MarsWork Filament Management System Streamlines Our Workflow

We are located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA.  Humidity is a major issue.  So, for more than a decade it has been a major priority for us to find ways to safely store filament in our inventory.  Very early, we began sealing opened filament in Filament Vacuum Storage bags and storing them in 5 gallon pain buckets available at local hardware stores.

What we hadn't anticipated was that the introduction of multi-color and multi-head 3D printers would explode the size of our inventory so rapidly!  In the past we had loaded a color into a printer and kept using it until it was gone.  But, now we find ourselves constantly swapping filament with each new project. And, of course, that means being able to find the filament we want as quickly as possible and storing unused filament so that we can find it.

For me, this involves both work and home.  At work, we run a Bambu X1C with 2 AMS units, an A1 with an AMS Lite, 2 A1 Mini's and a Snapmaker U1.  At home, I run two A1 Mini 3D printers, one having the AMS Lite.  In both situations we use multiple 5 Gallon buckets as our primary storage of opened filament.  While our filament demands at work are the greatest, even at home, I need eight buckets. Each bucket holds at least five spools of filament.

Up to now we had attempted to use erasable labels on the tops of the 5 gallon buckets.

Old Way - Erasble Labels to Locate Filament

While in theory that seemed like a good idea, in actual practice it was less than desirable. The core issue is just how difficult it is to write legibly on a recessed label... when you can actually find the marker when you need it.  Even if all the buckets have legible labels, it's more than a little effort to read through the list as we search through buckets.  It worked.  But, barely.

To be honest, we often just used the label to identify the type or make of filament stored; but, not the color.  And, that was more of an issue than we thought.  At work, for consistency across repeated runs of specific products we have standardized on Bambu filaments. While the RFID in Bambu Spools identifies the type of filament, there is nothing on a Bambu spool identifying the EXACT color. It turns out that it isn't so easy to identify Orange from Pumpkin Orange if you do not have both side-by-side to compare.  And, trying to identify transparent colors after-the-fact can be even trickier.

MarsWork ID Tags to the Rescuer! 

When  we found the Quick-Swap Spools from Marswork, we instantly realized how valuable the ID Tag system would be to us.  It would allow use to PRECISELY identify filament Maker, Type and Color in a way we had not been able to do previously.

MarsWork ID Tag on MarsWork Spool

 But, it also didn't take us long to realize that these same tags would be useful across our entire inventory.  So we designed a 3D printed hub mount for our Bambu spools.

Hub Mounting a MarsWork ID Tag for Precise Identify

 

We feed our Snapmaker U1 from a Sovol SH03 dryer, so there is no need to remove these hub inserts when mounted.  The same is true for the X1C which is fed from two AMS units.  For the A1 and A1 mini, we simple pop out the hub insert and keep it right by the printer while that color is loaded.  
 

Hub sitting on printer while filament is loaded

The capability to precisely identify the maker, type and color of every one of our spools of filament would have been an amazing step forward in our workflow.  But, MarsWork had one more surprise for us. 

The MarsWork Filament Management KIT: A True Game Changer

Shortly after finding the MarsWork Quick-Swap spools and the ID Tag Insert innovation we discovered another gem from Marswork... the Filament Management Kit.

Filament Management Kit.

The kit includes velcro straps, double-side RFID tape, a sheet of self-adhesive "loop" pads and 2 "hook" cards.  The latter two groups of items, along with the 3D printed ID tag Inserts available on MakersWorld, have turned out to be extremely important  for super-charging our workflow.

Using the Cards & ID Tags to Identify Filament Currently Mounted. 

The "hook" cards provide spaces, divided into columns and rows for attaching MarsWork ID Tags using the self-adhesive "loop" pads.

At both Work and Home, we marked one of the cards into sections identifying our 3D printers and dryers.  This example shows the home version, having an A1 Mini with AMS-Lite, an A1 Mini (Mono) and a Sunlu Dryer.

"In Use" Card Precisely Identifies Filament

For now, we are leaving the other columns open for future uses that might come to light.  For each of the filaments in our inventory, we are printing 6 ID tags. It takes 25-30 minutes per tag set.  We have created a special storage box for the un-used tags.

3D Printed Box of MarsWork ID Tags 

Using the Cards & ID Tags to Streamline Our Storage

The real benefits of finding the MarsWork Management Kt came next.  It did require our purchasing multiple kits to obtain the number of cards we needed.  I am hoping that MarsWork will offer the cards and pads in larger bundles in the future.  At home, we needed enough cards to identify and track filaments across 8 buckets.

