1. What is the difference between Creality's 3D scanners and Apple's laser scanning?
Apple's laser scanning (e.g., LiDAR scanners in iPad Pro and iPhone Pro series) is primarily designed for augmented reality (AR) applications. It is suitable for room or indoor environment scanning (e.g., AR furniture placement, spatial measurement) and AR gaming interactions. While it enables rapid environmental modeling, its precision is relatively low (approximately 1 cm), resulting in coarse geometric data and poor detail representation in models.
In contrast, Creality's scanners employ high-precision structured light or laser line scanning technology, making them ideal for object scanning. With accuracy reaching 0.02-0.05 mm, they excel in capturing fine details. These scanners are particularly advantageous in professional fields such as industrial inspection, reverse engineering, and 3D printing, delivering more refined models and reliable measurement data.
2. What are the application scenarios for the scanners? Can large scenes like buildings be scanned?
Common application scenarios include:
a. Education and Research: Teaching demonstrations, experimental data collection, and 3D modeling education.
b. Creative Design and Digital Industries: 3D printing, animation/game model production, film special effects, AR/VR content development, and artistic design.
c. Cultural Heritage Preservation: Digital archiving of artifacts and assistance in restoration.
d. Industrial and Manufacturing Fields: Reverse engineering (e.g., automotive part modifications), product design, industrial inspection, quality control, and precision component mapping.
e. Medical and Customized Services: Accurate limb surface data acquisition for prosthetics/orthotics customization and personalized medical applications.
Currently, Creality scanners support a max length of single scanning range of about 6.5m and are not suitable for large-scale scenes like buildings. For such applications, other brands with wide-angle laser or photogrammetry-based scanners are recommended.
3. Can complex materials like reflective, black, or transparent objects be successfully scanned?
Generally, objects can be scanned if their surface material is not highly reflective or transparent—even black surfaces are manageable.
4. Can the Creality 3D scanner scan flowers? Or jewelry?
The suitability for scanning items like flowers or jewelry depends on their specific dimensions. For instance, the Otter scanner supports a minimum size of 10×10×10 mm, with a point distance ranging from 0.05 to 2 mm. If an object is too small, detail accuracy may not be guaranteed, and it is recommended to adjust the scanning resolution to a lower setting. For projects involving predominantly small-sized objects, a fixed-type scanner is generally advised.
In cases involving glossy or reflective jewelry, applying a spray powder (such as AESUB, a self-vanishing developing agent) prior to scanning can effectively minimize interference from surface reflections.
5. Can the internal structure of an object be scanned?
Scanners can only capture surface data, not internal structures. However, models with deep-hole scanning capabilities (e.g., the Sermoon series, the diameter-depth ratio can reach to 1:6) can capture details in grooves, narrow gaps, and deep holes.
6. Can the scanned model be directly imported into the slicing software for 3D printing? Can the colors and textures of the colored textures be printed out?
The scanned model must be ensured to be complete without any noise point around. Only after the meshing process is completed and the meshes are colsed, can it be directly exported to the 3D slicing software for printing. Texture and color derived by the process of color mapping cannot be directly used for 3D printing. The colors must be set through color 3D printing, and the upper limit of the number of printable colors is determined by the number of colors supported by the 3D printer.
1. What formats can the software support for export?
Please click the icon at the top right corner of the software to export the completed 3D model.
Supported formats: PLY, STL, OBJ, ASC
-Supported formats after Fusion or Mesh: .asc .ply .obj .stl
-Supported formats after color mapping: .ply .obj
2. What software can the software be imported into for processing?
| Category | Software Examples | Core Function Description |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection & Metrology Software | Polyworks, GOM Inspect, Geomagic Control X |
Used for 3D dimensional inspection, quality control, and deviation analysis. By comparing 3D scan data against the original CAD model, they generate color-map reports to determine product compliance. |
| Industrial Modeling & CAD Software | Mainstream CAD: UG (NX), Pro/E (Creo), SolidWorks Advanced Surface/CAID: Rhino Dedicated Reverse Engineering: Geomagic Design X, QuickSurface | Focuses on product design, engineering, and manufacturing. Used to create parametric models, conduct structural design, produce engineering drawings, or perform reverse engineering on scan data to create editable, manufacturable CAD models. |
| Animation Modeling & Digital Art Designing Software | 3ds Max, Cinema 4D (C4D), Maya, Blender, ZBrush | Specializes in 3D modeling, rendering, animation, visual effects, and digital sculpting. Primarily used in the entertainment industry (film, games, advertising), with lower requirements for engineering precision. |
| Comprehensive Post-Processing Tool | Geomagic Wrap | A powerful 3D scan data processing and preprocessing tool. Commonly used at the front end of reverse engineering and inspection workflows for tasks like data encapsulation, repair, and simplification, preparing data for subsequent modeling or inspection. |
| 3D Slicing Software | Creality Print, Bambu Studio, Geomagic Freeform, Materialise Magics | The 3D slicer is responsible for "slicing" a 3D model into layers, generating printer commands (G-code), and managing support structures and print parameters. It is a crucial step immediately preceding 3D printing. |
3. Can the scanned model files be imported into CAD software for further design, or can they be directly used for CNC processing and mass production of industrial parts?
No, the scanned data must be imported into post-processing reverse engineering software to convert the triangular mesh data (STL) into a solid CAD model (STEP). Only through this process can the model be freely edited in CAD and directly used for CNC machining and mass production.
4. During the scanning process, problems such as holes and data loss often occur. How can these issues be addressed and optimized?
I. Automatic Software Repair
Utilize the editing function provided by the software. The software has a patching function that can intelligently fill complex areas.
Instruction: Before using the function like filling holes, ensure that the surface of the model is as complete as possible to achieve better repair results.
II. Multi-angle Re-scanning
For larger holes or complex areas, conduct supplementary scanning from different angles of the missing area.
Align and fuse the newly acquired data with the original data to restore the missing parts.
Technique: During re-scanning, ensure that the relative position and angle of the scanner with the object change to obtain more perspective information.
III. Manual Modeling to Complete
For extremely large holes that cannot be automatically repaired by the software or still cannot be obtained through re-scanning, use professional 3D modeling software such as Geomagic or ZBrush to manually create geometries to complete the missing parts.
Advanced Technique: When manually completing, you can combine high-resolution photos as a reference to improve the accuracy of details.
1.What are the requirements for a scanner in terms of computer performance?
Support Windows (10/11) and Mac. For Windows, Nvidia graphics cards are supported. Usually, AMD graphics cards are not compatible. To ensure the scanning effect, the Raptor series and Sermoon series laser scanners require better computer configurations and dedicated graphics cards.
The specific requirements for computer performance vary for different scanners. For details, please refer to https://wiki.creality.com/en/3d-scanner/tutorials/general/performance
2.Which software is compatible with the scanner?
Scanning with CrealityScan
1. Scanning shows "infinite extension" and "twisted snake shape" — it keeps losing tracking and restarts in random directions. How can I prevent losing tracking?
Reasons for Loss of Tracking:
Solutions:
1.How to Prepare Necessary Information and Materials for Efficient Technical Support.
Can we make our own marking points, turntables, adapters and other accessories?
For turntables and marker points, there is no mandatory requirement to use original manufacturer accessories. However, for self-made cables, adaptors, or calibration boards, we strongly advise against customers fabricating their own or using non-original replacements.
The reasons, in terms of performance, safety, and reliability, are as follows: