What are the best 3D scanners to get scans for later 3D printing?

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Jan 14, 2019

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2 Options Considered

Best 3D scanners to get scans for later 3D printing	Price	File formats	Resolution at maximum scanning distance
-- Artec Eva	$14,900	OBJ, PLY, WRL, STL, AOP, ASCII, Disney PTEX, E57, XYZRGB	3 mm
-- Makerbot Digitizer	$799	STL, Thing	0.5 mm

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score 2 · Answer 1

Artec Eva

Top Pro

Impressive resolution

In terms of scan quality, this is one of the best handheld 3D scanners available. The maximum resolution of the unit is an impressive 0.5 mm at the minimum 0.4 m scanning distance. See More

Top Con

No free software available

When you get this 3D scanner, make sure you set aside enough money to invest in software. All the available software options are quite expensive, including Artec Studio (an yearly license costs $400). See More

Specs

File formats:OBJ, PLY, WRL, STL, AOP, ASCII, Disney PTEX, E57, XYZRGB

Resolution at maximum scanning distance:3 mm

Resolution at minimum scanning distance:0.5 mm

Scanning technology:Structured Light Scanning

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Top Pro

Relatively quick scanning makes scanning living subjects easier

Even small movements can ruin a 3D scan when scanning a living subject. The Eva can scan a human face in about 20 seconds in ideal conditions, and extremities can take less than a minute, with only minor issues. Therefore, this scanner is very popular for full body scanning: in fact, it was used to create the first ever body scan of Barack Obama back in 2014. See More

Top Con

Poor selection of scanner accessories

Besides standard cables, there are barely any accessories provided by the manufacturer. The only ones available are battery packs and hard cases. For both items, the prices are only available upon request. See More

Top Pro

Wide variety of output formats

The data gathered from this device can be used in almost every CAD application. The full list of supported formats is impressive: OBJ, PLY, WRL, STL, AOP, ASCII, Disney PTEX, E57 and XYZRGB. The scanned data can be used for purely geometric design operations (like editing and redesigning scanned shapes), as well as for applications involving shape, colour and texture of objects (art and design based applications). This array of file formats, which includes some that are proprietary or uncommonly used, avoids having to take annoying extra steps for converting files to the desired format. See More

Top Con

Very expensive

The Eva has a high price tag, it requires a fairly powerful laptop to function (due to the intense resources needed to process its scans), and the software that can be used with it is expensive. With a cost this high, many businesses may prefer to sacrifice portability and choose a high-end static device capable of achieving better results. See More

Top Pro

Good price-performance ratio

For professionals that don't have a permanent studio set up or that need the versatility that a handheld scanner provides, the Artec Eva is a great option. The generated scans can be used for commercial-level endeavors, and easily dwarf the quality of scans of consumer-level devices. Though the price is high, the high quality can justify the price tag for high-end users. See More

Top Con

Annoying cables needed

The Eva requires a power cable and a USB cable to run. While both are long enough for simple use, they can be easily tangled, stepped on, or even scanned by mistake. Using the external Power Pack is a possible, albeit expensive, solution to this particular issue. See More

Top Pro

Built-in light source for better scanning conditions

Because the Eva projects its own light on the target object, it tends to always get good scan results, even in less-than-favorable lighting conditions. That being said, extreme lighting conditions (such as very dim lighting or very bright background lights, such as sunlight) can still harm scan quality. See More

Top Con

Resolution levels decrease with distance

The further away from the object you go, the more the scan resolution deteriorates, which is normal for handheld scanner. At the maximum distance of scanning distance of 1.0 m, the resolution is only 3 mm. See More

Top Pro

Certified accuracy

Every Artec Eva scanner comes with a certificate guaranteeing its accuracy. This certificate complies with VDI (Association of German Engineers) standards. See More

Top Con

Requires a powerful computer

The scanner itself is so powerful that a fairly high-end computer is required to process the data it outputs. An i5 processor or higher is required, as well as a whopping 12GB of RAM. Without a 1GB dedicated video card, you'll encounter many hangups during the scanning process. See More

Top Pro

Can capture color and texture

The Artec Eva is capable of capturing surface features of target objects, such as color and texture details. See More

Top Con

The structured light sensor can be dangerous

The Artec Eva is a structured light scanner,, which projects a pattern of light onto the subject and measures distortions from multiple angles to compute the 3D surface of the model. This requires a powerful light source which can cause damage if shone directly into one's eyes. If 3D scanning a person's face, for instance, it's imperative their eyes remain closed. See More

Top Pro

Good field of view size

The field view of this scanner is 536 x 371 mm, meaning you can capture a scene with this size with just a single shot. See More

