DAVID SLS-3 vs Makerbot Digitizer

Unlike setup and calibration, the scanning process itself is quite easy. Scanning an object from multiple positions is enough to merge the data and form a 360 degree mesh.

To operate this scanner, you’ll need the HP 3D Scan Software Pro V5 installed on your computer. The software license is bundled with the scanner itself, so you won’t need to buy it separately. The software is simple to use and intuitive, but also quite powerful. It’s divided into three main parts: setup, scanning and shape function. This means that, during the scanning stage, for example, you’ll only be presented with the functions relevant for that stage.

This 3D scanner can push its resolution to up to 0.05 mm, at 10 cm distance from the object (keep in mind that in order to be able to achieve this result you’ll have to spend hours calibrating the device). The overall result is very impressive, since a 0.05 mm resolution allows to scan objects in great detail. For example, you can theoretically scan a human hair using this scanner. This is a very powerful tool if used properly.

As the unit only has a monochrome camera, color capturing is achieved by measuring reflectivity on the surface of the scanned object.

Besides cables and hard cases, this scanner has plenty of accessories to choose from. There’s the TT-1 Automatic Turntable ( $1160.00 ), which makes 360 degree scans easier, or the DSL-1 Desk Scan Lever ( $650.00 ), which gives the scanner some extra free space for more complicated 3D scans. Another notable accessory is the SLS-3 Stereo Camera Upgrade Kit ( $1795.00 ), which improves scan quality by adding a second camera, at the cost of complicating even more the default setup, since both cameras need to be individually calibrated.

Calibrating this scanner is quite time-consuming and tricky, which can be annoying for regular use, but can be useful for teaching purposes, since the setup process itself helps understanding how structured light 3D scanning works.

This scanner's high precision 1080p camera enhances the textures of scanned objects.

This 3D scanner is designed to export purely geometric 3D formats, and is therefore capable of generating STL, OBJ and PLY files, which are more than enough for reverse engineering and geometry editing with most CAD software.

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.

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).

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.