METIS Technology

The history of “Synchrolight” begins in 1998. METIS was the first to apply synchronized light-blades on large scanners. This method was already used in photocopiers (e.g. Xerox) but never applied to large reproduction systems. In the same year METIS registered the domain name “synchrolight.com”.

Thanks to the experience gained, in 2009 we designed an innovative lighting system called “DC Synchrolight” and filed a related patent on January 2010. This solution paved the way to calculate the height of the reliefs of the materials to be reproduced using the “Photometric Stereo” method.

In 2014, the new method “METIS Photometric Stereo 3D” was a concrete and efficient reality and, to use all its potential, we further developed the lighting system and filed a second patent in the same year. This evolution represents the unsurpassed state of the art of lighting devices for scanners based on linear sensors.

In 2017, to allow the creation of compact scanners based on matrix sensors, we created a lighting system based on illuminators with dynamic cycles of light modulation. We also filed a patent for this important innovation.

In 2009, we developed an evolution of the lighting system of our scanners in order to improve the quality of the images and the emphasis of 3D appearance.

On January 2010, the related patent has been filed. Subsequently, this new system combined with a specific software would have allowed to record the height of the reliefs of the surfaces as an alternative to laser or confocal systems. To this end, we discarded the “Stereoscopic” method due to its evident insufficiency and decided to develop the “Photometric Stereo” method.

This method, known since 1980s, has never been applied to a scanner due to its complexity. Starting from its basic principles, between 2010 and 2014 we developed new and exclusive mathematical algorithms. Thus the “METIS Photometric Stereo 3D” was born.

Since 2014, METIS scanners quickly provide all the infinite combinations of light, 3D data, gloss, etc., in a completely automated way and without the need for an expert user. Moreover, Color and 3D information are available almost at the same time and match at pixel level.

METIS scanners are the most advanced choice for decor industries and creatives.

The SuperScan is a sophisticated but completely automated acquisition mode, uniquely available in METIS scanners, which consist in scanning the original several times (from 2 to 6 passes are required depending on the original type and application). During the SuperScan passes, light direction and intensity is finely modulated and all possible light schematics are saved into a single proprietary file with extension .MDC.

The additional information provided in the MDC file allow: reprocessing the light schematic at any moment with our Light Inspector Software; calculation of a reflectivity MAP – obtained from scans with different lighting – which allows dealing with reflections and shadows in the images; use of this purely photographically obtained “Highlights & Shadows” information for combining them with the color information, to achieve absolutely natural and even more 3dimensional look; extrapolating 3D surface information for generating a Depth and a Glossy map that can be used for 3D printing/engraving/visualization.

Optional, the Light Inspector Software is also available as standalone version. This brings the creative part back to the creatives and can optimize your workflow.