6: 3d scanners have been used in video games for years. This is done to more capture motion better for more realistic models and playing. Motion capture in sports games is one of the most common uses of 3d scanners in video games.

5: 3d scanners assisted in the renovation of several important historical statues in Italy. A team from Stanford scanned Michaelangelo’s statues, and the data gleaned was extremely important in these statues renovations. The David was the most notable statue scanned.

4: It is much easier to scan a real world object than to build the model from scratch. Making a model more lifelike without data to compare it to is extremely difficult. A 3d scanner can make this process go much faster.

3: There are several different forms of 3d scanners. Some use triangulation, others use lasers. All function in the same basic format though; by storing points along the surface of the object as data sets. The only thing that differs is how those data points are made.

2: 3d scanners make computer generated images much more real and lifelike. You have probably seen poorly done CGI, and this is probably due to the fact that these images were created from scratch. With data from real world objects, the 3d model looks much more lifelike. One of the most popular recent films that have used 3d scanners to create CGI is Avatar.

1: The average price of 3d scanners is decreasing, while the quality of the scanner itself is increasing. As this technology becomes more commonplace this trend will continue. Expect to see more affordable and sophisticated versions of the 3d scanner in the near future. As with any new technology, continued innovation will make it a part of lives more and more every day.

In your business, you have come to rely on a lot of different tools for the different jobs that you do, and you need those tools to function well every time. It is no different when you are in the market for a high quality 3d scanner. You need a piece of equipment that will stand the test of time and function in the way that you need it to. You have probably seen articles suggesting that you can turn your own existing hardware into a 3d scanner, but what these articles do not tell you is that they are susceptible to breaking and sometimes cannot give you the quality data that you need.

Supplying 3D Scanners to High Demand Clients

So what are you supposed to do about it? You need to look at getting your next 3d scanner from 3ddigitalcorp. We specialize in getting you the 3d scanner for your unique purposes. Whether you need a scanner for medical reasons or you are a contractor needing to use technology for your buildings, we can help set you up with the right tools at the right prices. Our client base is wide and varied; from dentists to the entertainment industry, and even the US Army, if you need a 3d scanner, we can help you get what you need.

There is no reason to settle for an inferior 3d scanner. This technology has made amazing strides in the past decade, and you can get a high quality 3d scanner for a relatively low price if you act quickly. Don’t settle for less! You can even set up a live demonstration to see what our 3d scanners can do when you contact us. The highest quality scanners are only moments away at our website; contact us today to find out what all we can do for you.

(March 1, 2011) My experience with 3D laser scanning dates back to my days as a project manager with the global toy company LEGO. Three years ago, I switched fields into education, becoming a lecturer at VIA University College in Horsens, Denmark, my native country. Currently I coordinate the Innovation and Product Design curriculum, which is part of the Mechanical Engineering department at VIA.

To train our students we equip our laboratories with scanning equipment, 3D printers, milling machines for model making and the Virtual Clay modeler plus a special classroom equipped with 21 PC’s and all the special software needed. Digital scanning is a vital part of the process for our students, whose goal is to produce original consumer products from raw concept to working prototype. We make sure to teach them classic product development technique, which begins with formulating rough ideas, refining the ideas, them modeling them by hand from traditional materials like wood, paper and clay.

At that point we bring out the 21^st-century toolbox. Our degree candidates learn 3D scanning, reverse engineering, upload to Polyworks CAD software, then milling and cutting with CNC machines. The course of study covers half a year of coursework and labs.

We find our students love this process. As instructors, we are often amazed at the speed and quality of their work. Last semester one product concept was handlebars for a mountain bike. The modeling was done in clay and revised until a finished model was produced. Using the Optix laser scanner from 3D Digital Corp., students captured the surface geometry of the model and put  it into our CAD system. From there they continue to the stage of a completed prototype.

As I set up the program several years ago I evaluated laser scanners and software packages, looking for quality and affordability. Our short list of scanners came down to a a major competitor unit and the Optix by 3D Digital Corp. We decided Optix was the better choice. It had the advantages of being stationary, accurate enough, fairly easy to operate and well-priced. I knew it would be student-friendly and it has proven to be that. I was hoping it prove durable and its durability has been excellent, especially considering the large number of new users who are operating it year after year.

