Scannable objects fall into two categories: Ready-to-Scan and Prep-to-Scan. In this post, we’ll help you determine which category an object’s in, and share some expert tips and tricks to help you create the best possible 3D models.
Ready-to-Scan
A Ready-to-Scan object is exactly what it sounds like. You can put it on the MakerBot Digitizer’s turntable and start scanning it right away. When the laser line hits the object, the laser will bounce back to the camera in a focused line producing a good 3D model.
Prep-to-Scan
A Prep-to-Scan object is an object that doesn’t meet one or some of the Ready-to-Scan criteria. You’ll need to prep it to create a good 3D model.
A few months ago we wrote a post that showed how to prepare a shiny object to achieve better results. Here we’ll take a look at two more Prep-to-Scan objects and see how they were improved for scanning.
MakerBot® Digitizer™: The MakerBot® Digitizer™ Desktop 3D Scanner quickly turns the things in your world into 3D models that you can modify, improve, share, and 3D print. There’s no design, 3D modeling, or CAD expertise required to get started, and the MakerBot Digitizer delivers clean, watertight 3D models in approximately 12 minutes. It’s a fast and easy way for anyone to create 3D models! The simple, yet sophisticated software, MakerBot MakerWare for Digitizer, is optimized to work seamlessly with MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printers, and also allows you to share your scans directly with the Thingiverse community. (read more)
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
