hopi the point of their people’s emergence into the world. Unfortunately, vandalism over the past 20 years has severely damaged the petroglyphs carved into rock faces throughout the site. 

The site is so important to the Hopi that Tutuveni has been added to the World Monuments Fund Watch list, a designation that places it alongside Machu Picchu in Peru, Afghanistan's Bamiyan Valley and other endangered sites. 

Today, Cyark representatives are working to recreate Tutuveni digitally, should it one day be lost to vandalism and decay. This involved creating an enclosure for the grounds, spanning more than 6,000 square meters, to protect it from further damage. The team them utilizes laser scanners to collect point cloud data of the rock features. 

The results of the Cyark project may be found on the project site. Galleries, 3D models and panoramic photos of the glyphs can all be accesses here. Take some time too to view this video for more details. 


     

Ready for Autodesk 2012?

Two Reasons (of many) to Catch AU This Year.  

Held each year in Las Vegas, Autodesk University (AU) is the premier event for Autodesk users. If you own or operate Revit, AutoCAD, Maya or other Autodesk product, you really need to be here.  

This year, AU heads to the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino for three days of learning, hands-on demonstrations and speeches from thoughts leaders throughout the world of 3D. The highlight of the event is the Cage Match, a battle between leading designers and engineers, who square off to debate important issues of the day. It's a rowdy and entertaining, yet informative show that you really should see. And as Autodesk themselves will tell you...there's free drinks for all. If you're going to Vegas and you're going to AU, don't miss the Cage Match, Wednesday, November 28 @ 9PM.

Autodesk University also includes an impressive trade show, in which leading software and hardware providers can showcase their wares. FARO will be on-hand, of course, demonstrating our Focus3D and ScanArm solutions. Find us in booth #737. 

Click here for more information on Autodesk University 2012. 

FARO Unveils Updated Laser Scan Processing Software

FARO Technologies today announced SCENE 5.1, the latest update to the software for the FARO Focus3D Laser Scanner. New features like Clipping Box and improved scan positioning help streamline data and cut processing time in half. Orthophoto functionality allows users to save scans as photo files to view and share scan data even without point cloud software.

Among many new features found in SCENE 5.1, Clipping Box helps users streamline data analysis by keeping only the parts of scans that are relevant to the project. With this latest enhancement, scan data is presented in either point cloud or realistic photo view. Users choose those portions of the scan they need and the remaining parts are seamlessly and automatically removed. The optimized scan provides data the user wants, without extraneous data that makes analysis time-consuming. A reduced file size makes storage or export to CAD quick and simple.   

Large scanning projects often call for multiple scans and extensive post-processing. To reduce work time, SCENE 5.1 offers powerful feature recognition capabilities that position and assemble individual scans quickly, even when there are no registration marks or pre-defined targets. The result is an up to 50 percent reduction in processing time and a more precise finished product. SCENE 5.1 also includes the ability to save orthophotos in a TIFF format, so scans can now be viewed even if the user’s CAD software is unable to interpret point cloud data. 

In partnership with 3DConnexion, a leading manufacturer of peripheral devices for 3D navigation and motion control applications, FARO has also made available the new 3D SpaceMouse. Specially designed for scanning applications, the SpaceMouse enables quick manipulation of three-dimensional data, scans and much more.