Hiking Boot
This worn and muddy boot provides such rich texture detail it makes a great subject to scan.
I wanted to stage the boot in a way that made it usable as a worn prop for a character, so the laces are tied as if already on. This also made it easier to manipulate during the photography session.
The free ends of the laces were stuck to the boot with double sided tape so they remained in place during the shoot.
Why scan this?
This is another test item used to explore the best way capture image sets when using the turntable with softer objects. The shoelaces here present a challenge, as I wanted to be able to capture the full 360 coverage but moving the boot changes the geometry.
This type of object scan is all about fixturing and problem solving and working out how to get the maximum data without interfering with the object in a way that disturbs the soft elements.
Capture Process:
The boot is scanned using photogrammetry with the automated turntable capturing the loops The camera is in a fixed location on a tripod and maintains consistent lighting in all shoots.
Multiple orientations were captured, with care being taken not to move the loose parts while repositioning the boot.
As seen in the images above the void method was used with black background and turntable and the cross polarised flash to get the best possible capture of the albedo for the texture and reconstruction. This method means there’s no need to try and mask out the object from the background.
While every effort was taken to limit disturbances during the session, it’s clear from some small artifacts in the mesh, that this wasn’t fully successful.
What I’d do differently next time would be to mount the boot with better all round access and then only include the images for the soul as a separate component.