We have abandoned our erasable label system with a MUCH better solution! 

Each card is organized into 4 columns and five rows.  Each bucket holds 5 spools of filament.  So, the first thing we did is identify each column on a card by it's related bucket.

Columns Idenfied by Related Bucket Number

In the above sample, each column instantly lets us know what is in buckets 2 through 4.  This card is updated as filament is removed or added.

We next cut a card into four cards, each having 5 rows.  We then replaced the erasable labels on the top of each bucket with one of these cut pieces.

Cut "Hook" card column attached to Bucket Top

 Now, not only can we instantly see what is in the bucket much easier than the old label system, we have a second reference immediately available at our desk.  There is no ambiguity and the process has become streamlined in a way that was not possible before.

Filament Easy Located in Multiple buckets 

 

It has now become super-fast to find the filament we need.  I think it should be obvious that color ID Tags with printed information is a lot easier to and faster to search than hand-written scrawls!  

This is just the beginning of discovering how we can streamline our filament handling using the Marswork ID Tag system.  As we build our library of tags, I can see it helping us to keep track of unopened new filament inventory and being able to remind us of colors we need to order.  In creating new ID tags I came across some colors I had previously used and forgotten high nicely they looked printed.

It would be helpful if MarsWork would expand on their Filament Management System by offering sets that included more master cards and sets of self-adhesive single column cards. I'm extremely pleased with what this system has managed to do for us both at work and at home.

Special Note: The value of the ID Tag System to PRECISELY identify COLOR cannot be overstated. We have already come across filaments we had misidentified because we had not documented the color when it was first opened,  The same is true for type and manufacturer in many cases.  

 

 

 

Quick-Swap Spool: A Filament Management System

We've come a long way in terms of new 3D technologies since this blog began more than a decade ago..

Perhaps, the biggest steps forward have come with the advent of multi-material and multi-color printing. Every day seems to bring us new steps forward toward full color 3D printing with FDM printers.  But, these new changes have also brought with them new demands on our filament management.  Gone are the days when we would simply load a filament and use that color until it ran out.

Multi-Material / Multi-Color Printing Requires Broader Inventory 

To maximize our new multi-material and multi-color capabilities, we find ourselves constantly swapping materials and colors.  Where in past years, we might have had four or five colors on hand we now find the need to maintain an inventory of dozens of colors of several different types of filament from a variety of vendors.  The cost of materials easily exceeds the cost of the printers.

Refillable Spools Lower Costs 

Not all new great ideas are limited to the latest 3D printers available to us.  They've also come with the accessories.  And, among the accessories we have come to appreciate most have to do with the introduction of refillable spools.  We have used a variety of refillable spools over the past year.  

The advent of refillable spools has helped lower the costs of having to maintain a large inventory of materials.  But, recently, we came across a new reusable spool that offers so much more. In fact, it has completely altered our storage and workflow in surprisingly useful ways.

MARSWORK Quick-Swap Reusable Spool System

The MarsWork Quick-Swap re-usable spool design is truly noteworthy in approach that goes way beyond any we're used in the past.  In fact, I am so impressed by the thoughtfulness that went into the design of these spools that I have to give the designers a special nod to their creativity and user focus.

MarsWork Quick-Swap Reusable Spool Features

 

Let's go over some of the unique features of the MarsWork Quck-Swap reusable spool system.

A. Spool Locking Mechanism

Most reusable spools reply on a twisting action to lock the spool halves together.  From experience, we know that this is not always foolproof.  The MarsWork locking mechanism is much more secure and, frankly, much easier to open and close reliably.  This feature, alone, would make this a stand-out design.  Bur, it doesn't stop there.

B. Easily Visible Filament Status

Wide openings and a marked filament guage make it very easy to quickly and accurately determine the color and status of the available filament.  This is in stark contrast with the reusable spools from Bambu and Inland.  Each refill from MarsWork comes with a sticker with markings that can be used to help determine type and quantity.

C. Built-in Filament Locking Slot.

While the Quick-Swap reusable spools retain the holes we have traditionally used to lock the ends of the filament when not in use, it goes one step beyond by providing a slot into which filament can be secured without harshly bending the material.  This is a nice touch that demonstrates the care that MarsWork engineers took in an effort to provide a little extra when it comes to user's experience.

D. Identification Tag Slot. 

This is a truly unique feature that turns the concept of a reusable spool into a true filament management system.  This slot is designed to accommodate 3D printed tags that can be customized by the user to quickly identify the loaded filament.  In our case, we create a tag for each material we load onto the spool with information about the type of material, the official color name and manufacturer.

