Week 5: Siggraph 09 August 3-7th

I don't often talk about what I do for a living. Amazing since i both talk rather expansively, and I spend an inordinate amount of my time awake performing functions related to my work.

To "do for a living" is in itself a funny statement. Taken literally it is quite a more serious statement than often considered. Do people often define themselves, and in fact, live through their jobs? I doubt it.

As i embark on my typical soapbox rant I will try and keep brief, as so much cool stuff happened in New Orleans that I don't want to waste space with my measly ideas.

A fairly conservative estimate puts about 100 thousand hours of work time in a lifetime. That is 35 continuous years! I don't know about you but if something is taking up that much of my time, not only must i enjoy it, but it must be fulfilling in a more complete way than just providing the means by which i enjoy the rest of my "real life" In fact for me ,unless my job is meaningful I quickly tire and become bored. Not that meaningful always means for a greater benefit to society, but can be personal growth, or challenge, or dedication.

Now 3D scanning (my occupation) may not sound glamorous. And I dont want to sound all holier than thou. But my job is great for me.

I work at a good position along the continuum of a technology. 3d scanning has been around in the workplace and out of the laboratory for some time, and is now just living up to its promise. We are out doing real, amazing jobs for the first time, and at the same time new improvements to the technology are happening every day. Growing my knowledge as the field has grown is a pretty neat thing for a kid so recently out of college.

The applications are wide ranging and I often find myself working on an airplane in the morning and a medical prosthetic after lunch.

Lately I have taken on a role helping to fit a new technology into what we do on a day to day basis. The software by Dimensional Imaging allows simple digital cameras to turn into 3D scanners. The technique is called passive stereo photo-grammetry and the instant (1/10000 second) capture time, and huge (22 MP) color are enticing in a host of applications.

Which gets me back to this weeks' adventure...

Helping DI3D has brought us to New Orleans for Siggraph 09. Siggraph is a technology conference I have dreamed of going to for years. Hosting all the major 3D software providers, hardware providers, and the service housing putting these amazing tools to work.

The booth

I had the pleasure of working with 3 of the guys from Scotland, Dug, Ewan, and Colin, as well as my own boss Michael Raphael, and the every savvy Spike Milligan. A more formidable team in the 3D scanning business would be hard to find.

Being on the Exhibitors floor was a little disconcerting, as I had expected Siggraph to show the technology of 5 years in the future and instead all I saw was the technology of today. Unfortunately manning the booth kept me out of the talks where the things 5 years in the future WERE being discussed.

Also many noted that Siggraph was much smaller than it has been in years past. This is not surprising considering the fate of the worlds economy. However compared to the host of other shows I have been to this year, with their myriad of other industries, Siggraph was by far the healthiest.

A final rare treat I got to briefly meet the wife of what amounts to my idol in the 3D world... Paul Debevec has basically invented most of the fields I work in. From image based modeling, to HDRI to 3D model relighting he continues to amaze me and is a person to keep watching.

New Orleans itself is a strange town. A bit two-faced we enjoyed amazing food in the arts District and a metropolitan downtown with friendly and interesting folks. However ever present was the knowledge that not more than a mile away total destruction and mass evacuation had afflicted much of the city.

This was very clearly a city that was trying very hard to come back.

And also was very clear that it had not done so 100%

Michael and myself enjoying some of the international cuisine at Cafe du Monde. A caloric deluge of fried beignets and chicory.

The other side of New Orleans. A street corner in the middle of the Upper 9th Ward. a 10 x 20 block neighborhood all but annihilated by Katrina. Though hard to tell here you can see the juxtaposition. 3 states exist, the destroyed but not yet demolished house, the shiny new buildings (on stilts mostly) being erected by the brave, and the tall grass the only remaining evidence of past houses.

Sorry for all the writing and lack of pictures... better next week I promise!