I found a direct sponsor for my project: Autodesk.

When my Kickstarter campaign fell through, Autodesk’s Reality Capture division very generously offered to sponsor my project.

All the 3D captures I’ve done over the last 18 months were processed with Autodesk’s free application, 123D Catch. They’ve recently released their new, professional version, ReCap Photo, and I will be using it extensively in my project. I’ve been trying it out for about a month now, and getting really great results with dense, complete, and detailed meshes. Using ReCap in the Skulpturhalle, I’ll be able to get even better results than I’d originally hoped for.

Autodesk will be using my project as a case study in their own efforts to showcase ReCap’s capabilities. Considering that my original plan was to publish all the data, show people how it was made, and encourage collectors and museums to capture and publish their own data, this is really a perfect match. The project is still independent and entirely my own, but with Autodesk’s financial support it can actually move forward.

I’m shooting for publishing (and 3D printing) the world’s first publicly available 3D surveys of the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, Medusa Rondanini, and more, in time for the London and Paris 3D Printshows this November (where the show organizers have generously offered to exhibit whatever I manage to complete in time). Then I’ll follow up by publishing and busting loose as many more archetypes as I can by year’s end.

I will be doing my surveys in the Skulpturhalle from September 17 through the September 22, and I’ll tweet progress photos here as I go.