 

While this, alone, is useful enough, there is another special capability provided by these tags.

Our current 3D printer complement includes a half dozen Bambu printers.   One of the benefits of Bambu filaments are the RFID tags that automatically select the correct printing profile for each filament.  As we finished spools of Bambu filament, we would throw away the RFID tags.  We no longer do that.

The print profiles of MarsWork PLA Basic and PLA Matte filaments are an exact match for the profiles of their Bambu equivalents.  MarsWork provides double-stick tape that allows us to attach the RFID tags from expended Bambu spools to the back of a 3D printed insert.  RFID tags from an expended Bambu Yellow spool has been taped to the back of the MarsWork PLA Basic Yellow insert in the above image. When this spool is loaded into an AMS or AMS Lite the material type and color will automatically be read by the Bambu system and the slicer will load the correct profile!

This is a hugely clever capability!   

But, I want to make it clear, one does not have to use RFID tags with these 3D printed inserts for them to be enormously useful.  Between filaments we use on a regular basis and filaments of unknown origin we have used once in the past, we probably have well over a hundred.  It's amazing how many filaments have no identifiable information once they have been removed from the original box. Had we printed out identifying tags listing specific type, official color and maker it would be a lot easier to include these filaments into our daily print routine.  

These inserts have another benefit.  We use them to capture the RGB values with a Datacolor ColorReaderEZ so that we know precisely what we have in our inventory using an Exel spreadsheet that includes a color swatch.   This helps us to compare available colors between manufacturers by the numbers rather than subjectively.

By the way, the usefulness of these 3D printed tag inserts applies both on and off the Quick-Swap spools!  

And, that brings us to another great feature of the Quick-Swap system.... the Quick-Swap.

The Quick-Swap Innovation

 To understand this last innovation from MarsWork, let's take a look at a filled spool.

The Quick-Swap Reusable spool hub is designed so that there are four spaces, or tunnels, created between the refill cardboard spool and the hub of the reusable spool.   Each reusable spool comes with four velcro straps.  These straps are run through these tunnels and then wrapped around the filament to secure it so that it can be safely removed no matter how much remains on the cardboard hub.  

 

Hence the description of "Quick-Swap"/

This feature can only become even more valuable as more varieties of filament are released as refills.  We don't print huge quantities of objects requiring specialty filaments like 'sparkle' or 'color-changing'.  But, they can be useful every now and then.  Being able to safely and compactly store these filaments on their original cardboard hubs while freeing up valuable reusable spools for more frequently used materials definitely provides some benefit.

By the way, along with the velcro straps, adhesive velcro patches are also provided that can be attached to the 3D printed color identifier inserts we mentioned above.  This allows the identifier insert to be attached to the refill spool so that it retains all of its identifying information, ready to be used in the future.   An added benefit is that filament off of the spool is much more compact to store.

Proof of Intention

I didn't find this next item until after I had already concluded that the MarsWork Quick-Swap Reusable spool was going to become an important part of our filament management strategies from this point on.  MarsWork actually has sells a companion "Filament Management Kit" for their reusable spools.  It includes 80 hook and loop straps, RFID Tag stickers, labels and a color card organizer for managing filament inventory.   .

MarsWork Filament Management Kit

 

  

MarsWork Color Organizer

I was very happy to see that this kit was available as it's going to allow us to quickly port our inventory of refills from Bambu and Inland over to the MarsWork Quick-Swap system.  It remains to be seen how we can best use the color organizer, for loaded colors or out of inventory colors, I'm sure it will be helpful.

All of these features combine to create the basis for a highly efficient and effective filament management system that optimizes both storage and use.  I am amazed by the detailed thought processes that went into taking what we normally would consider a simple utilitarian product into something much, much more.  By paying close attention to the needs of the user, MarsWork has brought us a uniquely useful system.

It's impressive. Very impressive!

 

 

THREE 3D Scanner: Fourth Example - Miniature

Scalability in a 3D scanner is a hugely important feature.  And, with their latest example, on the Matter and Form Blog, we are able to get a glimpse of the scalability to be offered with the new THREE 3D scanner from Matter and Form.

Warhammer Ultramarine by drewshark on Sketchfab

 

This miniature is just a bit over 1" tall at 35.52mm.  The blog says that this minature was captured at a distance of 220mm, which is the minimal distance that both cameras can focus on the same location.  At this "Near" distance, the THREE can achieve 37 micron resolution and 35 micron accuracy.  Keep that 1.4" tall size in mind as you check out the result!  

