Since 1997, Shape Modeling International (SMI) has been organizing a series of conferences on Shape Modeling and Applications to  provide a forum for the dissemination of new computational techniques  for modeling and processing digital representations of shapes and  their properties to a community of experts across a wide range of  areas in academia and industry.

SMI conferences address all aspects of shape acquisition, processing,  retrieval and understanding. Applications of shape modeling cover  image synthesis, medicine, biology, botany, motion picture, special  effects and videogame production, as well as Computer-Aided Design,  manufacture, and engineering.

SMI was started as a bi-annual event by Prof. Kunii and his  colleagues in Japan. In 2001, SMI has merged with the Implicit  Surface Workshops and is now run as an annual event alternating  between Asia, Europe and America.