|
|
3D Scanning Is Flying High
2 Jun, 2011 By: Susan SmithCadalyst Labs Report: Faster, more accurate, more affordable technologies are propelling reverse engineering and other applications to the forefront of design.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the Winter/Spring 2011 issue of Cadalyst magazine.
3D laser scanning continues to take the CAD world by storm with its ability to create a digital representation of an existing structure or product. Also referred to as reverse engineering, the process uses scanning hardware to collect millions of points in space that represent an object's surface. That collection of data, called a point cloud, can be translated using specialized software to prepare it for use in a CAD application, where it becomes the basis for design updates or retrofits.
According to Tom Charron, vice-president of global marketing for Rapidform, "The challenge is less about data collection than it is about how to make it useful for your needs. This is where reverse engineering comes in, and the latest methods involve making solid models that are parametric and history-based, so they're easily editable."
As technologies rapidly improve and become increasingly affordable, applications of 3D scanning are expanding for civil engineering, AEC, and manufacturing. Regardless of your industry, and whether you purchase your own hardware and software or hire a service bureau to do the work, now is the time to take a serious look at how 3D scanning could jump-start your design process.
Technology Advancements
Several developments have converged to accelerate 3D scanning adoption. Hardware and software are becoming more efficient, prices are dropping, and the process of converting point clouds to CAD data is getting easier.
Joe Croser, vice-president of products at Pointools, explained, "The speed the scanner can measure points enables users to capture more points in the same time — getting higher-quality and more accurate data. Or it enables them to do more scans within a time period, thereby enabling them to lower scanning costs from being on-site."
Marc Soucy, president of InnovMetric Software, said hardware companies have nearly completed the release of 64-bit drivers, making it possible to perform 3D scanning processes on 64-bit computing platforms, which provides unlimited memory for very large digitizing projects.
A huge determining factor in the growth of 3D laser scanning is plummeting hardware prices this past year. One example is FARO's Focus3D scanner, which is approximately 60% less expensive than the company's previously available models. "The really high cost of scanners kept many people out of the market," said Croser. With hardware prices now in the range of $3,000 to $60,000, even small- and mid-sized firms are getting into the 3D scanning game.
The scanning workflow typically has involved two to five pieces of software ranging in price from $3,000 to $30,000 each — but the latest software is changing that.
"Customers can now get their hands on software that enables them to directly reuse that point cloud model inside their preferred software, rather than having to buy specialized software and convert the point cloud into geometry to be able to take that geometry into their apps," said Croser. In Pointools' licensing deal with Bentley Systems, customers can reuse the same native Pointools POD format in all Pointools products. Pointools POD Creator can generate multiple files in a single import operation inside any Bentley application. "That eliminates the need to translate because you don't have to move it from one proprietary file format to another in order to use it in different application environments," Croser said.
IMAGINiT's Scan-to-BIM software allows users to go from the original scanned data directly into an Autodesk Revit model. "It is no longer a long convoluted path," said Beau Turner, director of business developement at IMAGINiT Technologies. "Being able to … reduce the types of software and number of software pieces you need is huge." By removing the need for that software, you reduce the bottom line, and the workflow path becomes more streamlined and invites fewer errors.
As speed goes up and price comes down, the demand rises for 3D point cloud models, creating a true shift in consciousness among customers old and new.
This 3D point cloud model of a U.S. Ford automotive plant comprises approximately 4.5 billion points and was captured using a FARO Photon 120 scanner. Automotive production lines need to be changed every time the type of car being manufactured changes. Pointools' Joe Croser explained, "Ford has completely transformed its workflows so they can now scan an entire production line in a day to create a full photorealistic virtual model as a point cloud with full color and texture. They can then use Pointools to group pieces of a point cloud and move those grouped pieces around, quickly acquiring a piece of information without doing any postprocessing or additional modeling."
1 2 3 4
|
|
AutoCAD Tips!
Autodesk Technical Evangelist Lynn Allen guides you through a different AutoCAD feature in every edition of her popular "Circles and Lines" tutorial series. For even more AutoCAD how-to, check out Lynn's quick tips in the Cadalyst Video Gallery. Subscribe to Cadalyst's Tips & Tricks Tuesdays free e-newsletter and we'll notify you every time a new video tip is available. All exclusively from Cadalyst! |
|