 

None of the many 3D scanners we used at YouthQuest or Phillips Programs could come close to achieving this kind of resolution on such a small object.  But, when we tried to go in the opposite direction, BIG, we faced similar hurdles. Our handheld scanners could nominally do it; but, lost tracking easily and it was a very frustrating process.

 

However, when we put together all the scans we have seen so far from Matter and Form, we begin to see a different set of capabilities from the THREE.  So, we wee have seen successful scans from the coin and minature at around 1.4" to the air intake of a Mustang at 22.5". 

 

I created a fake 3D printer profile in Cura, with a very large print area, and brought all the scans onto the print bed to give us some idea of the scalability we have seen so far.  That's very impressive.

THREE 3D Printer - Scalability Comparison

 

We also have to remember that the Mustang capture size was only limited by the actual size of the target.  It was captured using multiple (13) scan passes that were aligned to create the final 3D object.  It is unclear what the actual practical size limits might be; but, I have to believe that if we needed to do so, we could capture even bigger objects.

One of the reasons why we could do so is that the Matter and Form team decided NOT to make the THREE a handheld scanner, which requires an entirely different scanning strategy than the tripod mounted strategy of the THREE.  The tripod mounted strategy allows for a much more methodical and efficient scanning approach.  The capture involves selecting a specific target area, capturing and then moving the scanner to a position to capture an adjacent; but, overlapping area until the entire target is fully scanned.  Only after capturing do we move on to alignment and consolidation.  The primary benefit of this strategy, is that should we find that we missed overlapping an area, we can easily add a new capture to fulfills the missing area(s).

While I appreciate what ALL of the 3D scanners we used where able to bring to the educational experience in our work with students, I have to admit that losing tracking was never a favorite part of the experience with our handheld scanners.  And, we just never even tried to scan anything as small as 1.4" tall.  Most of our successful scans were around the size of the shoe.

ACCURACY & RESOLUTION vs DISTANCE 

 

Scalability does not mean that the THREE 3D scanner can achieve 35 micron accuracy and 37 micron resolution over it's entire scan range.  Like any projection based system, the White-Light system used by the THREE spreads out as distance is increased.  In the blog entry revealing the miniature scan results, Matter and Form also provided a chart that depicts the varying ranges of accuracy and resolution at various distances from the scanner.

 

DISTANCE FROM SCANNER	Z ACCURACY IN MICRONS	RESOLUTION IN MICRONS
220 mm / 8.66"	35	37
400 mm / 15.74"	108	65
700 mm / 27.55"	324	114

 

In practical terms, this simply means that should the user desire more precise accuracy, they need to capture more individual scans at a closer distance over the same target area.  Thus, the user is in control of the accuracy vs. number of scans that best fits their needs.  Again, this is a hugely beneficial situation over that faced by handheld scanner users.

PRICE ANNOUNCED

 

For the first time, the price for the THREE was announced as expected to be USD $2999. This will include the THREE scanner, a turntable, a tripod, calibration card, power adapter (See Note), and a carrying case.

 

That puts it above what many, including myself, expected, considering the price point of their initial scanner.  But, unlike some, I don't think we are, with the little information we have now, in a position to assess the true price/performance value.  What I do know is that not a single scanner I have ever used, could be called an unqualified success for its cost.  They were usable, useful and effective for our needs.  But, each and every one had limits in one way or the other that left us wanting for more.

 

It could be that $2999 (or less for those taking advantage of Kickstarter savings) just might be the sweet spot that breaks open a large percentage of the limitations sub-$2000 scanner users have faced and gotten us much close to the performance of scanners costing tens of thousands of dollars.  

 

A $3000 scanner that is heavily used because it works is a LOT more valuable than a $1200 scanner that sits in a closet 90% of the time.  It's all about results and productivity.  The reason I am willing to wait before passing judgement is because I have come to know the company, its commitment to users and their already having created THE best workflow of any of the scanners we've used.  I do not believe they set the price on a whim.  I trust that the cost is based on what they believe it will take to guarantee the highest price/performance value. 

 

Over a twenty-plus year period, I worked as part of a software team that created software that the allowed military and NASA to asses the sweet spot for purchasing spares for aircraft and space that allowed them to reach the most number of flying hours for the least amount of dollars.  

 

Aircraft Sustainability Model (Target Budget)

 

And, in every case, until a threshold was reached, increased spending resulted in increased productivity.  Beyond that sweet spot, spending more made little difference in increasing available flying hours.  I'm guessing that we might be very pleasantly surprised to learn that $2999 becomes that threshold for 3D scanning when the TREE is released.

