EinScan-Pro vs Occipital Structure Sensor

The EinScan Pro has four modes (though two of them require an add-on), each matching a specific need. With no add-ons, the device can be used on the Handheld Rapid and HD Scan modes, which offer differing levels of accuracy and methods for stitching. With the industrial add-on pack, the EinScan-Pro can also detect color and texture, and the Automatic and Free Scan modes use a turntable for very fast, accurate scans of small objects.

The EinScan-Pro boasts professional quality similar to the Artec Eva, at a third the price. While still costly for the basic tinkerer, this scanner is of sufficient quality to appeal to more advanced users.

When multiple scans of an object are taken, to form the 3D model, there is often a step that requires the user to manually align scans to form the whole image. Some exceptions aside, the software used alongside the EinScan-Pro can do this automatically with surprising accuracy, making everything much easier.

If one purchases the Industrial Add-on Pack, which adds a turntable and a tripod for $700, objects on the turntable can be scanned with uncanny speed: one or two 2 second scans can produce a very high-quality 3D model, even on a glossy surface: example

While not necessary to the functionality of the scanner, the EinScan-Pro has a nice, sharp look that goes well in any modern office or home.

The EinScan-Pro only weighs 0.8 kg (less than 2 lbs), allowing for an easy, smooth, and comfortable scanning process, even over long periods of time.

This 3D scanner is quite affordable for hobbyists and DIY enthusiasts. Decent 3D scanning systems are hard to come by at the price the OSS costs and, while there are other, more affordable, tablet-attachable 3D scanning systems, this unit beats the competition in product quality and customer satisfaction.

Since this is a handheld device, theoretically there is no size limit for target objects, as long as the specified distance ranges are respected.

By default, the only export option is the OBJ format. This is enough for most cases, given that this file format can be imported into pretty much any modern CAD software.

This 3D scanner's official software is available for free, which is great for hobbyists, considering that several other manufacturers sell their software licenses for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Setting everything up is quite simple, just plug in the device to your iPad and it will automatically install an app for sensor calibration (Calibrator) and an app for scanning (Structure). Both apps have simple and intuitive interfaces.

Room Capture is another popular and freely available app for this device. It can be used to create a 3D model of an entire room. The process itself is very straightforward, just run the application and scan the room (the app will guide you through the scanning process). The program will take care of all scanning data, no prior expertise or external processing software is necessary. This feature is particularly useful for those in real estate.

If used with the paid Skanect software, scans be exported in the PLY, STL and VRML formats. It should be noted that Skanect is a desktop-based application, so it cannot be used with the iPad or other mobile devices and requires attaching the scanner to a computer.

This device also has a macOS/Windows desktop application called Skanect, which allows it to be used while connected to a computer. It extends the capabilities of the basic Structure Sensor, but the professional version of this software costs $129.

This iPad attachment has a maximum resolution of 0.5mm at 40 cm range, which is quite decent for scanning small objects at a close distance.