The Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC) is next week, July 20–24. There is no event in the United States better situated to communicate the value and return on investment of large scale 3-D metrology than the CMSC. This year’s CMSC, its 25th, will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the only show dedicated specifically to large-scale 3-D measurement equipment and software.

While the show caters to metrology professionals, it is, and always has been family friendly. The CMSC is held in different ares of the country each year and it isn't unusual for attendees to bring their spouses and children.

The show's grass roots feel encourages ideas, concepts, and theory to flow freely. Exhibitors and attendees collaborate to find the right solutions for their 3-D measurement problems. Exhibitors play a key role at the CMSC, but at the heart of the conference are the technical presentations from industry experts, providing 3-D solutions in action—everything from photogrammetry and laser trackers, to articulating arms and structured white-light scanners. These are rarely sales pitches for one technology; because the issues involved in large-scale 3-D measurement are so complex. Rather, presentations often focus on how multiple 3-D metrology systems, often from different vendors, can be used to solve unique 3-D measurement problems.

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