Cadalyst - May 2008 - (Page 36)

cadalystlabsreview By Mike Hudspeth, IDSA NextEngine 3D Scanner Reverse-engineering tool is affordable, versatile, and easy to use. T here are many times when you have a part in front of you that you need to either incorporate into a design or design something around. There are no drawings for the part. You just have one in your hand. What do you do? You can model the part by measuring it all around, but you stand to introduce error. (Be honest, it will almost always happen.) But one way you can capture that part is to do a 3D scan. Costs too much, you say? Not anymore. The tools are getting more affordable, and with the NextEngine 3D scanner they just might be in your budget range. The NextEngine 3D scanner uses a laser to capture the surface details of your model (figure 1). It can do a complete 360º scan. It comes with a turntable that rotates your object and a gripper that holds it steady. Setup is very simple; you just pull everything out of the box and plug it in. You have to load the software before you hook the scanner to your computer. There is an amazing scarcity of initial instruction — just a graphic pasted on the inside of the box top. I guess NextEngine assumes it’s so falling-off-a-log simple you can’t help but figure it out. One thing of special note: You must have a high-speed USB 2.0 port. The older ones won’t connect to the scanner. In addition, NextEngine says you need 2 GB of RAM. Brass Tacks There are a lot of settings you can monkey with to get just the right scan for what you want. The Bracket scan does three scans (36º each). The Single scan does not turn your object but merely scans what it sees. Figure 1. An array of lights scans across your object and The Macro setting has a bounces back into the receptors, thus capturing its detail. higher accuracy (±.005), Notice the writing on this object. but it only scans an area as large as 5” x 4”. The secured and ready to scan, the scanWide setting has a lower resolution ner will take a 2D photo and save it to (±.016) but will scan an area as large a JPEG file. That’s so the final result will as 13” x 10”. Each standard scan takes really look like the object. Next, multiroughly a minute and a half. The quick ple stripes of lasers begin to scan: two, scan will take 30 seconds. The finest three, or all four depending on your scan will take two and a half minutes. settings. You can set the turntable to As far as surface finish is concerned, rotate the object for each scan. a flat white finThe scanner will capture 60,000 ish gives the best points per second. That’s a lot of data! It’s NextEngine 3D Scanner results. If you what it does next that is really interesting. have an object to Reverse-Engineering Tool scan that has too many shiny spots, What Then? This version: . . . . . . . . A Pros: Price; easy operation. a powder pen While you are scanning, you may Ease of use: . . . . . . . . A Cons: Some may think it comes with the notice some errant glitches in your Feature: . . . . . . . . . . A needs a little more resolution. unit. It will take data. Say, for instance, you capture Installation: . . . . . . . . C some of the shine the scanner’s gripper or the turntaInteroperability: . . . . . A Price: $2,495 Help: . . . . . . . . . . . . B NextEngine off those problem ble. What can you do? You can trim Innovation: . . . . . . . . B 310.883.1800 areas in your scan. your scans, just like in a paint program, Value: . . . . . . . . . . . A www.nextengine.com When you while you’re still scanning. Just select have your object what you don’t want and delete it (fig- A 36 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst May 2008 http://www.nextengine.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - May 2008

Cadalyst - May 2008 Contents Editor's Window Cad Central A Solid Job in AutoCAD Today’s Power — Quad-Core Workstations Performance — Tomorrow’s Possibilities Reverse Engineering an Antique Italian Treasure Trends in Reverse Engineering NextEngine 3D Scanner — Reverse-Engineering Tool Setting CAD Standards Fight for Your Hardware Rights The Jack and Jill of Ergonomics Technology for Civil Infrastructure Cad Cartoon Issue Indexes Shortcuts and Solutions

Cadalyst - May 2008

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