Jeff's Tool Shed

A couple of weeks ago, I was visited by Daniel Brown of Creaform. He flew in to demo one of their scanners for me. While I was familiar with them somewhat, it was good to have another up close and personal viewing.

Daniel took some time to go over Creaform’s 3D Laser scanner product line, then set about showing me what the scanner he brought could do. Initially, I’d wanted him to scan in one of the smaller parts we design, but he was quite up front about the limitation of the scanner; in this case, small parts. The particular part is around 3 x 1 x 1/2, with a compound curve and some tiny ribs. It was mostly the ribs that would cause the issue, but the dimensions of the part were under the minimum recommended limit (~6″) as well.

Daniel started off by scanning in a mask he brought. While not your typical reverse engineering application, it did a great job of showing how well the scanner picked up the smallest details. The colors and texture of the mask came through very nicely. It was pretty impressive compared to what I’ve seen in the past.

Next, he scanned part of a container that Ultimate Survival makes. This was a much larger piece than the mask, but not as complex. As with the mask, the scanner brought in the color and texture nicely. The acquisition software, which comes with the scanner, made it easy to fill in the data that the scanner couldn’t pick up. (For those of you unfamiliar with scanning, areas of high reflectivity tend to not get picked up by the scanner. Typically, when dealing with shiny surfaces, you’ll powder them to lessen the shininess.)

Now here’s the good thing. Back when I last reviewed a scanner, you needed a third-party software to translate the captured data so that you could use it in SolidWorks. With the improvements to ‘Scan to 3D’, that need is, partially, gone. From the acquisition software, you can have an optimized surface. You can use a 3rd party software to further things along, but the optimized surface gets you what you need if you’re just interested in the overall shape of the object you’ve scanned. Should the need arise, you can add to said surface.

From what I understood, most people who are scanning are doing so just for the data, so the need for additional software isn’t there. If, however, you wanted to scan in your ‘34 Chevy Roadster to redesign that bad boy, then you may want to make a further investment.

As it is, Creaform’s scanners will run you from $40k-$75k depending on the model. They all come with the acquistion software and training. I can definitely see how handy one of these scanners would be if you, or your company, did a lot of reverse engineering. They are great tools. Daniel told me that they’ve scanned the nose cone of a 737 and cars with them. They’re also popular with prosthetic manufacturers. It allows them to accurately create custom prosthetic, reducing patients discomfort greatly.

All-in-all, I was impressed by the scanner. The technology has come a long way since I last reviewed one. It’d be nice to see the price come down in the future, otherwise my boss is never going to approve my request.

Last night I helped to host the Seattle Area SolidWorks Power User Group meeting. It’s the first SASPUG meeting I’ve been to in a year, and I was very happy to see such a large turn out, especially where I’d organized the meeting. I suspect part of the draw was that Mike Puckett flew in to do a presentation. Having someone from the mothership present is always a good draw. Mike gave a rundown on the certification program, and the changes that the certification team has been working on. Looks like we’ll be seeing a new CSWP exam next year, as well as some more specialty exams.

Mike then did a Tips & Tricks presentation utilizing things he’s heard from SWUG meetings he’s been to around the country. His presentation was very well received and followed by a bit of Q&A.

Next up, after giving away some SolidWorks shwag, a SpacePilot and a certificate for advanced training from Hawk Ridge, was yours truly. I was happy to see that no one left before, or during, my presentation. It was the maiden voyage of my “SolidWorks Crashes & Slowdowns” (thanks, Richard) and it seemed well received. One thing that shocked me was how few of the attendees utilize any forums or blogs. Obviously, this is something that needs to be corrected. Guess I’ll have to try to get Mr. Jankowski out here to show the SASPUG members the errors of their ways. Greg, you available in October?

All in all, I think it was a successful meeting. Hopefully, they’ll become a more regular occurance around here.

Just over a year ago, my sister’s fiance lost his battle with cancer. Obviously, it was a highly emotional time for her, as well as for both extended families. My sister, not being one to take things lying down, took part in the Jimmy Fund’s annual walkathon, raising about $1000 for cancer research. She’s participating in it again this year and I figured the least I could do, aside from donating, was to reach out to those of you who read this blog and ask that you donate as well. If the plugin I use is even only partially accurate, then just $10 from each you would raise over $10,000.
It would mean a lot to her, and me, if you could help out. Please go to her walkathon page and give what you can.

Thank you,
Jeff

To my loyal readers, I apologize for the lack of content lately. I was laid off a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been utilizing the time as a vacation. Ok, so vacation may not be the correct term. I’ve been working around the house and taking care of various odds and ends that I’ve let pile up.

I do have some reviews of various partner products coming up in the near future, so keep an eye out for those. In the mean time, if you have any questions I might be able to answer, or review suggestions, email me and I’ll see what I can do.

Hey you! How would you like some top-secret information on increasing SolidWorks performance? I knew you would, and I’m going to point you towards the people that know. AMD and ConnectPress bring to you Allen Bourgoyne, a graphics industry veteran, who will present tips and tricks on getting more out of SolidWorks.

Where is this all going to happen? Right here on your computer! July 21st at 10am PT (1 pm ET). Simply click here and sign up for the webinar.

How do you learn? Are you a ‘doer’? A ’studier’? A ‘watcher’? Personally, I’m a ‘doer’. I need to get in there and get my hands dirty. Reading just doesn’t do it for me. I have yet to read how to do something that captured everything. What’s prompting this particular post? Well, I’m currently on standby status at work. Essentially, I’m laid off until the end of August. While I plan on a little bit of play, I also plan on some learning time. I have SolidWorks 2010 beta all loaded up, so I’m going to be learning what’s new and doing my damndest to break it.

Have you been playing with 2010? Are you learning anything new? Do you have any compliments or complaints?