From Raw Photogrammetry to VFX-Ready Asset with SKAP

The process begins with a raw photogrammetry scan captured by Deep 3D Studio. Their advanced setup provides ND, CPL, ensuring exceptional photographic accuracy. After reconstruction in Agisoft and projection of the textures, the high-resolution mesh is previewed in ZBrush, giving us a reliable reference to evaluate the scan before enhancement.

While the raw scan looks convincing at first glance, its limitations become clear as soon as you bring it into a VFX production environment. The mesh is typically extremely dense and uneven, which make, cleanup, and general optimization far more complicated than it should be.

The automatically generated UVs don’t help either: they tend to be messy and inconsistent, making any kind of precise texturing difficult to control. And although the projected textures do capture basic color information, they offer very little in terms of true depth or micro-detail.

In short, the raw scan provides a strong foundation, but it’s still a long way from production-ready. To reach industry-standard quality, the scan is wrapped onto a clean basemesh. For this crucial step, we rely on 3DWrap, which lets us transfer essential texture data from the scan including ND and CPL onto the production mesh.

By contrast, the raw scan itself is not designed for direct production use; it primarily serves as a source of information.

Here are the results of the baked maps on the new basemesh.

Wireframe

Displacement

ND

CPL

While the ND map may initially appear noisy, it often contains a richer level of detail than a standard displacement exported directly from Agisoft. In practice, we commonly rely on the blue channel for its higher contrast and improved micro-detail response.

Here is the difference between a traditional and classic approach (high-pass from blue channel on the diffuse ) and the SKAP-generated result.

SKAP goes beyond this approximation by producing a displacement map that aims to be more physically consistent with the underlying scan information, while reducing common scan artifacts and improving pores’s structure and shape, wrinkles, and fine surface texture in softer areas.

The transformation becomes clear when comparing pre- and post-SKAP maps. Previously noisy or difficult regions reveal cleaner, more natural micro-detail. Cavities, pores, and fine wrinkles become readable at a level suitable for close-ups.

SKAP outputs a 16K grayscale/multichannel displacement and cavity map within a day, fully prepared for calibration. The asset arrives consistent and production-friendly, while remaining traceable to the original scan.

In just a few minutes, the raw scan is elevated into a production-ready asset. Fine surface detail is preserved and clarified, helping achieve strong visual fidelity while reducing time-consuming manual cleanup or retouches.

SKAP becomes especially valuable when photogrammetry reaches its natural limits particularly on youthful faces or naturally smooth skin, where micro-details are subtle, faint, or not fully captured. Even when the raw scan carries minimal surface texture, the pipeline can help reveal underlying structure and generate a detailed 16K micro-displacement map that stays aligned with the subject.

Where traditional photogrammetry struggles to deliver close-up realism, SKAP aims to recover authentic skin complexity with a level of precision that can be difficult to achieve with conventional post-processing alone.

The workflow integrates into existing pipelines with minimal setup and remains artist-friendly. Most importantly, it is designed to preserve the integrity of the original scan improving detail without breaking the natural flow of the surface.