Out students come from a wide array of European countries, arriving with a fair knowledge of the traditional mechanical calculations long been required for linking three-dimensional objects to CAD platforms. They are usually surprised, very pleasantly, to learn there is such a thing as 3D laser scanning that allows them to reverse-engineer quickly and accurately.

In Europe, a University College is for practical instruction—it’s not the top level of higher learning. Because we offer a rigorous course in reverse engineering using laser scanners, we own a recruitment advantage. It has allowed us to build our program from 18 students two years ago to our current class of 60, which is near the maximum we can accept. Government support for education provides funding based on class size, so more students equals more budget dollars. Obviously the investment in our scanner lab has been valuable for the institution.

Two of our students took their degrees and went to work for a major manufacturer that builds and installs large, custom-designed machines for assembling parts. Installation of these complex machines is difficult, and many times the rooms chosen to hold them have not fit the machine, due to miscalculations. Our graduates, though very junior on their install teams, told their employer that this problem would never occur if they could bring in a 3D scanner to create the plans. No one else at the company knew this, and when the scanning step was added to their process the problem went away. That’s certainly a feather in our cap at VIA, stories such as that.

Kim Rask Petersen, M.Sc  Mechanical Engineering

Lecturer in Innovation and Product Design

VIA University College

Campus Horsens, Denmark

Prop Shop: Craig Catto's laser scanning station has rails to slide the propellers along and a framework that helps create alignment points for his scans.

FEB 08, 2011,   

 My customers are people who fly homebuilt airplanes, and they tend to have distinct individual personalities. What they need by way of aircraft performance is specific and distinct as well. Our company, Catto Propellers, is in the business of design, analysis and manufacturing of composite propellers for the Long Eze, Lancair and RV series of aircraft, along with many design specific military projects . Several world speed and altitude records have been set with Catto Propellers and still stand—an achievement we take pride in.  One NASA project had Catto Propellers that flew in excess of 82,000 feet.  Just two months ago, the world records were set with Catto Propellers.

For years I endeavored to become a preferred source of custom propellers and build a viable company. I realized not long ago that Catto Propellers had succeeded in part of that but failed in another part. We had clients and revenue and profits, but no assets. All of the 1,000-plus design-and-build jobs in our files were of the “one-off” variety.

That’s what got me thinking about 3D digital scanning, so for a couple of years I asked all the smart people I knew in aerospace and other tech fields what they knew about the subject. Surprisingly, none of them had any direct experience with it. I wasn’t trained in engineering but I have a pretty persistent mind when I’m looking for technology to do my work better, so I kept at it.

The first scanner company I talked to had a unit that was priced well under the 3D Digital eScan but they wanted to charge me $60 an hour for training. I asked them if I flew to you with one of my propellers, could you show me how your scanner would work for me? They proceeded to tell me they would charge me $100 a scan!  I didn’t like that idea so I kept looking. When I first talked to Satish at 3D Digital Corp. he said I could fly from California out to Connecticut and get trained in person for no charge. So I did that, bringing along a sample propeller. I had a lot of questions about the effectiveness of the process and Satish just kept giving me the right answers. When I watched him scan it and create the digital file of its complete surface contour I felt like someone had robbed me. It was shocking to think that all that custom individual work could be captured so quickly and accurately. Obviously, that was the missing piece of my entire production process.  I now had the catalyst to make my company fully digital for CNC manufacturing. Now I take a product I’ve already built, scan it and reverse-engineer the resulting file with the tweaks I want to add.

Sometimes that’s a reduction in span, or a thinning or thickening of portions of the blade, or a change to the “pitch” (the twist profile of a prop blade). Then off it goes to the CNC. The propellers start as a laminated maple blank, then bias plies of fiberglass are laminated over the wood core.  Up to 36 plies are used on the three bladed propellers.  On the blade itself, the laminates of fiberglass build up to .080 inch thick from root to tip.  The fiberglass is more than a protective shell, it is the structural member of the blade.  In most cases now we also use Carbon Fiber for increased structural stiffness.

Before I even ordered my eScan3D™ scanner, Satish suggested that he set the focal length more specific to my type of work than the standard length. I’ve done some of my own customizing to the scanner workstation, setting up parallel rails for the scanner to ride along as it captures the prop surface. Because carbon fiber is black and not easy for the laser to “see,” and also because prop blades are so lacking in surface variation, I created a “contextual frame” to help the alignment software. They are stealth-looking triangles that float in mid-air.  Connected to flexible copper rods clamped onto the work table, they can be easily placed for triangulation so the files will mesh beautifully.

