Scanning's New Dimensions

If you've ever tried to scan a three-dimensional object - a product, any part of your body, the family pet - you know the results can be less than satisfactory, the details lost in murky shadows. The $400 Lightshow 3D Object scanning system from 3D Scan (570/283-3151, www.3dscanner.com ) can tackle such shadowy problems. An iMac-blue box that sits atop any 11-by-17-inch or smaller flatbed scanner, Lightshow employs a transparent double-sided acrylic mirror to illuminate an enclosed object from all directions. The result: bright, clear pictures that offer depth and dimension, perfect for desktop publishing, Web images, or 3-D modeling - or preserving images of Fluffy for posterity (though you didn't hear that from us).