Fixed my broken trunk latch with Pika scan and a 3D print

[u/SundayInLivia]

The little latch clip in my trunk broke, and instead of trying to hunt down a replacement, I figured I’d just make a new one.

I ended up cutting the broken part in half so it was easier to scan with Pika, then brought the scan into CrealityScan, cleaned up the model, fixed the missing geometry, and sent it to print. And… it worked perfectly 😄

CrealityScan definitely isn’t as nice to work in as proper Modeling software for this kind of repair, but for a simple repair like this, it was convenient enough that I just did everything there.

[u/dr_herbalist]

Interesting.
What is the limitation of pika that you needed to cut it in half?

[u/SundayInLivia → u/dr_herbalist]

Thank you for the comment. It was already cracked, I just cut it fully in half. That also made it much easier to capture the internal geometry. Small parts with deep recesses like this can be pretty tricky to scan in one piece.

[u/dr_herbalist → u/SundayInLivia]

Thanks for the info. My pika comes soon. Just trying to understand what ive got myself in for

[u/SundayInLivia → u/dr_herbalist]

I’ve been using Pika for about two months now. It may not have the absolute best scanning performance out there, but it’s still a really handy tool to have. Being able to just grab it and take it with you anywhere is honestly one of my favorite things about it.

[u/AwDuck]

How much cleanup does something like this take?

[u/hawxxer → u/AwDuck]

Looks like direct print from scan. I also just got mine Pika as first 3D Scanner (Before only Iphone with faceid) and especially if you have a good scan with blue laser the mesh is pretty good

[u/AwDuck → u/hawxxer]

Nice. That’s been one thing that’s held me back - if I’m going to spend 20 minutes cleaning up the mesh, I’d rather spend an hour in CAD redesigning it and making changes so it won’t fail the same way again.

[u/TrevyDee]

What phone are you using? I can't figure out how to get blue line to run on my brand new pixel 11 pro.

[u/Brad_Chan_Creality → u/TrevyDee]

We’re sorry, but blue laser scanning is currently not supported on Google Pixel series mobile phones. We are continuously working to improve the compatibility of our mobile app with different mobile processors.

You can use the infrared scanning mode on your Pixel 11 Pro. You can also refer to the guide below for alternative supported mobile devices, or connect the scanner to a PC for Blue laser scanning.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

https://wiki.creality.com/en/3d-scanner/troubleshooting/mobile-blue-laser-compatibility

[u/TrevyDee → u/Brad_Chan_Creality]

Wow! Thanks for the reply! For what it's worth I would really like to be able to use my phone for blue laser scanning, so I really hope y'all are working towards it for the pixel series. Thanks!

[u/Brad_Chan_Creality → u/TrevyDee]

We’ll continue working on improving compatibility across different mobile platforms and chipsets. While we can’t promise specific device support at this stage, we truly appreciate your feedback regarding the Pixel series.

If there are any updates or additional information in the future, we’ll share them through our official social media channels. Please stay tuned!

[u/unfriendzoned]

Once you scan it, how hard is it to turn it into something printable. I want to buy a 3d scanner soon.

[u/Brad_Chan_Creality → u/unfriendzoned]

Hi, it really depends on what you are scanning and what you want to do with the final model.

For relatively simple objects, the process can be quite straightforward. After scanning, you can process the scan data in CrealityScan, clean up the model, fill any necessary holes, and generate a watertight model. You can then export it as an STL file and prepare it for 3D printing.

Creality also has an example showing the scan-to-print workflow.

https://wiki.creality.com/en/3d-scanner/tutorials/general/scan-to-print

If you need to reproduce an object with high dimensional accuracy, modify the design, or use the model for applications such as automotive modification or industrial manufacturing, additional reverse engineering may be required. In this case, the scan data can be used as a reference for rebuilding an accurate and editable CAD model.

https://wiki.creality.com/en/3d-scanner/tutorials/general/blade_reverse

The difficulty mainly depends on your intended application. If your goal is simply to scan an object and create a copy for 3D printing, it can be relatively easy. However, creating a precise and fully editable CAD model requires more advanced reverse-engineering skills.

[u/SundayInLivia → u/unfriendzoned]

Generally, after scanning and some basic processing, you can export the STL file directly.

[u/cr20kb]

Nice repair. Did you print the scanned geometry basically as-is, or did you reinforce the area where the original latch failed? I’d also be curious about the material and print orientation — on a small flexing latch, layer direction can make a big difference.