The amount of scanning I do now is pretty intense. I’m loading my archive prop by prop, and of course using existing stock to help me easily create the next order. Repeat customers and volume orders are now easily produced. Years from now I may not be scanning my existing propeller stock, because the files will all be loaded. But I am sure I will always be scanning every new blade I produce. Then finally there will be established asset value to my company for the future.

Jan 11, 2011

When amusement parks, museums, zoos, and resorts need large-scale character figures, they look to our company, the Weber Group, to build them. The finished products are installed to attract and delight paying customers, though few visitors would guess how much technology and engineering goes into these massive recreations of Snoopy, a pioneer horse team or reproduction terra cotta warriors from a Chinese emperor’s tomb site.

Accuracy and highest-quality fabrication are required by our clients, some of whom place orders for pieces that rise 65 feet in height. However it is the work we do creating branded characters from licensor studios like United Artists that is perhaps the most exacting. Large-format custom cutting had been done in the past without the help of 3D digital scanning, but our efficiency and quality have greatly improved since the addition of an eScan laser scanner from 3D Digital Corp.

Without a doubt our eScan laser scanner is an incredible time-saver. In the past, when a customer would send us a maquette (a small scale model or rough draft of an unfinished architectural work or sculpture) we prepared ourselves for extensive measurements and hand work to scale that model up as a faithful reproduction. Several years ago, in my role as 3-D modeler at Weber Group, I began to look at 3-dimensional scanning as a means of streamlining our design-build process while bolstering our quality control.

Anyone with a CNC machine who builds from 3D models is in dire need of 3D scanning capabilities, whether they know it or not. Once we had our eScan unit installed and working, it was hard to imagine not having it. It’s the classic case of acquiring a tool and right away wondering how you ever managed to get along without it.

At first my research into 3D scanner units was discouraging. The prices were prohibitive and there were lots of functional limitations. I was faced with having to recommend investments of $30,000 to $40,000 in order to bring this technology into our shop—not a viable option. Then I became aware of 3D Digital and eScan, priced in the $7,000 range. I was encouraged not only by the pricing but by the company’s longevity and solid reputation. For a product that needs support and for which you’ll likely want upgrades, this is vital. Most of the high-priced scanner suppliers I had looked at in the beginning are not even in business now.

One of the first benefits I noticed was the translation between the eScan scanner and our CNC machine, which is truly seamless. For one job, a Snoopy figure, United Artists supplied me with an artist’s maquette that was not the exact pose needed for the scaled-up figure. However, I was able to purchase a $3 Snoopy toy in the correct pose, scan it, submit the file and get it quickly approved. Brand standards are stringent about proportions and shapes, but with scanner technology I know what I send them is spot-on. There is great ease of use with eScan—carrying my laptop and the scanner into our main studio I can scan a human-size object in one morning, if I need to.

For a small additional investment we have upgraded our eScan to higher-resolution captures. Again, the result is great accuracy and even less finish work, especially on the peripheral geometry of complex pieces like a pioneer wagon and horse team. Our next upgrade will be a higher-resolution lens, and at that point we will be accurate up to two-thousandths of an inch, which the human eye basically can’t detect.

Wed Oct 5, 2010

In Spain, artists like me who create large-scale sculptures have learned how to use 3D scanning, with excellent results. Most of the figures I produce are used in traditional festivals, in and around Valencia, where my studio is. They range from four to 10 feet high and take from one to three weeks to produce. Three-dimensional scanning makes the work go much faster. Before, I would have to start from scratch by drawing on plates.

I first learned about three-dimension scanning technology on-line. There were various products to select from, but the EScan from 3D Digital seemed the best option. Because of this technology, I can now begin the process by molding a figure about 30 centimeters high. Once I have this model figure looking the way I want, I use the EScan 3D scanner to capture the surface geometry. Then I build up the piece to the size that’s needed, and cover it in paper and paint.

If a one of figures for the festival was well-received, I may want to reproduce it for the next year, perhaps in a different size or coloration. With the EScan 3D technology, I can take a file that is saved on a CD and load it back. From there it’s a simple matter to scale the figure up or down

I am using my scanner quite a lot now, because I have been commissioned to create 20 different figures for the 2011 festival. They will be five to eight feet in height when I am finished. In selecting a 3D laser scanner, I was drawn to the EScan because it works better and is even less expensive than many others. Truly, the most challenging part of learning to operate the 3D scanner was translating instructions from English to Spanish. After that, the technical part of it was easy.

