3D scanning made economical.Although this may appear to be a piece of high-end audio High-end audio is a term used to describe equipment that is purported by the manufacturers to be the best, regardless of the price. Definition of 'high-end' High-end audio equipment, this is actually a system deploying multi-laser array technology and advanced algorithms that makes it possible to create detailed 3D, full-color digital models. And yes, it is of a size to sit on a desktop in a studio. The $2,495 system from NextEngine (www.nextengine.com; Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. , CA)--a price point that the company says is 1/10th that of competing systems--permits scanning of essentially any size object. That is, the wide field scanned is 13.5 x 10.1 in. and the macro field is 5.1 x 3.8 in. Separate facets of the image can be combined to create large images. The system then exports files to OBJ OBJ - Joseph Goguen 1976. A family of declarative "ultra high level" languages. Abstract types, generic modules, subsorts (subtypes with multiple inheritance), pattern-matching modulo equations, E-strategies (user control over laziness), module expressions (for combining modules), , STL (STereoLithography) A 3D printing file format created by 3D Systems for its stereolithography system. Also supported by many numerical control, rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing machines, STL provides the surface geometry of the item in triangles. , VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) A 3D graphics language used on the Web. After downloading a VRML page, its contents can be viewed, rotated and manipulated. Simulated rooms can be "walked into." The VRML viewer is launched from within the Web browser. , U3D, PLY, and other 3D formats. The scanner also plugs into SolidWorks 2007 Office Premium, which means inputs can go directly to the SolidWorks desktop. It also works with applications including those from Rhino, 3ds Max, rapidForm, and Geomagic. Just think: from a undefined sculptural model to a 3D capture in just minutes (a captured view requires about two minutes, and a typical object requires 12 views, so ...).--GSV [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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