Matter and Form THREE: Third Example Scan (Car Parts)

 Matter and Form continues to reveal more examples as they continue to develop their new THREE 3D Scanner system.  The first scan demonstrated scanning very small, shiny objects (coins) that demonstrated excellent detail of fine features of the coins.  The second scan demonstrated scanning a typical turntable sized object, a shoe and demonstrated 360 degree scanning in ALL directions, including the sole.  And, now comes the third example.  The air intake on a Mustang.

This example not only demonstrates how larger targets are captured; but, give us more insight into the entire scanning and post-processing workflow.

I have worked with the original Matter and Form scanner and it is the workflow of that scanner that lead me to be a huge fan of Matter and Form's approach to 3D scanning.  So, this video was especially important to me.  It demonstrated that the designers of the THREE have built upon their earlier excellent scanning process; but, also have given us even MORE control over the final outcome by adding manual alignment tools.

Putting the three demonstration videos together, we can begin to organize our thoughts into four categories to evaluate how the THREE will help those of us that believe their is an important place for 3D scanning in education.

• Scan Quality
• Scan Bandwidth
• Capture Process
• Post-Capture Process

Each of these categories represent important advances demonstrated by the THREE and the processes presented by Matter and Form and their suitability for the classroom.

SCAN QUALITY 

The first Matter and Form Scanner began life in 2012 and was introduced in 2013 as a crowd-funded project on Indiegogo. 

That means that they have had almost a decade of experience working with users and listening to what they wanted in the next generation of scanners.  They also had time to evaluate not only their initial scanning strategies; but, the strategies of others, and have opted to move to using Fixed Position, white-light scanning for the THREE rather than being handheld.  The result is vastly superior resolution and accuracy over first generation scanners.  The details in the coin captures demonstrated this.  But, the smoothness of the smooth areas of the air duct further confirm it.  There is still a little noise patterning; but, may less than any of the 3D scanners we have used.  It's very impressive.

Obviously, scan quality is at the top of everyone's list when looking forward to a new scanning platform.  But, it is not the only consideration in an educational setting.  As I have written before, the Einscan may have been able to obtain better results than the original Matter and Form in some cases;  But, from an educational value perspective the Matter and Form's workflow was superior.  And, our primary job is to provide the most valuable educational experience to the students in our care. With this new scanner, it appears we will get both very high scan results and an enhanced workflow in every respect.

SCAN BANDWIDTH

 I struggled with how to describe this category of evaluation.  But, I settled on the term bandwidth to cover both the breadth of the THREE's ability to capture dark as well as lighter objects and the much wider range of sizes that can be captured.  A scanner that is equally capable of capturing the details of coins and the expanse of engine parts has to be recognized as having pretty wide bandwidth!

But, special mention has to be made of the enhanced ability to capture darker objects than first generation scanners.  We struggled with this issue with ALL of the scanners we used and I cannot wait to see the final performance of the THREE in this regard firsthand.  The air duct scan looks awesome and shows real promise in this important area.  While they did mention the parts were dusty, they did not have to spray the parts to capture an excellent scan.

The first Matter and Form scanner was married to the turntable.  While the THREE benefits by being able to use a turntable, it is now freed from being locked to it.  This video not only demonstrates how this new strategy increases the bandwidth for targets; but, for those of us that have experience using handheld scanners, confirms the wisdom of taking the fixed-position, tripod approach.  It is MUCH faster and completely removes the lost tracking issues plaguing handheld users..

CAPTURE PROCESS

Where the first Matter and Form scanner excelled over all the other scanners we used was in the process they presented to the user.  Giving the user control over quicker scan times vs. immediate quality is so much more important in the classroom than one might first believe.  But, enhancing that ability by vastly improving scan speed is a real game changer for users.  Scan time appears to be stunningly fast with the THREE.  

Thankfully, the THREE retains my favorite part of the Matter and Form workflow... multi-step scan projects.   

With the low-cost handheld scanners we've used, the capture was an all or nothing proposition.  You get what you get.  Matter and Form projects, on the other hand, can always be amended and improved by adding scans.  

While it's easily missed, we see this, in action, in this video when Drew realizes that he did not capture enough overlap between two segments being captured and added a new scan covering the oversight.

Even if he had not realized this until MUCH later, he STILL could have saved the final scan by coming back and adding a new scan to the process!

While I won't get deep into the value of the feedback offered by the projection system as new scans are being considered, seeing it helps me in thinking about how I could use this feature in the classroom to engage ALL of the students in the capture process.  We'll come back to this topic as new examples are released.