Test post to try out certain functions of the site. This could be construed as the test that changed the world, but I don't think so. It's really just intended to be made up of quite a few words to make sure that posts are truncated where they should be. Just try reading it aloud and see if the sentence cuts off in an unexpected place.

While the resolution affects the image quality in the x and y dimensions, the accuracy refers to the image quality in the z (or depth, or range) dimension. 3DD scanners calculate the range of each point on the target object. CCD noise, imperfect optics, and fundamental laws of physics all result in some error in the calculated range. It is not possible to design a scanner that does not have some error. The accuracy is a measure of this error. It is defined as the standard deviation of the difference between the measured range and the actual range to a target. The range error is approximately Gaussian in nature. This implies that if we scan a perfectly flat plane, at a fixed range of 245mm (10″), and if the accuracy of the scanner is 250microns (0.01″), and we build a histogram of the ranges of each of the points it would look like the one shown in the following figure. 65% of the range points will lie within +/- 1 standard deviation from the mean, i.e.: +/-250microns (+/- 0.01″). 95% of the range points will lie within +/- 2 standard deviations from the mean, i.e.: +/-250microns (+/- 0.02″).

» Back to overview of 3D scanner technology.

The dental industry has come a long way and has benefitted greatly from the technological advances of the last century. One of the major technological advances is the use of a 3d dental scanner. Before 3d dental scanners dentists would have to take molds of peoples teeth in order to make a crown, cap or dentures. With a 3d dental scanner this is no longer the case. The 3d dental scanner is not only faster but more importantly more accurate which allows for more precision and results in happier patients.

3d Dental Scanners in Use

Since 3d dental scanners were initially used in practice the technology has progressed drastically, as everything does with technology. 3D Digital Corp is on the leading front of what 3D scanners are capable of doing. 3D Digital Corp. has many models of 3d scanners to choose from beginning at a fraction of the cost of competitors. With the portable capability of our escan scanner taking 3d digital scans in a lab environment is a thing of the past. The portable 3d scanner has been used by some of the best engineers to replicate and produce precise parts. The statue of David was scanned by a 3d laser scanner and with technology we can now replicate nearly any object.

With positive feedback from all of our customers we are confident that we have a scanner to fit almost any application. Our custom software allows for much more sophisticated scans that other 3d laser scanners are not capable of doing. 3d scanners make duplicating or reverse engineering an object simple. Whatever your scanner needs 3D Digital Corp. has a solution for you. The next time you are at the dentist you will need to ask about 3d scanners and see if they are aware of the cutting edge technology.

The laser scanner 3D images that our scanners produce are impressive.  Each image is created using triangulation. Simply put, triangulation is when the machine collects data between the scanner lens, a laser, and the object that is being scanned for the 3D model. This data is then fed into the software and produces a digital model of the scanned object.  These digital models can then be used for a variety of purposes, including being used to reproduce replicas of the original model.

Our scanners are not “one size fits all.”  We expect our clients to come to us and tell us their needs.  That way we know which of our scanners will enable them to produce the most accurate scanner 3D images.  While each scanner is very versatile and can do many things, we don’t expect our customers to have only one choice from our products.  That is why we manufacture a selection of 3D scanners.  For example, each machine is better suited for different primary applications. 3D Digital Corp. has scanners that are for smaller objects, larger objects and everything in between.  Our highly-experienced customer service team can help you define which of our excellent scanners will help your company produce the most accurate laser scanner 3D images.

Scanner 3d Uses

Creating laser scanner 3D images can save so much time.  Instead of trying to take measurements by hand and relying on human accuracy (or inaccuracy!) to record dimensions and make drawings, companies can now use a 3D scanner to document what an object looks like and render it almost immediately on the computer using our scanning software. Our scanners scan objects in seconds and you can view your scanner 3D images in just a few minutes.  Obviously this method is a lot faster than others.  Saving time can also mean saving money. 

Providing affordable and high quality laser scanners is our specialty. Currently our scanners are helping companies in many different industries, not just manufacturing.  3D Digital Corp. has been helping industries like health care, entertainment, museums, and construction companies. If you think your company could benefit from one of our products, call us or send us an email, we’d love to help.