This article was made with version 2.0.0.7

This article will give you information about the workflow for the Multi_Object scan mode. It explains you the settings and how to use it.

Index

• 1. Start the Multi-Object mode
• 2. Prepare the multi scan tool
• 3. Adjust the scanner and make the first scan of the objects
• 4. Create a second scan of the other side from the objects
• 5. Align the scan data
• 6. Mesh and save the scan data

1. Start the Multi-Object mode

When you use the scanner for the first time you need to calibrate. If you want to know more about the calibration process, click here. 

Then click on "New Project" to start the scan. A new window pops up which can be seen bellow. There you can make the following adjustments Give the project a name (surrounded orange), select a scan path (surrounded blue), select the scam mode, which is in our case here the "Multi-object mode" (surrounded red), select texture "OFF" or "ON" (surrounded purple) but this scanner doesn't capture real texture. It can capture kind of grey colour. So, no real colour can be scanned. You can choose "OFF". The last setting is "Remove curved edges" (surrounded green). If the function is switch ON the software will remove noise areas around edges. So that edges get sharper when the function is ON. 

In the video bellow you can see the workflow.

2. Prepare the multi scan tool

Before you start scanning you need to prepare the tool for the multi scan. When you use it for the first time the pockets of the tool are empty like in the picture bellow.

You can fill them with clay or with the blue tack with comes with the scanner. After you fill the pockets, you can stuck your object to it. In the picture bellow you see 3 objects were put the tool. Notice: When you scan very dark, reflective or transparent objects, please use 3D scanning spray so that the scanner can capture the data. 

After that, put the tool on the scanner like bellow.

3. Adjust the scanner and make the first scan of the objects

Now you need to adjust the mirror of the scanner, the brightness and the cutting plane.

To adjust the mirror please activate the "Activate height adjustment" function (surrounded green).

The turntable will now to a new position. With the slider on the right side (surrounded orange) you can adjust the position of the mirror. Set the mirror so that the objects are in the middle of the camera window.  Also you will see a blue line (surrounded green)  in the camera window. This line is a cutting plane. So everything under it wont be scanned. Make sure that the objects are above this line. The last setting is the brightness which can be set automatically by clicking on the "A" (surrounded yellow). Ensure that the object are not to seen red. Red is bad and it's overexposed. you can also adjust the brightness via the slider at the button (surrounded red) if the automatic function doesn't give a perfect result.   

Here you can see the workflow. 

Now you can start the scan to create the first scan group. 

Click on the "Start" button which is at the right bottom of the software and the scan will start. You can take the standard scan path "default" or your own scan path. For more information to the scan path click here.  When the scan is finished you should see the point cloud data in the software. Also, you see a blue circle which is also a cutting plane. If you scanned some areas from the multi tool. You can adjust the cutting plane so that the parts you don't need are getting red. Then they will be deleted automatically. In the video bellow you see the workflow.  

If you captured any data from reflection or so you can delete it by hand. For that click on the "Free select" button on the right side. Then you can select the non needed data with a lasso. Just hold the left mouse button and move the lasso around the data. In the video bellow you can the process.

4. Create a second scan of the other side from the objects

Before you start the next scan, please take of the multi object tool and turn the objects. Ensure that you put the object back in the same pocket there before and put it back on the turntable of the scanner. Like in the picture bellow

Ensure that the mirror, brightness and cutting plane settings from the camera are well adjusted as described above.

Then you can click on "Flip Scan" to create the sec group. You wont the last created scans until you align both. In the video bellow you can see the workflow. 

5. Align the scan data

When the second group is finish and cleaned up with the cutting plane or free select tool you can click on the "Alignment" button. Now the software starts the automatic alignment. When it's finished you see the result in a new window. At the left upper corner of the window is a data list with the scan files. When you click on the different projects in the data list will the result of each object.

If the automatically alignment went wrong you can redo it manual. Click on the blue button "To manual alignment" at the right corner of the new window. Then a window pops up where you see both scan groups. Now select 3 common points on both scans. After that click on "Alignment". The video bellow shows you the process. 

6. Mesh and save the scan data

After you have aligned the data correctly you need to mesh them. Click on the "Data wrap" button. 

A new window pops up where you can give the objects the correct name (surrounded orange). Then you can reduce the scan files if you want (surrounded yellow). When you put the slight to 100% the data won’t be reduced. If you put it to 10% the data will be reduced to the maximum. The next option is if the wrap method model (surrounded blue). If you want to inspect the files, choose Unwatertight. If you want to print the object, use watertight. The remove highlight function (surrounded red) will remove spikes. So, triangles that come together at a point and thus do not produce a smooth surface will be removed. The function "thin wall" (surrounded green) is useful when you are scanning thin metal sheets so that the sides of the metal sheet are not run into each other. The last function "hole filling" (surrounded purple) is only available when you choose "unwatertight" and it fills holes with the selected perimeter. So, in the picture bellow all holes with a perimeter up to 15mm will be closed. When you click on "OK" the data will be meshed.

Here you can see the workflow. 

After the meshing is done the software saves the results automatically in the project folder. If you want to save them somewhere else, click on the icon and save them at the location you want.

If you have any problems, please contact us via mail at metrology_support@shining3d.com..