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Add to SafariWhen comparing Occipital Structure Sensor vs Fuel3D SCANIFY, the Slant community recommends Occipital Structure Sensor for most people. In the question“What are the best handheld 3D scanners?” Occipital Structure Sensor is ranked 3rd while Fuel3D SCANIFY is ranked 5th. The most important reason people chose Occipital Structure Sensor is:
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.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Very affordable
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.
Pro No object size limit
Since this is a handheld device, theoretically there is no size limit for target objects, as long as the specified distance ranges are respected.
Pro Export format can be imported to virtually all CAD software
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.
Pro Free and easy-to-use official 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.
Pro Dedicated app for creating room 3D models
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.
Pro Extra export options, if using the Skanect software
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.
Pro Advanced desktop software available
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.
Pro Decent resolution at close range
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.
Pro Great scanning resolution
As a handheld 3D scanner, the 0.35mm scanning resolution gives out great results. It even beats more expensive scanners like the Artec Eva.
Pro Scanning process is quick
It only takes a fraction of a second to capture a single scan. This is great for scanning in a dynamic environment. It also makes face scans hassle-free, since other SLS 3D scanners struggle to capture them, due to micro movements.
Cons
Con Can't be used as a standalone device
Since this is not a standalone scanner, you’ll need to have a compatible iPad to use it. Alternatively, advanced users have the option to buy a bracketless sensor that can be attached to fixed installations, robots, iPhones or Android devices, but this requires considerable setup. There's also the option of using it with a desktop computer, but in this case the desktop software needs to be bought.
Con Scanning software doesn't have many features
This device's scanning software, Structure, is very simple. Consequently, it doesn't as many features or extra options as some other scanning apps.
Con Scan resolution decreases dramatically with distance
As the distance from the target object increases, the scan quality drops dramatically. At the maximum distance of 3.5 m, the resolution drops to 30-35 mm, which is virtually unusable.
Con You need to be close to the target object
The recommended distance between the scanner and the object is between 0.35 and 0.45 m, which is quite limited and as the secondary effect of limiting the maximum object dimensions. Scans made outside the specified range yields unusable data.
Con The software is quite complicated to use
This scanner operates by combining stereoscopy (used to assess depth of an image) and photometry (used to measure brightness of light), which has the disadvantage of needing multiple scans of the same object to be arranged by the user. While not impossible to learn, you will need to take some time to read through technical documentation and watch the tutorial videos provided by Fuel3D.
Con You may end up having to pay for software
Even though there’s a free version of Fuel3D Studio, it’s very limited in features when compared to the Advanced version, which costs $190.00/month. For example, the free version only allows you to stitch up to six scans, while the Advanced version allows you to combine an unlimited amount of scans, resulting in higher resolutions and better overall scan quality.
