• The Digitizer scans an object with two lasers to create models that are more complete. [More] • Digitizer’s software automatically fills in missing scan data to complete a model. [More] • The software also adds flat surfaces to the top and bottom of an object to create a watertight model. [More]
Bottom line, it’s pretty amazing that we can take real-world objects, and scan them into the digital world as 3D models. But how does it all work? The process is simple and elegant. To start, a user places an object in front of the Digitizer’s camera. Then the scanner’s two lasers project light onto the object. The lasers are 60 degrees apart, and they scan one at a time to get the most accurate results. Once light bounces back into the camera, two sets of 3D points are formed, which the Digitizer software merges to create a 3D image. But not all objects or materials were created equal when it comes to reflecting light. Highly reflective materials, like this trophy, can create an effect much like a lens flare on your camera, overloading the sensor with light. You can solve this problem by dusting your object with baby powder (we used a little bronzer). Just look at the difference between the models below:
Learning what scans well and what doesn’t is a lot of fun. It’s exciting to think that, pretty soon, you’ll be running your own experiments and sharing the results.
Are you ready?
You can find the STL files from all our scanning adventures in our “Digitized!” Thingiverse Collection.
What would you scan? Tweet @MakerBot or leave a comment below with your suggestions.