POST-CAPTURE PROCESS

Being able to have a project where multiple scans are combined automatically to form a final product was one of the things I liked most about the original Matter and Form.  But, sometimes, being able to control the alignment manually is of real benefit.  I REALLY like the strategy we see in the above video where we see the use of color coding and large numeric targets being used to aid us in manually telling the software how we want individual scans aligned to complete the whole.

From a teacher's perspective, this presents the perfect platform for students to develop critical thinking skills as they have to compare parts presented in different spacial orientations looking for point pairs.  Deciding the order in which individual scans are added to the combined project also provides valuable insight and experience.

But, I am wondering if this isn't an area where providing a hybrid approach to the post-processing interface might not be very valuable for classrooms.

We are told that the THREE will be using an edge computing strategy where all of the actual work is being performed by the scanning hardware, itself, with a browser based user interface. If this remains true for every aspect of the workflow then it has some implications for the classroom.

It means that the post-processing must be done while the scanner is attached to the browser. As an individual, I have no problem with that.  And, I can certainly appreciate it as a teacher.

But, to me, a hybrid approach would offer something special.  Distributed engagement.  By that I mean homework.

If, in addition to the onboard software of the THREE, there was an app that could handle post-processing independently of the THREE, then each student could be tasked with using those scans to create a final result.  This presents an opportunity for ownership of each student over the entire capture process, even if they only observed the original scanning.  And, it would give the teacher a better gauge with which to evaluate a student's actual understanding of the process.

If that app also included something like Tinkercad's classroom strategy, where teachers can easily bring up the work of individual student's for review, it would be even more beneficial.  While this is probably not viable for the initial release of THREE, I think it is something that would make it even more appealing to educators.

But, for now, I am just grateful that Matter and Form has not only kept the workflow we have come to appreciate; but, appears to be improving and refining it to give us even more control over our scans.

.  

Reverse Engineering Challenge - Calipers or Scan

Some months ago, I was asked by a colleague, that knew I had some 3D scanners, if I could help him create a replacement part for a vintage Cadillac Allanté.

Reverse Engineering:  Using Calipers

Unfortunately,  none of the scanners available to me at that time were really up to the task.  So, I agreed to use Moment of Inspiration to recreate the part for him.

I used two methods for reverse engineering the part.  The first step was to take photos of the part from every direction.  I was able to bring these photos into Moment of Inspiration to use as guides.

 None of these photos could be completely relied upon for accurate dimensions because of the distortions due to proximity and angles when using a handheld device.  But, they were useful to help ensure I was at least close to the original as the part was designed.

Digital calipers were used to obtain accurate dimensions.  But, even here, there were some difficulties because of the location of some of the holes in the part and because the original part's features were not consistent.  It looked like the part has been modeled in clay or wax to create the original mold for the part made from some unknown resin or plastic.

Fortunately, we had the original part for comparison for with a few iterations we were able to finally arrive at a 3D printed part that accurately represented the original in a useful form.

While the final result was accurate and useful, the amount of cost, in terms of time expended, was probably WAY out of proportion to the cost of the original part were it available.  But, the part was no longer available commercially and impossible to find even as a used part.  But, being critical to the operation of the Allanté,it was the only available option if I was going to be able to help my colleaque.

But, what if I had had a different scanner available?  What might we need and how might it have been helpful? 

Reverse Engineering:  3D Scanning

3D Scanners cover a very broad category with prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to many tens of thousands of dollars.  And, the technologies used by various scanners also cover quite a range from white-light to lasers.  Any scanner tackling this job has to be able to accurately capture small objects.  This part measures under 50mm in all directions.

Cadillac Part Dimensions

But, the greatest challenge to any scanner are the hidden cavities, strange undercuts, fillets and holes.

I am not sure that any 3D scanner, of any price point, could completely scan all of the features of this part.  But, could a high quality 3D scanner have been able to be helpful in speeding up the process.  And, if so how?

The first requirement would be high accuracy.  flat features would have to be flat and the general shape would have to be accurately captured so that ALL features were accurately located.  If the output of the scanner could be brought into a CAD program, features hidden from the scanner could be added.  All that would be necessary from the scanner would be accurate capture of the location and size of the entrances to the holes.  The more well defined the edges, the better.

To be a success, a scan does not have to 100% identical to the original in every aspect.  It only has to cut down on the time it takes to reach the point where a replacement part is 100% functionally identical.  If we can use a scan to accurately create the basic shape and locate holes, etc., enabling us to bring that shape into a CAD application for finishing, then that qualifies as a successful scan.  

