User:Ayapici/enes100/cupcakes

Link to Cupcakes team page.

Give instructor top 4 project choice list
I had three 4 choices, there were

A)   3D scanning

B)   Music projects

C)   Electric cars

D)   CAD Design Solidworks

In the end I was assign to do the 3D scanning, with three more friends..

Write problem statement
The project has five stages

1) How to use the program or CAD software to build a model.

2) Then how to put that model or data on "ReplicatorG"

3) How to use the makerbot

4) How to use a laser and scan objects

5) How to scan an object with Kinect XBOX 360

Assign Task 1
I was assigned to build a basic model in solidworks, ReplicatorG or Blender and research about the makerbot...

Compare actual work done to Task1
The work I have done in task1 was sufficient for understanding how the ReplicatorG, Blender, and solidworks work. by how to build a basic model like cube, or square. I have a full understanding of how all of these software work..

Week 1 Narrative




The first choice was to use Software CAD Blender. Because, the Blender have some samples(templates) that I could use, which could save my time.After looking at the samples, I picked up a cube shaped model. my next step was to save the file as a STL file, which is a file type that ReplicatorG was unable to recognize. I have tried so much on the Blender but I could not converted into Gcode. After uploading the STL file onto ReplicatorG, I was unable to find a connection between the ReplicatorG program. I went on www.thingverse.com and chose a model there and the model already provided with STL file type. That solved my assign task. Now it is ready for the MakerBot Cupcake CNC Procedure

Week 1 Peer Review
I have commented on Ben's individual page. my comment was how great his page was, and he has done really great job..The link to the discussion page is: Week1 Peer Review I have also commented on Ahmed's individual page. My comment was to advise him to use his wikiversity very often and type in what he has done.Week1 Peer Review

Assign Task 2
After working on CAD software and knowing how to work with them now the goal is to use the Metrologic neon laser to scan an object with camera.and save it as an stl file.

Compare actual work done to Task2
I have able to set up the laser, camera, and the wine glass into the right position, than I have downloaded the 2 more programs which are Meshlab and Makerscanner.. using .Makerscanner allowed me to scan the abject, and using Meshlab allowed me to convert the file type to PFY format... This task was successful.

Week 2 Narrative
I wanted to start looking at things differently, instead of using the Kinect XBOX360, I wanted to come up with a different idea. That idea was to scan an object by using a laser, Makerscanner sofware, Meshlab software, wine glass, camera, and labtop. I borrowed the Metrologic Neon Laser form my instructor Mr Foerster.I went online www.makerbot.com. I found some information how to set up the laser and scan the object. I have downloaded the Makersanner and the Meshlab from that website.. I turn the Makescanner on and I could see my self from the camera that Allows me to scan. That was cool. After getting the programs that I need. I put the laser on my desk with the stand and turned it on. then I put the wine glass straight in front of it. I could see the laser lines are changing on the wall every time I move the laser. I made a demonstration in a dark room just to find out how it scans and find out thing that I could improve to make it better..I am using my laptop's webcam which is so difficult to get it right, because every time you want to move the camera you have to move the whole laptop. and second issue was not being very sensitive. I made a few trails and determined my problems; laptop camera,unclear background, and spinning the object gently in 360 degrees. Every time I found myself in a new problem, I was doing more research and learning new things and that makes this class fun and fascinating... my next step will be working on the same in better room with clear background, and try to spin the object gradually 360 degrees.

Week 2 Peer Review
I made a comment on Ben's page. Saying that he has worked hard, and the next step of the task is more challenging.Week2 Peer Review

Assign Task 3
After a while,I thought that if I could change the camera and the glass with a clear plastic bottle I found in ENES lab could give me a better scanning.

Compare actual work done to Task3
I bought a new portable and easy to move around camera, and I have tried scanning an object with that, but it didn't work, the result was little better than the week 2 task, I have scan my very best 3D object, even though it's still recognizable...

