Better Scan Results – FLUX Help Center

Overview

Scanning can be roughly categorized into 2 steps:

1. Create Point Clouds: The scanning device measures a large number of points (X, Y, Z coordinates) on an object's surface, and outputs the point cloud as a data file.

2. Surface Reconstruction: Convert a point cloud to a 3D surface. Clear point clouds makes a better mesh model.

Here are some scanning tips, please follow the steps and you should get better results with our 3D scanning feature.

How Point Clouds Work

The computer will measure the relative position of an object's surface with the red scanning lines by subtracting the pictures of the object with laser and without. The clearer the red lines are, the better the point clouds will be.

With laser	Without laser	Subtract

If there are changes to the environment (someone walks by causing shadows, light changes), the scanning process will be interfered. We'd advise that you restart the scanning for better results.

Object Limitations

Objects with more convex, matte surfaces are more likely to be scanned. Delicate details might be lost.

Calibration

When first using the scannin feaure, if you find there are 2 layers that didn't overlap, please calibrate through the following steps.

1. Open FLUX Studio, click Devices > Commands > Turn on scanning laser, and place the calibration tool in the middle of the scanning platform. The two lasers should be parallel under the manufacture standard of FLUX Delta, however, the laser heads might be moved during delivery, so please adjust the lasers with a screwdriver until they are parallel again.

2. "Calibrate" at the SCAN interface. If you see "Calibration tool not detected" in the software, please make sure the lighting is enough, and the calibration tool is facing the camera at a 45° angle.

The Importance of Light

1. Comparison

Let's repeat: The clearer the red lines are, the better the point clouds will be. The red lines will not be ideal When the lighting is too much or not enough, please see the images below:

（1) Too dark：

（2) Too bright：

(3) Backlight

With the right lights and the clear point cloud, we can continue to the next step: surface reconstruction.

2. Backlight

After testing out different lightings, backlight turns out to be the best. A simple way to make a backlight environment, place a powerful light (like a lamp) behind FLUX Delta. The object should be dark like shown in the picture below.

P.S. LED strips might not be bright enough.

The result below was scanned with normal quality (~10 mins), calibrated and a backlight environment.

p.s. if you're interest in this model, you can download the file in the attachments. File Download

Surface Reconstruction

We will apply Meshlab's algorithm to FLUX Studio in the future. For now, users can export the point clouds to ASC files with the 0.6.1 version.

Right click on the point cloud and "Export ASC", use Meshlab to covert the file to a mesh model. Download Meshlab

Steps in Meshlab:

1. Open Meshlab，click "Layer Dialog"

2. Drag the ASC file in and uncheck Grid Triangulation (very important!)

3. Preview the point cloud file

Next, 4 converting steps!

4. Converting Step 1: Sampling

Click Filters > Sampling > Cluster Vertex Subsampling, enter 0.8 at the "perc on" column and click Apply (You will see minor changes).

5. Converting Step 2：Calculate the surface normal vector

Click Filters > Point Set > Compute normals for point sets，enter 12 at "Neighbor num" and 1 at "Smooth Iteration", click Apply (You will still see only minor changes).

6. Converting Step 3：Surface reconstruction

Click Filters > Remeshing, Simplification and Reconstruction > Surface Reconstruction: Poisson （Newer version please choose: Screened Poisson Surface Reconstruction）, enter 13 at "Ochre Depth" and "Solver Divide", 1 at "Samples Per Node", 0.7 at "Surface Offset"，click Apply.

Simple introduction to these parameters:

Ochre Depth and Solver Divide indicate the precision of the reconstructions. The bigger the number, the more likely the conversion will be to the original point cloud, and the time will take longer. In general, we recommend 12 - 13 for best results.
Samples Per Node: The minimum amout of nodes needed to reconstruct, enter 1 for rough objects and more details, 2 for smoother objects (recommended on files with more noise).
Surface offset: the shrinkage during conversion, when the results look strange with opened convex surface, try adding 0.1 to it.

7. Converting Step 4：Surface reversion

Click on Flat to view your 3D model.

Sometimes you may find the model to be black, because Meshlab calculated the center of the object to be outside of it. Click Normals, Curvatures and Orientation, Invert Face Orientation, check Force Flip and click Apply, you should see the correctly converted model.