NextEngine 3d Scanner anyone here using?
John Layne
If so what's your opinion so far and what are you using it for?
John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz
John Layne
"John Layne" <JohnDON'TBUGMEW...@solidengineering.co.nz> wrote in
message news:4557ba12$0$33418$bb4e...@newscene.com...
I was hoping to hear the good the bad and the ugly, would be nice to hear
from someone actually using one rather than the hearing it from a salesman.
John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz
Zander
I have had one since August. I've been really busy with a few big
projects since then but I have used it for a few things. I've
'measured up' lots of parts in the past with calipers, 123 blocks etc
and I don't think that will go away. The scanner is great for organic
or lofted shapes that you would have to section to measure otherwise.
Eg. I used it to establish the exterior of an old injection molded
part that had no cad data and need fea to test new resin formulations.
I blanked off in inside ribbed portion with cardstock and just focused
the scan on the curved exterior. In sw I converted the base to a
planar surface then essentially traced the perimeter with a spline and
lofted it. Then I measured and modelled the internal features. Worked
well and I was within a few thou.
About the scanner itself it works as advertised. Most if not all parts
require surface prep of either talc powder or whtie spraypaint. Then I
mark little index features with a sharpie. It takes time to setup,
scan, trim, index etc. But in the end it's worth it.
The scan to 3d tools in premium for the most part work very well with
one big exception. There is a function to convert your model to
surfaces 'automatically' . Other software that does this will average
the point cloud and create 1 or 2 (maybe 3 at the most) large surface
sheets that are very smooth and fit the cloud quite well. But the
solidworks version will take even a very smooth mesh and convert it to
22,578 teeny tiny surfaces which is totally useless. If you manually
create freeform surface it will average pretty well but you need to
split the mesh into 'zones' yourself by painting mesh areas different
colors.
For a first release the tools feel very well evolved except as noted
above. One other user interface gripe: When painting mesh you have to
hold down the mouse button the whole time, you should be able to lock
it on - my finger gets tired.
Considering the next closet scanner is about 20 times the price I'm
very pleased!
ps. I scanned a 'cream tube bottle' (round and one end, flattened and
sealed at the other) the other day since it fits into an injection
molded assembly I'm working on. I was able to loft 1/4 of the tube
overtop of the mesh, then use freeform to pull the surface out one
control line at a time until I could see visually that it was just
intersecting, then passing through the mesh points - ended up being
very accurate - and fun to do....
Zander
John Layne
"Zander" <bka...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163553820.7...@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
Thanks for the detailed info Zander.
A project that's coming up in January Feb that could benefit from using the
scanner. It's nice to know it does what it's advertised to do.
The real annoyance is I'll have to upgrade to SolidWorks Premium to benefit
from SolidWorks' integration with the scanner. Is it possible to use the
scanner as a standalone product rather than have to upgrade to Premium, or
is that just not a realistic option?
John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz
Zander
with the data. Without scan to 3d you'll only be able to import the
mesh as an .stl file, and then it will only be a visual graphic object.
You can't do anything with it. ie. With scanto3d you can snap to
mesh points while your drawing a spline, you can measure the mesh,
scale it etc. It also gives the ability to import and export several
standard mesh fileformats into solidworks (although it can only export
meshes to these new types not solids/surfaces) This means I can also
open up modo or lightwave files in solidworks.
Also scanto3d has some very complementary tools to the standalone next
engine software - in some case better. These allow hole filling,
smoothing, decimating, aligning etc.
I complained loudly as well when I learned the scanto3d tools were only
available with premium - I don't mind paying for them but in premium
your being forced to pay for cosmos weather you want it or not. But
you could make the same argument about any tiered program - sw office
also 'forces' you to pay for animator, photoworks etc things you may
not want either. But in the end I'm glad I did. Your mileage may
vary! In any case the tools and increased functionality are pretty
good.
I remember there was a 3rd party app a few years back that import stl
into solidworks and converted them to some sort of usable model? Can't
remember which one. Was it a baryn app?
Zander
John Layne
I've no doubt COSMOS is great piece of software, trouble is I'm bright
enough to know I'm too stupid to use it. If I'm forced to upgrade to Premium
I probably will have a play with COSMOS but I resent being forced to pay for
it. On the rare occasions I need FEA I'd rather pay someone who knows what
they are doing.
John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz
neil...@hotmail.com
have seen it...also some posts at SW forum...some saying the file size
it can handle is fairly small.
John Layne
<neil...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163646346....@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
> John there is a thread at Eng-Tips about NextEngine...don't know if you
> have seen it...also some posts at SW forum...some saying the file size
> it can handle is fairly small.
>
Thanks, although I could only find one article on the SolidWorks forum and
none in Eng-Tips---- using the search.
John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz
neil...@hotmail.com
at Eng-Tips the thread is currently no3 when you visit the page...
http://www.eng-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=559
---> 3D Scanner from Next Engine Question
John Layne
<neil...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163666617....@f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> at Eng-Tips the thread is currently no3 when you visit the page...
> http://www.eng-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=559
> ---> 3D Scanner from Next Engine Question
>
Thanks for that, interesting that it doesn't work with 64bit windows.
I'm currently awaiting a quote from my VAR for the upgrade to Premium and
for the Scanner.
John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz
Zander
updated frequently.
John Layne
>I was told 64bit support before the end of the year. The software is
> updated frequently.
>
That's good to know, thanks.
I may have to spend more time in the Eng-Tips forum, as a support Tech from
Next Engine offered some detailed advice to one user there. It's nice to see
that kinda of interaction and support from a supplier.
John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz
Zander
The software has a support section which is built like a wiki. eg. If
there is a problem with the software it'll pop you over to the support
section and straight into a live chat with a support person. Same goes
if you ask a question or add a wishlist item. It's a pretty neat idea.
John Layne
NZ $6,000 plus NZ $900 a year maintenance.
Cost of Scanner NZ $3,676
So that's NZ $9,676 plus maintenance roughly US$6,353 -- I definitely need
to think about the return on this especially since I'm only upgrading to
Premium for the NextEngine Plug-in and don't have a need for COSMOS.
John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz
"John Layne" <JohnDON'TBUGMEW...@solidengineering.co.nz> wrote in
message news:455c31ed$0$33415$bb4e...@newscene.com...
neil...@hotmail.com
I don't have pro..
this is the problem isn't it? really nice tool to have but what if you
don't have a need the other bundled stuff or your business is really
too small to justify the outlay for what amounts to occassional use.
I wish SW would see sense and make scan to 3d a separate plugin.
I guess you could take on an employee and offer scanning as a service
to others in NZ...of course they could prepare some maxwell renders too
;o)