Week 3 Narrative




It is been little frustrating at this point. After the week 2, I was thinking that if I could buy a camera and spin it myself gently, and change the wine glass with a clear plastic bottle might work.. Changing the wine glass with a clear plastic bottle was a better idea. I set the laptop in one position and I had to install a driver for the webcam that I bought... After getting the software to run the webcam, camera was working properly.The software that I have installed was "LOGITECH WEBCAM."Then, I positioned the the object and the laser in a straight line as I have done the same thing many times so far... On my laptop, I turned the Maker Scanner, and change the camera from laptop webcam to Logitech webcam, and eventually I was able to move the camera where ever I wanted. I have measured and positioned everything right according to my calculations. (I have done scanning in school and at home, in school there was an error, but at home I did not have error.) and I start scanning by clicking the scan button on the Makerscanner. I have a waited about 4 minutes or maximum 5 minutes I stopped scanning because, It actually scan many patterns as I could see on the screen, I thought, if I put that inside the Meshlab (the software that I have downloaded week before this task)this will work, I had blue patterns of scanning on the Makerscanner. I have save my work and then I was going to open the same image with the Meshlab. I open the image file and there was something and I captured the image but it was not recognizable, I save my file, if you look bottom right, you will be able to see my capture. I have tried several times the same steps to understand how it works and what else could I do to improve and push the project.As I was spinning the camera around the object as in making a circle it was making blue patterns on the makerscanner, when I was not moving the camera nothing was happening. So I came up with this idea; if we are going to use Makerscannner and Meshlab programs to scan an Object in 3D, I must have the camera where it can spin around the object or to spin the object around the camera. When you actually turn the lights off and start scanning I could see that it scans around the laser lights, I mean it only scans the edges of the laser line or any kind of light, because the light or the laser light is so bright, it cannot make any patterns, so I have determined that using the laser and scanning an object is doable, it is just how to put things in right position with right conditions.here is the video to show how it scans *plastic gear being scanned

Week 3 Peer Review
I commented on Ben's individual 3D-Scan project page. My comment was regarding how well and great his work on his individual page every week. The link to the discussion page is: Week3 Peer Review

Assign Task 4
My goal is to analyze everything I have done and determine what could we do to puh this project further in the future..

Compare actual work done to Task4
After a long analysis, I have come up with this idea. I think we need better programs to scan the object in 3D and we need to spin either the object or the camera..

Week 4 Narrative
First week, I said to myself, I don't think I can complete this project, and I was doubting myself, but still would fight to the end. After researching and finding out a lot about 3D scanning,I was so excited and I was looking forward to find more about it.. As a team, we kind of share the project, Ben was dealing with the Makerbot and the XBOX Kinect and Andrew was taking notes and fallowing our path and helping us. my part was to try to scan an object by building a set up system to scan an object in 3D.second week, I got my materials ready: as in Metrologic Neon Laser, Wine Glass, two different software,webcam, and laptop. My first try was very luck, and I scanned my hand,although it was not recognizable but it did scan my hand. Ben was able to made the Makerbot work and has showed us how it prints the object. That was straight forward. Most difficult of all was the XBOX 360 Kinect, after connecting it to the computer with USB, It still needed some kind of software to capture the Image. As a result, I was not able to scan an 3D object manually, but still hoping that next teams could follow our steps and take it further..

Week 4 Peer Review
I commented on Andrew's individual 3D-Scan project page. My comment was regarding how he should document his work on his individual page every week because it is almost the end of our Project. The link to the discussion page is: Week1 Peer Review I also made a comment on page Ben's page saying that it was a pleasure to work with him and it was a very productive project Ben's individual 3D-Scan project page

Complete Project Page
The project is done, over all we got the makerbot working, and was able to print and an object and you can see some pictures and how we did it on Ben's individual 3D-Scan project page or just click here to see the video that Ben has recorded *MakerBot Cupcake CNC Printing. Scanning an abject with laser and a camera was not fully successful, but there were some progress though. This 3D scanning is going to be one of most popular thing in the world in the next decade, I would like to think it will be easy to just print things by then.