Top Pro

Can scan traditionally difficult materials

Many 3D scanners have issues with reflective, dark, or low density materials. The Artec Eva is capable of scanning materials with these characteristics with good results, as shown in this review. See More

Top Pro

Good documentation available

The Artec Eva is well documented, with high quality manuals available for download from the manufacturer’s website. There are also plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to use the device. See More

Top Pro

Can be used with Geomagic Design X

Geomagic Design X, a powerful software for reverse engineering and creating feature-based, editable solid models compatible with most CAD programs, is available to be used with the Artec Eva. It should be noted this powerful software costs even more than the scanner itself. See More

Top Pro

Can be used with Artec Studio, which is very helpful

This scanner can be used with the Artec Studio software, which is a very versatile tool. Amateurs can use this software in Autopilot mode, making the process as simple as answering a couple of simple questions about the object (shape/colour/texture) and letting the software do the rest on its own. Professionals, on the other hand, can use the “full toolbox” that allows them to manipulate and process the scanned data. These features make the software worth the hefty investment (a license costs $400 per year). There’s also a free 30-day trial version (containing all features) of this software. See More

Top Pro

It's possible to export directly to SolidWorks

A SolidWorks CAD plugin allows users to export newly scanned 3D objects directly to SolidWorks. However, this plugin is expensive, costing around $6,000. See More

Top Pro

No object size limit

As a handheld scanner, there is theoretically no limit to scannable object size, as long as you can keep a distance between 0.4 m and 1.0 m from the object you are scanning. The Artec Eva can be successfully used to scan tiny LEGO figures, human bodies and entire minivans. See More

Top Pro

Easy to handle

The Eva is comfortable to manipulate: the handle fits nicely on one's hand, and good weight distribution facilitates a steady scan, as long as the unit remains vertically aligned. See More

Top Pro

Very simple to set up

The initial setup procedure of this unit is surprisingly simple. After powering it up and connecting it to a computer, you just need to activate the scanner through the Artec Installation Center program on your computer. AIC can be installed together with Artec Studio or directly from the manufacturer’s website for free. After that, you can simply launch Artec Studio and begin scanning. See More

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score 2 · Answer 2

Makerbot Digitizer

Top Pro

Companion software is very user friendly

MakerWare for Digitizer, the companion software for this scanner, is quite intuitive to use. After placing the object in the scanner's turntable, you can simply open MakerWare and start scanning. When you have enough scans of the object, you can then fuse all of them into a 360 degree STL model. See More

Top Con

Can only scan small objects

This device can only scan objects that fit in the 20.3 cm cubic space "seen" by the scanner. There is no way to increase this size. See More

Specs

Resolution at maximum scanning distance:0.5 mm

Resolution at minimum scanning distance:0.5 mm

File formats:STL, Thing

Maximum scanning distance:Distance is fixed

See All Specs

Top Pro

Convenient automated scanning process

Using the scanner’s automated turning table results in accurate 360-degree scans of the target object, which is quicker and more convenient than moving the object (or the scanner) to get all of its sides. See More

Top Con

Has many poor user reviews

Almost half of the Amazon customer reviews gave this product a one star rating. Common complaints say the scanner underperforms compared to advertised specs, has issues with sharp edge scanning or just outright fails to work. Their technical support service has also been criticized heavily. See More

Top Pro

Straightforward calibration process

Since the camera and the laser generators are in a fixed position, calibrating them is quite simple. This needs to be done periodically, in order to get optimal results. The scanner can calibrate itself, the user only has to follow some simple instructions (like placing the calibration tool on the device's turning table). See More

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What are the best 3D scanners to get scans for later 3D printing?

2 Options Considered

Artec Eva

My Recommendation for Artec Eva

My Recommendation for Artec Eva

Impressive resolution

No free software available

Relatively quick scanning makes scanning living subjects easier

Poor selection of scanner accessories

Wide variety of output formats

Very expensive

Good price-performance ratio

Annoying cables needed

Built-in light source for better scanning conditions

Resolution levels decrease with distance

Certified accuracy

Requires a powerful computer

Can capture color and texture

The structured light sensor can be dangerous

Good field of view size

Can scan traditionally difficult materials

Good documentation available

Can be used with Geomagic Design X

Can be used with Artec Studio, which is very helpful

It's possible to export directly to SolidWorks

No object size limit

Easy to handle

Very simple to set up

Makerbot Digitizer

My Recommendation for Makerbot Digitizer

My Recommendation for Makerbot Digitizer

Companion software is very user friendly

Can only scan small objects

Convenient automated scanning process

Has many poor user reviews

Straightforward calibration process

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