Photo-to-Sim example.What if building a realistic manufacturing simulation could start with a photo instead of a CAD model? At IMTS 2026, AMT engineers will demonstrate how Photo-to-Sim can turn photographs of real shop-floor equipment – from CNC machines and robots to 3D printers – into realistic, simulation-ready 3D models. Another Path to 3D Creating a realistic virtual factory typically requires accurate models of the equipment on the floor. CAD files can provide that detail, but they aren’t always available due to intellectual property concerns. And when they are available, they may require significant preparation before they can be used in a simulation. Photo-to-Sim offers another route. Start with one or more photos of a machine, and reconstruction technology creates its 3D geometry. From there, the model can be cleaned up, textured, and rigged with the links and joints needed to move in a physics-based simulation. If the equipment publishes MTConnect data, even better. Information about the machine’s components and axes can help define what moves and how, creating a model based on the equipment’s own data rather than relying solely on manual setup. The result? A faster way to bring real manufacturing assets into virtual environments for simulation, planning, and other digital applications. Build it with a photo once. Reuse it in every scene. Register NowSee How It Works Curious what your own equipment could look like in a simulation? Stop by the AMT Emerging Technology Center, powered by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, in IMTS booth #236700. Get the lowdown directly from AMT engineers, watch Photo-to-Sim in action, ask questions, and learn how you can begin turning photos of your own manufacturing equipment into simulation-ready 3D assets. See it at IMTS 2026, Sept. 14-19, at McCormick Place in Chicago.Further Reading: The World According to Dayan Rodriguez: From Ideation to ExecutionOkuma, ANCA Announce Executive Changes Ahead of IMTS 2026MC Machinery Showcases Next-Generation EDM and Precision Milling Technologies at IMTS 2026
Turn photos of real manufacturing equipment into simulation-ready 3D models with Photo-to-Sim at IMTS 2026.
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