When it comes to documenting objects, the topic of 3D scanning is becoming increasingly interesting. Canon II is checking the feasibility of these option.
Smartphone apps make this technology accessible to virtually everyone, even without the need for expensive specialist equipment. Owners of newer models of Apple’s iPhone or iPad also benefit from a built-in LiDAR sensor, which greatly improves the spatial capture of objects.
Whilst this technology has worked flawlessly for sculptures, for example, even in public spaces, it does have certain limitations regarding the size and exact nature of objects.
As part of the scenography documentation, an attempt was made to capture a 1:20 scale model of a stage set. Several attempts were made using both an iPhone 17 Pro and an iPad M5 with the PolyCam app. Unfortunately, the result was disappointing.
The model measures approx. 60x60cm and is approx. 80cm high. So, in fact, a size that usually causes no problems whatsoever. Other scans of objects approx. 10cm in size were successful. It only becomes somewhat difficult below that, but down to a minimum of 5cm, the results were quite satisfactory.
The problems here can probably be identified as follows:
1. The stage set was constructed from glossy black cardboard. Black surfaces generally pose significant problems for systems that use autofocus. The glossy finish further exacerbates the issue, making it almost impossible for the camera technology to focus correctly. A highly reflective surface (e.g. porcelain) would have been doomed to failure from the outset. Mirrored surfaces are completely out of the question.
2. The example stage set consists of around 30 small tables suspended by ropes in the centre of the stage area. Here too, it was evidently very difficult for the sensor and the autofocus to make precise measurements. It was to be expected that the wafer-thin ropes would not be detected. However, the jumble of chairs evidently caused further ‘confusion’.
Although it is possible to get very close to the object with a smartphone and the standard macro mode can also focus at this close range, the whole scene was evidently too complex.
The scan of a single table attached to a thin wire (diameter approx. 2 mm), on the other hand, worked perfectly. The small chair is only approx. 5×8 cm wide.
The closer the measuring device has to get to the object, the more important it is to determine its position with true precision. However, this does not appear to be as precise as would be desirable for this purpose, meaning that potential measurement errors have a significant negative impact.
The closer the measuring device has to be to the object, the more important it is to determine its position with true precision. However, this does not appear to be as accurate as would be desirable, meaning that potential measurement errors have a significant negative impact on the final result.
Although this has not been conclusively proven, experience suggests that a minimum distance of at least 20 cm is advantageous.
Further tests will follow. These will then use far less intricate examples. Moreover, even without testing, it is clear that scanning individual parts will certainly be successful. In the aforementioned example, however, dismantling was out of the question. Unfortunately, this applies to many models where the design is so intricately complex.
There is some hope that it will be possible to carry out at least a rough spatial scan and then scan the individual elements separately. It would then be possible to arrange these individual scans correctly within the overall scan and thus replace it. However, this requires some basic knowledge of 3D software and a considerable investment of time. For regular collections, this option is certainly out of the question.
This technology is therefore primarily suitable for relatively solid objects with little to no intricate detail, where there is a good chance that no or only minimal post-processing will be required. The freeware Blender is certainly worth considering for this purpose, as it also allows export to web-compatible 3D formats.
The Sketchfab platform features numerous examples of objects from museums around the world. In some cases, a download is possible, but in all cases, the object can generally be viewed in three dimensions either in a web browser or – if available – directly in virtual space using VR glasses. With regard to stage design models, this naturally also means that one can ‘walk around’ the stage and explore it accordingly. This is an aspect that is also very exciting for the design process and communication with the director and stage technicians.
For scenographers currently active in the field, however, general 3D modelling is also becoming more important than physical model-making.
When it comes to scanning lighting equipment, we encounter similar problems on the one hand, but also additional challenges. Here too, we are mostly dealing with black, and in some cases glossy, surfaces.
Furthermore, older devices in particular often feature very delicate components that are not only permanently fixed but also difficult to access.Last but not least, the interior of the devices is also of great interest for documentation and research. You hardly get access to it even with a relatively small device. Endoscopic technology will be necessary here.
Dr. Stefan Gräbener, april 20th, 2026
3D-scan of set-model with PolyCam on iPhone17pro and iPadM5, optimized in Blender 5.1
3 versions with different settings
3D-scan of table-model with PolyCam on iPhone17pro, optimized in Blender 5.1
Links
Blender
Examples of 3D-Scans at Sketchfab:
Theatre Dress
Toy Theatre – Sörmlands Museum
Set-Design-Model_ PARSIFAL, the enchanted garden of Klingsor
WolkenApparat
Bogenlampen-Scheinwerfer
Shakespeare in Berlin
Report on the CANON II lecture at CUE by Isabel Nielen from the Netherlands.
On Wednesday 14 January at CUE 2026, Bastiaan Schoof (NL) and Chris van Goethem (BE) gave a lecture on CANON II: preserving the heritage of lighting designers, set designers and theatre technology.
How can a company or designer preserve their legacy digitally in a sustainable way? Why should we keep records? And how do you store them so that they remain accessible in the future?
