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Dynamic stringy objects such as liquid rims and ligaments are frequently observed in important applications such as the multiphase breakup of fuel droplets. We develop a new method based on digital in-line holography to automatically measure complicated stringy objects. A static spring mounted on a rotator is measured to validate the effectiveness and accuracy of the method. The sections are extracted along the skeleton of the spring in a depth-of-field extended image and then sized and located as individual particles using a hybrid method. The surface points of sections are stitched together to visualize the entire spring. Local thickness errors smaller than 5.3%, and z errors smaller than 230 μm are achieved. This method is applied to characterize the spatial-temporal features of the liquid rim formed in the bag-type regime of the aerodynamic breakup of a falling drop. The evolution of the rim/ligament structures is continuously captured in seven frames, lasting in 1.58 ms. This Letter extends the application of digital holography as an effective 3D diagnostic tool.