FAQs
When should I use an optical 3D digitizer to create a 3D model?
What are the major features of InSpeck’s 3D digitizing technology?
How does InSpeck’s 3D digitizing technology capture 3D data?
What are the main differences between laser-scanning techniques and InSpeck’s 3D digitizing technique?
What is the normal procedure when creating a 3D model using a 3D digitizer?
Why the need for a 3D merging procedure and what are the major functions of InSpeck’s EM software?
Does the registration procedure require a precise mechanical positioning device when acquiring each partial 3D view?
What data formats are supported by InSpeck’s software?
Can I capture hair with an InSpeck digitizer?
Is it possible to digitize an entire human body?
I have previously worked with different 3D digitizers and I find that the InSpeck’s data is very dense. When the data was imported into other 3D packages, I had trouble working with it. Is there anything we can do to eliminate this problem?
Does InSpeck offer a complete turnkey solution for the 3D crystal engraving application?
1-When should I use an optical 3D digitizer to create a 3D model?
- To save time when creating a 3D model of a human being,
- To save time when creating a 3D model of an existing free-form object,
- To ensure a high degree of realism in your 3D models,
- To map real texture on a corresponding 3D model,
- When you must avoid contact with the surface of the object to be measured
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2-What are the major features of InSpeck’s 3D digitizing technology?
- 3D acquisition capabilities: 300,000 to 7,800,000 sampled points captured per acquisition,
- One single sensor (CCD camera) used for capture of texture and geometry,
- Safe, white halogen light source (as opposed to laser),
- Full field 3D digitizing without external mechanical scanning,
- Easily re-configurable hardware to provide a different field of measurement,
- Capable of capturing digital video images,
- Compact, portable and scalable hardware,
- Capable of digitizing hair.
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3-How does InSpeck’s 3D digitizing technology capture 3D data?
A sinusoidal fringe pattern is projected on the 3D surface of an object. The surface relief distorts this fringe pattern. During the data acquisition phase, the projected fringe pattern is shifted to several precise positions and corresponding images are captured. The 3D coordinate of every point is contained in the acquired raw data. A powerful algorithm is used to generate 3D geometric data.
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4-What are the main differences between laser-scanning techniques and InSpeck’s 3D digitizing technique?
- All laser-scanning techniques use a laser beam as their light source. This light source is not always suitable to scan certain objects (i.e. hair)
- InSpeck’s 3D digitizers use ordinary white halogen light as their primary light source. This makes them absolutely safe (i.e. to someone’s eyes).
- The primary data obtained using the laser-scanning techniques are either a point or a section profile. In order to cover the complete surface of an object, a mechanical or optical scanning must be used. This mode of sequential data acquisition usually results in a lower data acquisition rate.
- InSpeck’s 3D digitizing technique uses parallel data acquisition methods, which ensure an acquisition of 300,000 to 1,300,000 sampled points in a fraction of a second.
- Laser is a coherent monochromatic light source. The laser-scanning technique suffers from a speckle (a problem caused by random interference of the laser source). Speckle is a major source of “noise data”. In addition, color texture data cannot be generated using a single laser source. That is why a second camera is used to capture color texture data when using the laser scanning-technique. InSpeck’s 3D digitizers use one single camera to capture both geometry and texture data. This single camera data acquisition method makes it possible to accurately map color texture on top of its corresponding 3D geometry.
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5-What is the normal procedure when creating a 3D model using a 3D digitizer?
- Taking one (or multiple) view of the object/subject being digitized,
- Processing the partial 3D image views,
- 3D image merging including image registration and data re-sampling,
- Simplification and edition of merged model,
- Color texture merging,
- Exporting created 3D models to popular 3D software packages (i.e. Maya, XSI, 3DS Max etc.) in their proprietary data formats.
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6-Why the need for a 3D merging procedure and what are the major functions of InSpeck’s EM software?
A 3D model can be created by digitizing the surface of an object with one of InSpeck’s 3D digitizers. Each single 3D image acquisition generates a partial 3D model corresponding to a single view of an object's shape. In order to create a 360° model of a complex surface, a number of views (partial views) have to be taken. These views must be correctly aligned, with respect to one another, independently of their particular acquisition view. By merging these views, users can create complete 360° 3D models. InSpeck’s EM software package provides all the tools and functions required to create the desired 3D model from the digitized data. Resulting models can also be easily exported to most popular 3D modeling and animation software packages.
- Registration of 3D models using reference points on "texture images",
- Polygon based 3D merging (Cylindrical and Cubic projections), polygon simplification, vertex correction and hole closing,
- Patch based 3D merging (Cylindrical projection), vertex correction and patch-to-polygon conversion,
- Merging of texture (Cylindrical and Cubic projection),
- Creation of an alpha channel (Area of transparency in the texture, which will be neglected in texture merging),
- 2D and 3D painting capabilities,
- Model, vertex and polygon editing (Add, Delete, Translate, Rotate and Scale),
- Exportable to different formats,
- Display capabilities: Wireframe, Solid and Texture rendering, Transparency, Zooming, Selecting, Un-Selecting, Translating, Rotating and Scaling,
- Editing functions: Grouping, Un-Grouping, Hiding, Un-Hiding, Undo and Redo.
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7-Does the registration procedure require a precise mechanical positioning device when acquiring each partial 3D view?
No. The geometric and texture data on the overlapped areas of two partial images are used to ensure the precise registration of the two partial views.
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8-What data formats are supported by InSpeck’s software?
InSpeck’s software currently supports BMP, TIF, TGA, PIC, 3DS, DXF, VRML, HRC (Softimage), HRC with NURBS, Maya and Maya with NURBS, STL, ASCII and EM’s proprietary format, SZE.
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9-Can I capture hair with an InSpeck digitizer?
Yes. Because of the underlining technology (censor’s wide dynamic range) and techniques used to capturer 3D information, hair is no problem.
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10-Is it possible to digitize an entire human body?
Yes. InSpeck offers 2 main solutions, each with different possible configurations. The Half Body and the Full Body systems can both digitize a human being from head to toe and the pricing is flexible enough to cater to every budget.
For more information about the InSpeck Full Body systems please follow this link.
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11-I have previously worked with different 3D digitizers and I find that the InSpeck’s data is very dense. When the data was imported into other 3D packages, I had trouble working with it. Is there anything we can do to eliminate this problem?
Since 1994, InSpeck has been catering to the digitizing needs of professionals from different fields such as computer animation, videogame development, medical imaging, movie special effects, rapid prototyping etc. Some users need extremely dense models and some don’t. For the users who can’t work with dense models, EM offers functionalities such as polygon simplification, NURBS multi-patch and template morphing.
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12-Does InSpeck offer a complete turnkey solution for the 3D crystal engraving application?
InSpeck’s expertise lies with 3D hardware and 3D software. We have been manufacturing optical, non-contact, 3D digitizers (3D cameras) for over 10 years now. Even if InSpeck does not manufacture laser-engraving machines, it has many partners all over the world that do. These partners are partial to InSpeck products and together we ensure that the data provided by our 3D digitizers can be read by their laser systems. Thus, if you are interested in starting your own crystal engraving business, InSpeck can put you in touch with laser manufacturing companies where you can purchase a system that will suit your needs and your budget.
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We welcome your questions on our products and technologies. Our staff will be glad to answer all questions of general interest in this field and provide specific information on particular applications of our 3D digitizers. Please forward your questions to info@inspeck.com
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