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4 Factors that influence 3D figurine quality: 4) 3D printing and post processing

Naturally, everyone wants figurines with the best possible quality. There is a common misconception in the industry that the quality is solely determined by the 3D scanning system. This section looks to dispel this myth and explain all factors that contribute to the final quality of a 3D print. The 4 factors that contribute to quality are: The subject The 3D scanning system The digital touchup 3D printing and post-processing 3D printing and post processing It does not matter how perfect the 3D model is if the 3D printer cannot replicate that level of detail. If you compare the quality…

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4 Factors that influence 3D figurine quality: 3) The Digital Touch-up

Naturally, everyone wants figurines with the best possible quality. There is a common misconception in the industry that the quality is solely determined by the 3D scanning system. This section looks to dispel this myth and explain all factors that contribute to the final quality of a 3D print. The 4 factors that contribute to quality are: The subject The 3D scanning system The digital touchup 3D printing and post-processing The digital touch-up No 3D scanner is capable of producing high quality print ready 3D models without some manual intervention by a 3D artist. This process is called the “digital…

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4 Factors that influence 3D figurine quality: 2) The 3D Scanning System

Naturally, everyone wants figurines with the best possible quality. There is a common misconception in the industry that the quality is solely determined by the 3D scanning system. This section looks to dispel this myth and explain all factors that contribute to the final quality of a 3D print. The 4 factors that contribute to quality are: The subject The 3D scanning system The digital touchup 3D printing and post-processing The 3D scanning system The second factor that dictates the quality of a 3D print is the scanning system. There are five factors that influence the 3D scanning system quality:…

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4 Factors that influence 3D figurine quality: 1) The subject

Naturally, everyone wants figurines with the best possible quality. There is a common misconception in the industry that the quality is solely determined by the 3D scanning system. Here we look to dispel this myth and explain all factors that contribute to the final quality of a 3D print. The 4 factors that contribute to quality are: The subject The 3D scanning system The digital touchup 3D printing and post-processing 1) The subject Every scanning system has its strengths and weaknesses and if you try and 3D photograph a subject that plays to the system’s weaknesses, the resulting data will not…

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Full-color 3D Printers Comparison for 3D Printing People

Full-color 3D printer options for 3D printing figurines There are 3 full color 3D printers that can be used for 3D portraits, though one is significantly better than the other two and is thus essentially the only one used in the industry today. The three printers are: the Projet 660, Mcor Iris, and 3D Pandoras (pictured left to right): UPDATE [April 2019]: It’s been almost 3 years since we first published this post and a lot has changed with respect to full-color 3D printers. Most of the information in the original below article is fairly dated with 3D Pandoras no longer…

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3D Systems Projet 660: Common Printing Problems

Projet 660 – Common Printing Problems The Projet 660 is inconsistent and quality is far from guaranteed. There are few common print problems, some of which have a chance of being remedied in post-processing, but most of the time it is necessary to reprint models to correct for the problems. Unfortunately there are no tools to predict when problems will occur and only a very seasoned 3D printer operator will be able to predict when an error might occur and know how to correct the issue. Common issues include:

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3D Systems Projet 660: Everything you need to know about operating the printer

  Operating the 3D Systems Projet 660 The Projet 660 requires a dedicated 120V/20A circuit. It is also advisable to operate the printer in low humidity environments and to keep the temperature in the room stable through the printing process to increase print consistency. The printer is advertised as safe for office use but, the maintenance of the printer and the post-processing of the models can be messy, so unless you are only running a few 3D prints a month, it is best to operate the printer in a warehouse type setting. It is also sometimes difficult to come by…

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3D Scanning Technologies: Hybrid Systems

Hybrid Technology Overview: Hybrid 3D scanning systems work by combining photogrammetry and structured light methods. Average Cost: $15,000-$25,000 How it works: Like in a DSLR photogrammetry 3D scanning system, in a hybrid 3D scanning system there are cameras and lights mounted in an array around the subject being scanned. In addition to cameras and lights, there are also projectors that project a pattern on the person being scanned. The cameras in the scanning system take two sets of photographs. The first set of photographs is taken with the projectors turned on while the second photoset is taken with the projectors…

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3D Scanning Technologies: Turntable-based systems

Turntable-based    Technology overview: Turntable-based 3D scanners rely on the same technology as handheld 3D scanners (structured light), however they typically use less expensive hardware such as a Microsoft Kinect, Primesense, Asus Xtion, or Intel Realsense sensor to calculate depth. Average Cost: $5,000 to $10,000 How it works: Turntable based 3D scanners were created to eliminate the need for a human being to walk around and scan people with a handheld device. The subject steps onto a platform and holds still while the platform rotates and a mounted 3D sensor moves up and down until the entire person is scanned….

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3D Scanning Technologies: DSLR Photogrammetry Systems

DSLR Photogrammetry Systems Technology overview: A DSLR 3D scanning rig relies on photogrammetry to create a 3D scan. Photogrammetry works by finding shared features between multiple photographs to calculate depth. It is predominantly used in the visual effects industry. Average Cost: $50,000 to $250,000 How it works: A DSLR photogrammetry system consists of 70 to 150 DSLR cameras and lighting equipment mounted at specific angles around the subject being 3D scanned. The cameras have a special peripheral attachment that can synchronize the captures so all cameras fire within a fraction of a second of each other. These setups rely on…

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