Kenner's Vintage Star Wars Cloud City Playset--in 3D Augmented Reality!


In the time I've been away from my blog, I made it a point to play with some new nerdy toys. One of those toys is Adobe Aero, an app to create 3D augmented reality (AR) content that can be viewed through compatible smartphones and tablets. Most AR stuff I've seen so far has been done by people who have very impressive backgrounds in the visual arts. I don't, so I instead used Aero to re-create a toy that I had when I was a kid: Kenner's Star Wars Cloud City playset.

Originally released in 1980 as a Sears exclusive, Kenner's Cloud City playset was made entirely of cardboard and packaged with four action figures from Empire Strikes Back. Sure, a playset made entirely of cardboard didn't have much to offer back in the '80s; however, I was able to use Adobe Aero to assemble high-resolution PDF scans of the entire playset into a 3D AR model. The PDF scans used in this AR model were provided by the Erik Stormtrooper's Imperial Gallery site. As you can see in the pictures below, I also added 2D pictures of the figures that came with the playset: Dengar, Han Solo, Lobot, and an Ugnaught. 



Below is the video I produced on my own YouTube channel MindEyeMedia that shows a bit more about how I turned a cardboard toy into a 3D digital model. 


If you have a smartphone or tablet that is compatible with Adobe Aero, download the Aero app and then scan the QR code below so you can see the Kenner Cloud City playset in your own space. Just scan the QR code, open Adobe Aero, and then scan the nearest flat surface to open the AR file.










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