User:Tntflash/ENES-100/Project 2 - 3D Scanner

Write problem/project Goal
Market Review of all 3D scanners that can be purchased

My First Task
Review previous documentation of the of the 3D scanner Project done by the previous group and get familiar with how it works

Summary of actual work over first weekend
I searched for raw 3d scan for to be cleaned up. Scaned different objects and looked at other types of scanners available

Week1 Narrative
I went on http://www.makerscanner.com/docs/1-makerscanner.html to get familiarized with the scanning software and methods used by the previous group. I also worked producing a clean enough scan with the apparatus at the school so that it could be printed on the makerbot. The laser was calibrated using the software instead of using the distance measured from the flat background. Different objects of different color were scanned. Different backgrounds were also used. The room lighting was causing a shadow to appear in the scan. The object was placed further from the wall so the the shadow would be off to the side and would not interfere with the scan. The scan of the green spiral with the purple background produce the cleanest scan.

I also looked for raw scans that could be cleaned up in mesh lab and blender but only scans ready to be printed were found. A few of those that were already cleaned were found on this site http://www.artec3d.com/gallery/3d-models/. These scans were produce with kinect camera and arctec software. I then went on to look at other 3D scanners available I found this handheld scanner http://www.creaform3d.com/en/metrology-solutions/portable-3d-scanner-handyscan-3d, i also found a desktop 3d scanner by Next engine http://www.nextengine.com/.

My Second Task
Get software on my computer so than i could do the editing and cleaning of the scans myself

Summary of actual work over second weekend
I downloaded software.

Week2 Narrative
I continued looking for raw files that needed to be cleaned but still only got ready to print files. I also downloaded blender, meshlab and makerscaner software on my computer. I uploaded a file that I found during the search for raw scans into meshlab and exported it to blender to test out the software. The file was saved as a .ply file and it opened in meshlab. The .ply file also opened in blender. In meshlab I could rotate the object and see every side but in blender I only saw the back of the object and when i clicked rotate it only rotated upside down.

Meshlab

My Third task
See if blender or meshlab is capable of merging different scans

Summary of actual work over third weekend
Investigate meshlab and blender to see if they are capable of merging scans

Week3 Narrative
I found the complete manual for both blender http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual and meshlab http://archc3d.fa.utl.pt/photogrammetry/lesson_04_Tutorial_MeshLAB.pdf. Meshlab was the better option in merging point clouds. The steps on how to merge the point clouds starts on page 25 of the meshlab manual. I then attempted to merged a scan that i took. The merge comprises of three scans of the sameface merged into one scan.

My Fourth task
Use meshlab to create a combine scans of the swirly object into one

Summary of actual work over fourth weekend
Align point clouds of the swirly object

Week4 Narrative
I used meshlab to try and align points clouds of the swirly. The swirly scan at different angles produces similar point clouds because it is a fairly isometric structure. I used the best scan produced duplicated it and rotated it 30 degrees along the Y axis by while keeping the Z and X axis stationary. I then duplicated the rotated scan and rotated it an additional 30 degrees. This was repeated for a full circle resulting in and additional 11 duplications. I then tried to align the points but when i clicked process it turned out similar to when then points were placed on top of each other. The different point clouds spread out like when a deck of cards is spread apart while holding the bottom of the deck stationary.