3D imaging technology has come a long way from its roots in academic research labs, and thanks to innovations in sensors, lighting and most importantly, embedded processing, 3D vision is now appearing in a variety of machine automation applications. From vision-guided robotic bin-picking to high precision metrology, the latest generation of processors can now handle the immense data sets and sophisticated algorithms required to extract depth information and quickly make decisions. The LabVIEW 2012 Vision Development Module makes 3D vision accessible to engineers through seamless integration of software and hardware tools for 3D within one graphical development environment.