During the lecture, it emerged that CANON II had grown out of an earlier international project, namely CANON – THE HISTORY OF THEATRE TECHNOLOGY. The aim was to raise awareness and understanding of the history of theatre technology in Europe.
If the history of theatre technology is not documented and preserved, a great deal of knowledge and experience will be lost. Because technology is constantly evolving and the people who still have experience with old techniques are literally dying out. How, then, can one understand the historical context or the lighting designs of theatre productions if one does not know how the technology worked at that time? Furthermore, many technical collections are in private ownership; it is important that a place is established, such as an open database, to ensure these collections are not lost and can be made available for study and research.
The CANON I outputs included 100 ‘stories’ of the most significant practices, technologies, individuals, places, artefacts and buildings from the history of theatre technology.
The CANON I results can be found on the website. And on the CANON I database
What is CANON II about?
CANON II is a three-year Erasmus+ project funded by the E
uropean Union. It investigates how we can preserve lighting and set designs, along with the associated technology, for the future. The CANON II research project focuses on lighting design, lighting equipment and set design. Four case studies will be examinedand developed for each topic. The existing Canon database will be updated, expanded and made more accessible to the public. At the same time, we are developing guidelines on how to document these elements, so that the Canon database can continue to grow even after this project has ended.
Who is involved?
The project is supported by the following project partners:
Erasmus University College Brussels, Belgium
Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, United Kingdom
Svensk Teaterteknisk Förening, Sweden
Institut Umeni Divadelni Ustav, Czech Republic
Stichting Instituut Lichtontwerpen, Netherlands
In addition, there are many associated partners involved across the various countries
You can’t put light in a box!
How exactly to document lighting design is the subject of this research. Light is quite elusive and, regardless of the technical implementation, it is more than just the number of lights or a percentage. Light creates atmosphere and emotion; to understand a realised lighting design, you need context regarding the location, the space and the direction. In practice, it appears that lighting designers do little or no archiving for the future. Digital files are no longer usable or readable after a few years. Archives are private or scattered and not organised according to our field. Furthermore, archives are not always accessible. It is much easier to archive documents and objects than lighting designs and stage sets. Often, the press photos of a production are close-ups that do not give a good impression of the entire stage set.
As an example, Bastiaan showed two photos of the lighting design by Henk van der Geest for ‘Le Figaro’ – one a publicity photo taken from the wings, where no audience member saw the production from, and the other the audience’s view. A good press photo often captures details of a performance, whereas for a picture of the lighting design, it’s better to see the whole stage.
Why are we doing this, and for whom?
We are undertaking this project because it is important to document and catalogue developments in the theatre sector. Not only the technical aspects, but also the creative side of the field. Many contemporary developments stem from the past. History teaches us about the present and provides perspective and context for the future.
For example: why were so many theatres destroyed by fire (around that time)? It was due to the rise of gas lighting! New technology brings about change.
The database will be made public and can be used by professionals, students, teachers, collectors and other archives. The aim is to make it easier to find information and link it to other archives and information sources. In doing so, it is important to look beyond national borders.
Archiving makes room for new insights
Chris showed an image of a lighting design from the Allard Pierson Museum’s archive. In it, the design is laid out entirely like a musical score. It was the lighting script for *Poppetgom* by Scarabee. That’s another way to do it!
A fine example of a lighting design that you wouldn’t immediately expect to see presented in this way.
What exactly are we going to do?
Please let people in the field know about this research project!
At the end of the talk, a public appeal was made regarding the Stichter table. Chris found the light table in an archive but doesn’t know how it works. The audience was asked if anyone had ever worked on this table or knew someone who had? And it turned out that among those present, there were about four people who had worked with a Stichter table in the past!
The lecture ended with an appeal to anyone who might still have historical or recent theatre materials stored away in an attic or shed somewhere: please feel free to get in touch!
Chris van Goethem – chris.van.goethem@ehb.be
Bastiaan Schoof – bastiaan.schoof@ahk.nl
Cue 2026 is the leading theatre technology trade fair in the Netherlands. On the exhibition floor, you’ll find everything related to theatre technology in the fields of lighting, sound and stage design. There is also a program of talks lezingen programma.
The exhibition Set Design in Three Acts symbolically unites the past and present in three ‘acts’: the museum, the living room, and the studio.
This is the new exhibition in the Allard Pierson Museum is. Only the chamber theatre of Baron van Slingelandt is already worthwhile a visit. Arne Hendriks and Josef Zappe build a replica of it. Regularly they show how these old theatre machineries work with all the strings and ropes in their replica.
On SHOWTECH 2025 (May 20-22) in Berlin, the leading international trade fair and congress for theatre and stage technology, students, teachers, technicians and industry experts explore cutting-edge solutions and shape the future of the theatre technology. BHT-team Bri Newesely and Stefan Gräbener met PQ head of communications Adam Dudek to develop possible strategies to connect CANON II with the next Prague Quadrennial 2027. One possibility could be to engage with physical models that represent scenography and theatrical architecture. What is important with these models is not necessarily a high level of detail, but above all the representation of the central ideas and the concept, the design.
