Set Up

With the scanner ready, there are some things that need to be set up before users hit the scan button. Position of the object, exposure and the Rotary Table are things that need to be set up correctly for the best scan possible. Place the scanner on a flat surface and have an object ready to scan. Select an object to test out the machine like a shoe or a rock that is roughly the size of the part that you need to scan. For testing it is better to have an object that is matte, organic in shape, and light in color. Shiny, clear, symmetrical and dark objects are not recommended for learning the program. These are all possible to scan accurately but it does take practice.

Field of View

Correct placement of the object is important to creating good scans. The live view cameras in the bottom right of the screen can be used indicate proper distance from the scanner. If an object is too close or too far it will not be in the center of the Field of View (FOV). FOV is a term used to describe the area that is "scannable." The goal is be in the center where the angles of the camera converge. This gif is a good representation of how the left and right camera should appear the same. The red cross should be in the center of the object on both screens. If it is incorrect it is like going cross eyed with the object seemingly misplaced in one or both cameras. Bring the object forward and backward to find the correct position.

Exposure

Once the object is in good position. It is important to have proper exposure so that the cameras can clearly pick up all the information. If there is red the cameras are over exposed (like if you were to walk outside on a sunny day and you are blinded for a moment). If there is blue that indicates underexposure. First adjust the exposure by selecting one from the drop down menu in the top right. Go as high as possible before the object is red. Then to fine tune the exposure, users can change the brightness of the projector. The slider underneath allows users to get their part as white as possible before red. Using the drop down first then the slider allows user to fine tune their system.

This setting greatly effects the quality of the final scan. It may take some trail and error to figure out the best exposure for your part

Challenging parts like shiny, clear or dark may need help getting the exposure right. If the part is tough to capture try selecting the HDR box that is locate above the scan button on the bottom left. This will allow users to select two different exposure rates. This indicates the bottom and top of an exposure range. Then the part will be scanned several times in a range of exposures indicated by this setting. FlexScan3D will then combine all usable information to produce a scan.

Meshing

Now that you have the system in the right place and the exposure ready for your object, it is time to adjust how FlexScan3D reads the scan information. The meshing box in the top right is where these settings can be changed.

Generate: This can define what the data is outputted as. The options are Mesh (ideal for almost all applications), Points (point cloud information), and Capture Only (If a texture needs to be fixed, captures no geometry).

Alignment: This is an automated feature that tries to automatically connect every new scan to the last one. None (does not run the function), Mesh (recommended for almost all applications), Markers (when using tracking stickers). Explained further in later in the tutorials.

Clean Up: This feature removes extraneous data that can be due to reflection or scanner error. The options are None, Relaxed, Standard, High, and Extreme. We recommend you leave it on Standard unless you are scanning machined and polished surfaces. Then it may be better to use High or Extreme for very difficult parts.

Smoothing: This feature will average peaks and valleys to create a smoother finished product. This can reduce accuracy so if you are trying to get the most accurate scan do not use. If you are trying to get the most aesthetic scan it will make the files looks better. 1 is for accurate data, 5 is average and helpful for most scans, 10-20 applies the filter significantly.

Mesh Density: Leave this all the way up. It will make holes in your scan if you turn it down.

Enable Marker Detection: Select if using tracking stickers.

Ignore Preset Cut Planes: Select if you defined a Cut Plane earlier but want to ignore it (advanced setting)

Rotary Calibration

If you don't have an automated rotary table you can skip this part.

Rotary tables can make the scanning process easier and faster by taking images in 360 degrees. In order to do so FlexScan3D needs to understand the location and axis of rotation of the rotary. When an object is on the rotary table it should be in the center FOV. Place an object on the table and move accordingly. The table should be barely visible so adjust the scanner head so that it touches the bottom edge of the visible window from the live camera feeds. Next place the Rotary Calibration Board on the center of the table. It has a plastic piece that holds the board and allows it to stand upright. To make sure the board is in the right location hit the scan button to check if the entire board is visible. If a corner is missing then part of the calibration board is not in the FOV, move the table and try again.

When ready check the rotary box and there will be prompt asking if you would like to calibrate the rotary table. If the scanner was able to collect enough good images it will pass. If part of the calibration board is out of the field of view then it will fail. When the calibration happens it will ask if you would like to view the images. A passing calibration will have majority rainbow on its images. A failing calibration will show red. You can see this by hovering over the images with your mouse. It is a good way to check as you go.

Rotary Settings

There are many options that allow users to customize rotary behavior to fit a specific application better.

Number of Scans: This sets how many times the rotary stops to scan per 360 degree rotation. For example, 4 scans means a there is a scan every 90 degrees. 8 scans means there is a scan every 45 degrees and so on. Simple objects like boxes and cylinders only need 6 or 8 scan to have enough information to generate a complete object. The more complicated the part the more scans may be required to get all the information. A skull may need closer to 18 scans. Anything over that is not getting more information but may be creating too much overlapping information. We recommend trying anywhere between 6 and 16 scans. The more scans you chose the longer it takes.

After Scan: FlexScan3D can automate some processes by adding actions after the rotation. It can leave the individual scans or it can automatically align them and combine them so the user is left with one complete scan. This is a recommended option in order to not get cluttered with lots of individual scan files. If the user is doing no post processing, Finalize Precise or Finalize Smooth may be selected. The meaning of these options will be covered later.

Once these settings are complete you are ready for your first scan! Place an object in front of the scanner and press scan!

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