3D Digitizing or Scanning, is a process that uses light to capture the shape of three-dimensional objects and re-create them in a virtual workspace. The data is collected as points, and the resultant file is called a point cloud. A single point is a XYZ coordinate location on any given surface. Collectively these points are known as Scan data. Sometimes also referred as point data, point cloud, or data cloud.
The digitizing process captures high density geometry, compound surface curvature, and draft that are difficult to measure using traditional measurement techniques.
The challenges of documenting complex geometry are easily overcome as long as the surfaces to be digitized are within "line of sight". In many cases, castings can be made of internal passages that can be digitized separately and added to the external geometry. Other means of data collection such as: physical sectioning, destructive scanning, photogrametry, X-Ray, CT-Scan, and MRI are also available.
Typical materials that can be digitized include: stone, ceramic, glass, metal, wood, bone, plastic, rubber, wax, and clay.
The data that is collected can be provided as a point cloud, or used for: Reverse Engineering and be provided as a 3D CAD model.Rapid Prototyping after being prepared in an STL, STEP, or IGES format.Product Inspection purposes by being compared to an existing CAD model and used to create a color error map.