At the very least, attempting to scan this part would be an extremely useful learning endeavor.  It would most likely require some novel placement of a turntable and, perhaps, some 3D printed props, or clay, for holding it in positions for capturing the undersides of various features.  

If anyone has a scanner and would like to give it a try, here is a link to the .STL that could be printed on an SLA printer for scanning.

https://bevelpix.com/creations/64dbbda577faaa04de50a66e

 I'd love to hear about your scanning attempt.

By the way, it is possible to convert .STL files to .STEP files and bring them into Moment of Inspiration for editing.

 

Matter & Form THREE - Second Example Scan (Shoe)

 Well before my interest in 3D, I was sometimes called upon by investors to help them determine the potential pros and cons of investing in a particular endeavor or product.  This process is called "Due Diligence" and the skill most needed is observation to details.  It is something I enjoyed doing and continue to apply those skills when examining new products entering the marketplace.

The goal isn't to find THE perfect product.  They do not exist.  The goal is to determine whether or not a product presents a good value for the investment to be put into it.  That includes taking into account the people behind the product.  Right now, my focus is on the Matter & Form THREE 3D scanner.  And, the team behind this product is one reason for my interest.  I have experience using not one; but, two Matter & Form scanners in multiple classroom situations.  Moreover, I have had excellent response to my questions regarding the best practices using those scanners.

The original Matter & Form scanner is not a perfect solution.  But, when compared to all of the scanners we owned at YouthQuest Foundation and Phillips Programs, including the Einscan, it was the easiest to use and provided the most educational value because of the scanning strategy utilized by Matter & Form.  The software not only encouraged experimentation; but, provided the feedback students need in order to continually improve their results.

Now we come to the place where this same company has announced a new product offering much higher resolution and much higher accuracy.   And, I have to believe that the solution and accuracy not only applied to the underlying mesh; but, with two 13mp Sony imaging chips, the material captures and wrapping as well.

But, for now, all we can do as pertains to performing our due diligence is to rely on the scan examples we have so far.  And, neither, so far, have included capturing the materials.  That's OK.  Because, it lets us focus on the underlying mesh with no distractions.  Here is a link to the original scan that Matter & Form uploaded to Sketchfab.

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/three-hilfiger-shoe-mesh-b5275a878dfa4181b9dac44e3e436f56

I downloaded the .STL version from Sketchfab so that I could evaluate the scan using MeshMolder, a wonderful inexpensive application.  

Matter and Form also posted an image of the original shoe on the Reddit 3D Scanning forums.  Without the original image we have no way to ascertain just how accurately the THREE 3D scanner replicated the shoe.   I cropped the image to better zoom in on the details.

Original Scanned Show

Having the image of the original immediately cleared up one of my reservations at first glance.  It was not a smooth leather shoe; but, a cloth shoe, which accounts for some of the texture along the sides.  But, even so, there appears to be more texture than actually existed.  Fortunately, when I pointed this out on the Reddit forums relative to some artifacts in the coin scans, I immediately got this reply.

CubifyFan
6 days ago

I did notice some noise in places that are smooth in the coin. I've always been a bit bothered by smooth surfaces not being scanned as smoothly as they are in real life. Accurate capture of NON-features should be just as important as capturing detailed features.

I suspect this is capture device noise, which we also face when using high ISO in digital cameras. Experienced photographers sometimes use layering or stacking of multiple images to reduce noise by pixel averaging across the layers. I'm wondering if we could be given a choice to use a similar 'layered multi-scan' technique to cancel noise in a 3D scan to smooth flat areas without compromising actual detail.

drewshark
6 days ago

Yes it's noise from the cameras, you're right. We've identified three major sources of noise in our scans. And your idea of multi layering is something we want to explore to compensate for one of the sources. Thanks for the great idea!

That shows me that they are already on the issue. So, for now, I'm not too concerned about it.

So, let's look at some specific areas of the shoe to see what we can gleam from this example.

THE SOLE

A good place to start in evaluating the accuracy of the scan is the are around the front of the sole.

Image of the Shoe Sole

Scanned Result - Shoe Sole

When we compare images, it's plain to see that the THREE was able to capture the texture of the sole better than any previous scanner we'd used.  There is some roughness around the area of the black stripe; but, look at the capture of the end of the shoe string!  And, the transition ridge around the top where the fabric meets the rubber sole!  Those are excellent results.  

SHOE LACES

Image - Shoe Laces

THREE Scan - Shoe Laces

The THREE made a valiant effort to capture the texture of the shoe laces. But, the movement of the laces during the scanning process conspired against it.  Here are the notes from the Sketchfab upload.

