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April 15, 2013
We are happy to be participating in the project 'Play it again SAM' alongside experts from Middlesex University, UCL, and the V&A.
The project will investigate in issues of authenticity of historic objects and the relationship between original and reproduction(s), in particular digital reproduction, by making a reproduction of a kinetic interactive work. The project will use SAM (Sound Activated Mobile), by Edward Ihnatowicz (1968), as an exemplar by 3D scanning the existing artefact, constructing a 3D virtual model and validating the model by 3D printing the constituent parts. In addition, an installation will be implemented which will display a virtual reality model of SAM (on screen) that will respond to sounds around it, to illustrate the behaviour of the original.
Design with Heritage is a twelve-month Knowledge Exchange project supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The aim of the project is to develop connections between designers, academic researchers, and arts and heritage institutions by identifying shared interests and creating opportunities for collaboration.
The project investigators at UCL Centre for Sustainable Heritage and the Victoria & Albert museum lead the two research areas and contribute their expertise in conservation, architecture, display and interactive design.
March 05, 2013
'The White Horse’, a new sculpture by Mark Wallinger, was unveiled outside the British Council’s London headquarters on the Mall today. Made of marble and resin, the sculpture is a life-size representation of a thoroughbred racehorse created using state of the art technology in which a live horse has been scanned using a white light scanner in order to produce a faithfully accurate representation of the animal standing on a broad plinth of Portland stone and facing down The Mall.
Commissioned by the British Council Collection, this major work will stand on The Mall for two years before becoming available for international display.
sample & hold provided 3D scanning, 3D modelling services plus fabrication advice for this project - great to see it realised.
November 30, 2012
We have been working on an interesting project with digital anatomy expert Scott Eaton. To be used as reference material for his fantastic 'anatomy for artists' courses, we 3D scanned over 75 expressions in a two hour session. We then deliver clean, high detail 3D scans complete with 4K texture map. Some examples are shown in the image above - each expression is captured instantaneously with our custom rig. Feel free to contact us if you want more details.
Find out more at www.scott-eaton.com
November 07, 2012
In July 2011 we worked on a public art project for Geoff Wood of Working pArts for Chesterfield Borough Council which has recently been completed. We 3D scanned a live (but sleepy) puppy in a number of poses, Geoff chose his favourite and then we cleaned up the 3D scan data a little before converting it into IGES format ready for CNC machining and fabrication.
'The live subject was expected to be a great challenge but sample & hold came with both a workable plan and all the equipment necessary. Working in a small domestic location, they completed the scanning quickly and we had the finished files within 3 working days. The fact that they can offer a mobile service was crucial to us and the whole experience was sensitively and creatively handled. We would recommend the work of sample & hold to anyone and now regard them as our collaborators of choice on all 3D scanning and scaling work.'
Geoff Wood, Working pArts
Find out more at www.working-parts.com
September 28, 2012
find out more about the perspective machine, our instant 3D scanner 
August 21, 2012
We have uploaded a new PDF docmenting some work we have carried out in the museum sector over the last year -
August 21, 2012
Over a month has flown by without an update. As always we have a number of projects on the go and some that have recently gone live, but unfortuately at the moment our tongues are tied. With luck we will be able to get some more information online in the next few weeks. In the mean time the attached image shows some 3D prints we have produced from our body 3D scans. We often work on projects which go from real object, to 3D scan, to digital sculpture and then back into the real world again through processes such as 3D printing and CNC machining.
Some more info - http://www.sampleandhold.co.uk/pdf/SaH_PDF_Sculpture_FabricationLong.pdf
July 09, 2012
Earlier in the year we 3D scanned three track athletes for artist John Gerrard's ' Exercise (Djibouti)' 2012. Originating in found documentary images of US military exercises in Djibouti (Horn of Africa) and informed by research into athletic achievement, the work makes use of emerging technologies to reflect on the relationship between competitive sport, military training, theatrical performance and dance.
sample & hold provided full body 3D scans of the athletes which included high resolution head 3D scans, as well as detailed 3D scans of hands and footwear. Colour reference photography was captured at the time of the 3D scanning and then we provided retopology services and delivered animation ready characters optimised for use within a real time 3D environment.
More information - http://www.modernartoxford.org.uk/whats-on/exercise-djibouti-2012/about/
June 08, 2012
sample & hold were asked by developers Playground Games to 3D scan and model characters for their upcoming title Forza Horizon. We will be able to bring you more information upon the full release in October, but in the meantime see if you can spot any of our work in the official E3 Demo here - http://forzamotorsport.net/en-us/Forza_Horizon_E3/
June 08, 2012
In April we were asked by the photographer Paul Murphy to help out on a project for Eurostar. French ad agency Leg had created a cheeky Olympic campaign featuring Greek-style statues of what it presumably sees as typical British athletic heroes – playing darts and snooker. Paul took the project from concept to reality using a combination of photography, 3D scanning and some CG trickery. For more info check out Creative Review's article on the work - http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2012/june/eurostar-olympic-ads
May 29, 2012
City of London Academy has teamed up with the Imperial War Museum and sample & hold to recreate a WW1 icon – commonly known as the Death Penny. The bronze plaques were cast with the name of every serviceman (and woman) who died in WW1, and presented to their next of kin. In 18 months, it will be the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1. So the Academy’s Design and Technology department set about recreating the medallion. The Imperial War Museum loaned the Academy an original medallion, and this was taken to 3D specialists sample & hold.
sample & hold were keen to see if the fine detail on the medallion, which is the same diameter as a CD, could be captured into .stl format, so the Academy can produce a mould on its CNC router. The medallion will be scaled down, using an Education version of SolidWorks to produce a toolpath, so there is no mistaking it for an original. Students will then cast replicas, of the medallion, in pewter (with such a low melting point, compared to bronze, that it will turn liquid in a saucepan heated on the hob of one of the school’s cookers).
The idea is to then allow students to design and make their own version of the medallion, suitable to honour soldiers killed in 21st century conflicts.
“This is a superb way for the students to learn about reverse engineering, using the latest digital equipment, and analyse the materials and design of this symbolic item”, says department head, Peter Wood. “We are grateful to the team at sample & hold who have allowed our students to see how data can be captured and manipulated.”
For more on the history of the Dead Man’s Penny, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Plaque_(medallion)
March 05, 2012
An update on a project we finished last year - 30 chairs 3D scanned and processed by sample & hold for London Met university and The Fredrick Parker collection.
February 29, 2012
It has been two months without an update for which we must apologise. A lot has been happening but as always most of it has been confidential. We have been 3D scanning sculptures, models and prototypes, people and products. Some interesting projects about to start and some currently running that we will be able to speak more about in a few months. Exciting times though. The image above is of a 3D scan made at the Pergamon museum in Berlin - part of some research into technology and workflow which will help capture large amounts of 3D objects more efficiently.
December 17, 2012
An update before we attempt to have a break over Christmas and the New Year! It’s been a busy month - Sam has been over to Bornholm, a small island off the coast of Denmark to 3D Scan objects from a museum collection. We have 3D scanned a Bafta award, we did some work for ARUP, a good number of trips to Pinewood Studios, and processed a lot of heads and bodies, scanned by ourselves and others.
The image above is a 3D scan of a marble relief panel which is now on display and the V&A museum. Oh, and if you do do their be sure to check out ‘the power of making’ exhibition.