3D scanning
3D scanning is the process of making a 3D file from a statue, model, or building.
Contents
Structured-light scanning
Structured-light scanning is making a 3D file of an object just using a camera or a camcorder with either 1) a projected grid from a video projector or 2) a projected line(s) from low power laser light source (generally, a laser-pointer or similar). It should be born in mind that 3D scanning produces clouds of discrete points, not contiguous surfaces. A scanned primitive shape like a cube or a sphere is not recognised by CAD programs, and point cloud processing software is often the most expensive component of commercial systems.
DIY
Murobo makes a turntable 3D laser scanner kit called ATLAS 3D that runs entirely on the Raspberry Pi. The open source FreeLSS software developed for the scanner is available on Github under a GPL license.
SplineScan was a free and open source software project that reached a high level of polish and sophistication, but has now been discontinued. The code has been forked into a new project, for more info see the RepRap local documentation stub SplineScan.
Fab Lab Created a reasonable Open Source 3D scanner - FabScan based on a turntable and a line laser that can be driven from a RAMPS_1.4 board. Unfortunately a memory leak in the underlying Qt library code prevents useful quantities of scan points being gathered as of the end of 2014.
The Spanish Company BQ also created a cheap, portable 3D Scanner with turntable and line lasers called Ciclop. It is completely open-source, and its components are also made in open-source software: Zum, the Arduino-based shield, made in KiCAD; Ciclop, the 3D-printed parts, made in FreeCAD; horus-fw, the firmware that runs on the Arduino; and horus, the multiplatform desktop application written in python that controls the whole set. There is also the need of a modified version of opencv, and all of this is hosted in bqlabs' github page.
David Laserscanner is closed source but there is a *free* basic scanning software version, and a commercial edition that costs €199, for which you get additional tools for assembling and combining multiple scans of the same object into a watertight model, and for applying textures. David requires a 3-plane "corner" with calibration targets, a laser line generator, red or green, and a web cam or a video recording of the line being swept over the target in the "corner". There's also a "for sale" starter kit. The kit costs €400 and you need a Windows computer. You get a suitable camera and laser line, and the panels to build and calibrate the "corner". They've spent a lot of time on their website, and there's good feedback and advice from users and the vendors through good forums, and many real-world user examples. If you already have a laser line generator, and a web or video camera, and three 600mm x 600mm sheets of MDF or similar, you can build a David scanner and be operating it within a couple of hours. Scan output is .obj, and if you're using the free version, Meshlab can assemble and stitch multiple scans into one object.
Commercial
There are probably a number of expensive solutions for doing this, based on good software, a camera, and a laser pointer. And good marketing.
Photogrammetry scanning
This is making a 3D file of an object just using a camera, or a camcorder, even without a laser-pointer-like light source.
Technically this is called 'photogrammetry' or more precisely 'object reconstruction'. The following is a list of free programs, but the full list is available from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photogrammetry
| Platform | Standalone / Plugin | Automatic modeling | Scalability | Data source | Inception | Vendor / creator | Software License | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123D Catch (Beta) | Windows/OSX/iOS, Web-based | Standalone part of the 123D suite | Yes | No, limit of 70 images (40 on iphone app) | Images/Video | 2011 | Autodesk | Freemium | General purpose |
| Ames Stereo Pipeline | Linux/OS X | Standalone | Yes | No, 2 images only | Images | Unknown | NASA | Open Source | map mars landscape with only 2 cameras |
| ARC3D | Web-based | Standalone | No, use MeshLab | Yes, multiple images | Images | 2005 | KU Leuven | Proprietary | Upload pictures, download point-cloud |
| CMVS | ? | Standalone | ? | Yes, multiple images | Images (from the internet) | Completed? | University of Washington | GPL | “build” Rome in a day from pictures on the internet |
| Correlator3D | Windows | Standalone | Yes | Yes, multiple images | Images | 2003 | SimActive Inc. | Proprietary & Patented | 3D mapping from aerial and satellite images |
| Enwaii | Windows/Linux/OS X | Standalone/Plugin (Maya) | No | Yes, multiple images | Images/Video/LIDAR | 2008 | Banzai Pipeline Ltd | Proprietary | High-end 3d scans of sets for Hollywood CG. |
| Harvester | TBD | Standalone | TBD | Yes, multiple images | Images | Incomplete | User:Midge | GPL | DIY 3D scanning |
| Hypr3D (now [1] Cubify Capture) | Web-based | Standalone | Yes | Yes, multiple images | Images/Video | 2010 | Viztu Technologies | Proprietary | upload pictures, download .stl |
| Insight 3D | Windows/Linux | Standalone | Yes? | Yes, multiple images | Images | Incomplete | Lukas Mach | AGPL 3 | generate point-clouds of scenes (e.g., buildings) |
| libmv | Matchmoving backend for Blender | Blender backend | Yes | Yes | Images/Video | Incomplete | community effort | MIT License | primarily matchmoving, but also reconstructing 3d models |
| Mementify | iOS | Standalone | Yes | Yes, multiple images | Images | 2012 | Tretja dimenzija, XLAB | proprietary | App-based photo upload and model download |
| My3DScanner | Web-based | Standalone | No | Yes, multiple images | Images | 2010? | My3DScanner | Proprietary | upload pictures, download point-cloud |
| PHOV | Web-based (free trial) | Standalone | Yes | Yes, multiple images | Images | 2010 | XLAB | Proprietary | upload pictures, download point-cloud |
| Python Photogrammetry Toolbox | Windows/Linux/OS X | Standalone | Yes | Yes, multiple images | Images | Unknown | Arc-Team | GPL? | Runs CMVS on any platform without installing Cygwin |
| StereoScan | Windows/Linux/OS X | Standalone | Yes | No, 2 images only | Images | 2010 | Agisoft | Proprietary | Generate 3d meshes from 2 pictures |
| VisualSFM | Windows/Linux/OS X | Standalone | Yes | Yes, multiple images | Images | Unknown | Changchang Wu | Apache 2.0 (Open Source, but non-commercial) | GUI for CMVS |
| WebDLT | Web-based | Standalone | No | Yes, multiple images | Images | 2012 | B. Molnar, BME FMT | Proprietary? | Upload pictures, type physical measurements, and download DXF |
Touch-probe scanning
- Main page: CMM
- "Robot Arm Type": here a human guides a 'finger' of a device that looks like a robot arm over a model or sculpture. This deals well with overhangs and precise geometries like boreholes or outer diameters.
- "Generic Touch Probe": we can mount a touch probe toolhead on a 2+1 axis machine like a CNC router, mill, or RepRap. This is convenient if we don't have a robot arm handy.
Further reading
See also David_Project.
- "Beagle Board Challenge: Beagle Scan" uses structured-light scanning.
