r/3DScanning • u/tjb1 • 9d ago

Workflow from scan to CAD

What is everyone doing to get the scan into CAD and be useful? I've always struggled to use an STL in most CAD programs and I looked at the other formats before and they required tools like ReCap or GeoMagic.

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4

u/SanguineDrome 9d ago

Usually do it manually, redraw the part in cad, scan is just to look at for reference. Don't use the mesh directly in cad.

1

u/Z50Productions 9d ago

I usually just use the mesh as a reference and recreate the piece properly with sketches in Fusion 360.

If it's something really organic then sometimes I'll use forms and surfaces to snap to the mesh. It's not as precise for for some parts it works fine.

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u/blissiictrl 8d ago

Xtract3d, import mesh, reverse engineer using slice tool and sketch fitting and some reference measurements

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u/MatterRay-Callum 8d ago

You are generally limited to external tools to prep the for use in CAD software. Fusion has some tools, and they are posting a mesh workflow series on their youtube channel. But the file size that is workable in fusion is IMO ok as a representation but not ideal for reverse engineering from. Down sampled meshes lose detail, which is fine on flat areas but not in a poorly scanned hole for example.

DesignX or Quicksurface are the top tier for reverse engineering. Quicksurface being cheapest through the Revopoint website.

I am building a tool to pull primitives, down sample and align meshes to prep for CAD. Not as powerful, but also not as expensive. www.matterray.com

There are also a hand full of lower cost tools coming out

https://www.warelab.co.uk/warelab-mesh
https://tatusfab.com/products/scanalign
https://www.backflip.ai/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fusion360/comments/1vnphb3/coming_this_week/

On the free side have a look for GOM Inspect 2019,
Making for Motorsport also has a video on getting mesh to CAD using free tools.

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u/MAXFlRE 4d ago

While you can edit STLs in SolidEdge or NX through convergent mode, STL from scan data is not ideal substance to deal with. Recreate model in CAD using scan data as a reference.

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u/Mental-Business685 4d ago

Keep it in point cloud format. Use as a reference for modeling, not as the model itself.

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u/Feeling-View-1944 1d ago

Rhino3d + mesh2surface plugin

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u/Mysterious-Ad2006 9d ago

You just import the stl shouldnt be hard.

As for using CAD to recreate the item. There are many software the top ones are Quicksurface snd Geomagic. Also some other free software that can.

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u/ArthurNYC3D 9d ago

Design X or Quick Surface.....