This article is for V2 and V1 3D scanners.
There are some materials that laser scanners have trouble scanning. Because the scanner works by capturing the data that is made by the laser hitting the surface of the object, any material that makes the lasers difficult to see will not scan well.
Here are some materials you cannot scan without prepping first:
- Objects with surfaces that are shiny (i.e. metal, chrome, etc.) will reflect or bounce the laser away from the object.
- Objects that are clear or translucent (i.e. glass, clear plastic, flower petals, jello etc.) will let the laser light pass right through the surface of the object.
- Objects that are dark and absorb too much light (i.e. black velvet, fur) will also absorb the laser light causing an inaccurate scan.
These types of objects will require a bit of prep work to allow them to scan properly, or at all. Pre-treating your objects with matte paint, foot spray or baby powder will give the best results. If using paint, a light grey color is best.
If you want to capture color data, be aware that any treatment will of course alter the color as it appears in the final scan. This can sometimes be addressed depending on how much of the object can be scanned without prior treatment. Capture the object's geometry with scans of the painted/powdered object. After capturing geometry, clean the object and re-scan it for color/texture. Combine the scans together in MFStudio and the scan with the color will be used for texturing the final scan result.