Captured with MAF THREE Using a Turntable twice. Once with the sole down on the turntable, 360 degree, 9 captures Once with the sole facing out, 180 degree, 5 captures. Aligned in software. Because our cleaning tools aren’t finished yet, this was slightly cleaned in meshlab. Soft things like shoes don’t hold their shape when rotating, so the laces moved and needed to be deleted.

That also accounts for the missing data under the shoe laces in one place.  While not absolutely perfect, I'm very impressed that multiple scans on flexible shoe laces was able to deliver this result.  I'm guessing these are shoes in actual use.  Had they been prop shoes, this issue might have been able to be fixed using Super Glue to ensure the laces could not move.  This isn't a scanner's problem.  This is a target's problem.

THE SEAM STITCHING

The one area in which I do see some issues would be with some of the seam stitching.

Image - Show Stitching

THREE Scan - Shoe Stitching

 

The stitching where the toe and sides are joined was captured perfectly.  But, the stitching right above that, along the side of the laces and around the opening are less well defined.  Even so, they CAN be seen when we click on the above image to bring it to full size.  I believe that the stitches, themselves, are black.  And, black is notoriously hard to capture.  I don't know if this is a clue as to how well the THREE handles Black or not.  But, it is something to note as we make our observations.  But, In this case, it seems to matter very little.  The stitching WAS able to be captured.  It just is not as pronounced as the original.

THE UNDER SOLE AND SCAN SEAMS.

I am going to go back to my original capture of my examination in Meshmolder for this one.

 I COULD NOT FIND ANY SCAN SEAMS!

Remember, what we are looking at is a mesh created by combining 14 different scans.  And, the result appears to be seamless.  The MIGHT be a hint of a seam where the underside of the sole and sides of the sole meet. But, I don't think so.

And, the sole, itself, is wonderfully captured!  The detail is very, very encouraging for those of us potential;y looking to upgrade our scanning capabilities from a company we admire and trust.

I hope looking over my shoulder as I do my own "Due Diligence" in trying to assess the Matter and Form THREE is as useful to you as the process has been for me.

Fun with Scans

By the way, one of the reasons I use Meshmolder to evaluate the mesh is that it is a sculpting application.  First, it allows me to examine and manipulate the mesh in a variety of ways.   And, secondly, I want to be sure that output from the THREE is suitable for mash-ups and sculpting manipulation.  Here is my vertex view in Meshmolder.

Download this image and zoom in to see the quality of the vertex mesh.

The developer f MeshMolder also has a very low cost product called Meshrender that is a LOT of fun.  I couldn't help myself.  I had to see how the THREE 3D Scanner scan looked in Meshrender as a light blue plastic shoe.  Here is the result:

Meshrender - Light Blue Plastic (THREE Scan)

The surprising thing is that the image is MIRRORED in Meshrender.  I don't know if it's something I did, reorienting the mesh, or a natural Meshrender behavior.  In any case, it does not matter.  I simply flipped the image to correct the orientation.

Meshrender Output Flipped

As we move forward, I hope to experiment with Meshmolder and Meshrender with future test scans.  Scanning offers us a LOT of potential.

ADDENDUM:

I found out what I did wrong when I brought the shoe scan into Meshrender the first time and re-oriented it.  Here is a new render that did NOT mirror the mesh.  Cinderella meets Star Wars with a glass tennis shoe in space.

Matter & Form Scanned Shoe - Meshrender

Obviously, I am easily amused! 

Matter & Form THREE 3D Scanner - Update on the Coin Scans

 Matter and Form added a new blog article that sheds a little more light on the capabilities of their new THREE 3D scanner now in development.

I refer to this image: Click to see the full size image.

Coin Scan (Left) compared to Coin Source (Right)

It is important to point out that the coin was first sprayed with a powder to reduce specularity.  This is a common and necessary practice when trying to scan shiny objects.  The powder does have the affect, although minimal, of reducing the sharpness of features. 

That said, there are two things to note when evaluating a scan.the first is the ability to capture small features accurately.  We can see by the quality of the lettering and the fact that all of the coins embosses features were accurately captured that the THREE has great resolution.

But, there is another to note.  FLAT features should be FLAT.  Without the side-by-side view, it could have beeb assumed that the THREE had picked up artifacts, due to digital noise, where the coins was assumed to be completely flat.  Having the image of the source demonstrates that flat areas are, indeed flat, and the tiny bumps in the scan are accurate captures of even finer features.

This is an impressive scan and I, for one, am really looking forward to more samples.