Restoring a Vintage Nativity Set into Augmented Reality


Sometimes, I like a good challenge, especially when I can utilize my nerdy skills as part of meeting the challenge. Case in point: the restoration of a water damaged vintage cardboard Nativity Set into a 3D Augmented Reality (AR) model.

When this challenge came to my attention, I was already using Adobe Aero to experiment with converting vintage cardboard Star Wars playsets released by Kenner into AR models. Thus, converting a cardboard Nativity Set fell along the lines of what I was already doing. Below is a picture the Nativity Set as it appeared on the box in which it was released in the 1950s.  


In comparison to scanning and using detailed 3D models, it's much easier to assemble 2D images into 3D shapes. However, what made this challenging was the aforementioned water damage--the Nativity Set was somewhat submerged in a flooded basement a few years ago, which warped some of the surfaces and changed some of the colors. To fix this problem, I decided to use Abode Photoshop to smooth out the surfaces and restore the colors to their original vibrancy.

Here's one of the Nativity Set scans, which
shows some of the water damage.

This was a slow process, but worthwhile. I first used a flatbed scanner to scan each piece individually. Because the base of the Nativity Set was the largest piece, I had to divide it into four separate scans. I used Photoshop to adjust and restore each piece, and then exported them into Adobe Aero to assemble them into the complete Nativity Set. Not everything lined up perfectly, but it looks like the original set. I also enlarged the scale slightly so that the smaller details are more visible in AR. 


The restored Nativity Set in Adobe Aero (above) and in AR (below).


If you have Adobe Aero installed on your phone or tablet, you can scan the QR code below to see the AR Nativity Set for yourself.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Tron: Uprising (Part 1 of 4): Characters

Image
This month marks the one year anniversary of the cancellation of Tron: Uprising , which aired on Disney XD for 19 episodes. Set between the events of Tron and Tron: Legacy , Uprising chronicled the events shortly after Clu’s rise to power within the stand-alone Grid created by Kevin Flynn. Personally, I think that Tron: Uprising got a raw deal from Disney. It’s a fantastic addition to the Tron saga that went on to win both Emmy and Annie Awards , yet Disney clearly had other priorities and was willing to toss Uprising aside without so much as an official cancellation notice. Even to this day, Uprising has yet to be released on DVD or Blu-ray and I’m wondering if it ever will. In honor of this amazing animated series that was cut down in its prime, I have decided to do something that Disney won’t. Since there will never be an official Tron: Uprising art book, I have searched across the Internet to find a selection of art from Uprising that I can share here on my blog with
Read more

FOUND: Mechanical Shark from Universal Jaws Theme Park Ride

Image
When the Universal Studios Theme Park in Florida shut down its Jaws ride back in January 2012, Jaws fans everywhere were devastated. Yet even though this part of the Jaws franchise is no longer operational, some of its sharks are swimming around out there … including places such as Frederick, Maryland. A few days ago, I was contacted by a fellow Jaws fan named John Ryan, asking me if I knew anything specific regarding the sharks from the Universal Jaws ride. He was asking because he thought he found one and is trying to verify its authenticity. We spoke on the phone and exchanged a few emails, and here’s what he told me about his find: “I've been collecting Jaws memorabilia for decades and when I found this incredibly rare gem sitting in a backyard in Frederick, Maryland, I wondered about its connection to the state. The current homeowners said the shark was already there when they purchased the property. They also told me it had been the subject of neighborhood rumor for y
Read more

Machine Robo's Magnificent Robot Combiners

Image
I don't collect Transformers merchandise, but I see articles and advertisements about it when I browse through Japanese robot toy sites. From what I can gather, one of the latest product lines for Transformers is called "Combiner Wars" , a line that consists of five or six transforming robot toys that combine into one bigger robot. Combiner robot toys have been around for a long time, and Transformers had quite a few of them even back in the '80s. Yet of the many combiner robot toys I've seen over the years, the ones that have consistently impressed me were the ones released by Bandai under the Machine Robo line. Whereas other robot toy lines are stuck in the novelty of combining smaller toys into a bigger toy, Machine Robo has used the concept of combination to promote creative play. Read on for a review of how Machine Robo has built upon its combiner toys throughout the years.
Read more