SIGGRAPH 2013: Scott Metzger, The Foundry, and Nvidia Demonstrate the Rise Project

At SIGGRAPH 2013 in Anaheim, CA, VFX artist and supervisor Scott Metzger used The Foundry's Mari and Modo to demonstrate a 3D scene reconstruction process using data derived from HDRI source images and LIDAR data.

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Using several HDRI mirror ball images as well as additional HDRI stills, and LIDAR data for the scene, the scene was reconstructed in a might lower polygon version using The Foundry's Modo. The lower-polygon geometry was then imported into Mari, Foundry's GPU-accelerated 3D painting application, and the high-dynamic-range images were painted onto the geometry. Metzger and director David Karlak are using these techniques to reconstruct realistic locations for the upcoming film Rise.

The Foundry is a developer of high-end visual effects software, including Nuke, the industry standard for feature film compositing (originally developed at Digital Domain); Mari, their GPU-accelerated 3D painting software (originally developed at Weta Digital); Modo, their 3D animation software, and other applications related to visual effects and post-production pipelines.