"New" 3D Scanner from NEXTENGINE

[Kiwi]

I don't read the specs that way.
My understanding is that the unit is stand alone and has it's own software. This can be saved in STL , VRML and others. These formats can be imported to many CAD programs.
NextEngine and Solidworks have ALSO created a new format which makes the data able to be read directly by Solidworks and therfore no conversion and data lost.

[senor J.]

true you can import the mesh in to your cad program im not saying that it wouldnt do that. The problem is once you have it in your cad program without the revers engineering sofware like Rapid Form you cant manipulate it, you cant turn it into a nurbs surface. For instance in Rhino you can open up the mesh file but thats it. thats all you can do besides rotate it and say wow thats a lot of little triangles. You cant perform any of the rhino operations, boolean, patch, cut, ect. it has to first be converted into a nurbs surface the reason I say its desceptive in the pricing is that the roland lpx 250 digitizer comes with the pixform software that does those things so that you have a model that you can work with. Thats why roland is asking $10000 unstead of 2400. Its like buying a ferrari without an interior.. The nextengine scanner doesnt have any of that. converting to nurbs isnt the only tool thats really needed, for example when scanning with a laser you will inevitably have holes in the mesh wether from overhangs that the laser couldnt get to or because of glare. A good sofware package will help you fill those holes and smooth any "stiched together portions of a nit together surface. Nextengines basic sofware doesnt let you do that. And if it does they sure are being secretive about a tool that they should be boasting about. I couldnt find any such indication on their site that it did those things.

[nervis1]

I ordered one a month ago, won't be here for several months though the company tells me. I already have SW and upgrade every year so that cost is already taken care of.

I'll give a report when I get it.

[GAWnCA]

I ordered one a month ago, won't be here for several months though the company tells me. I already have SW and upgrade every year so that cost is already taken care of.

I'll give a report when I get it.

That would be interesting. I've been communicating with a guy named David Shoenfeld, with NextEngine, and told him that I use TurboCAD Pro v11.02 and he told me that he'll let me know what they find after testing. I'll pass on that information when it arrives.

It would be nice to be able to buy into a system that doesn't start at a cost of $10K and really be a home/hobbists type of system that is capable of doing professional type work.

[turmite]

For instance in Rhino you can open up the mesh file but thats it. thats all you can do besides rotate it and say wow thats a lot of little triangles. You cant perform any of the rhino operations,

senor J, sorry to disagree, and what you say many be true with Rhino V3, but the WIP Rhino V4 will do anything you need to do to meshes. I have just tested it on a mesh modeled in one of the major mesh programs and I could slice the model, boolean split or union...just like nurbs.

Mike

[GAWnCA]

Cost report: SolidWorks as shown in teh video fromthe Las Vegs show The SolidWorks functionality you saw will be included with SolidWorks Office Premium at no additional charge. I believe the list price for Office Premium is $7,995 (new seat cost). And the cost of the NextEngine scanner is $2500. Total = $10.5K

[senor J.]

read this for information regarding rhino and meshes. They may be adding mesh capabilities in their new 4.0 release and that would be great. but for now the 3.0 doesnt do much of anything
http://www.thermoanalytics.com/suppo...esh-rhino.html

[senor J.]

read the part about Importing an Existing Mesh

[turmite]

senor J, sorry to disagree, and what you say many be true with Rhino V3, but the WIP Rhino V4 will do anything you need to do to meshes. I have just tested it on a mesh modeled in one of the major mesh programs and I could slice the model, boolean split or union...just like nurbs.

Mike

senor J I hate to quote myself but...... I own Rhino 3 and have access to the WIP (work in progress) V4. It's neither here nor there for me. If you have to have SW to get the mesh to begin with it is no bargin...at least not for me.

Mike

[Mike Hulme]

I am very interested in this 3D scanner; the price is attractive for the unit on its' own, but the cost of SolidWorks seems very high for something I would only be using a few times a year. Are there any lower priced CAD programs that will work accurately with STL files, or the other formats that the scanner software generates?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike

[Kiwi]

Mike

A program Mesh to Solid is a Plug-In for IntelliCAD. $195 USD
Each Mesh To Solid license comes with a free commercial license of IntelliCAD worth 250 USD.

http://www.sycode.com/products/mesh_to_solid/index.htm

When opened as STL and saved as SAT this can be opened with BobCAD-CAM and tool paths generated.
Unsure about other low priced CAM programs.

Kiwi

[Mike Hulme]

Thanks, Kiwi,

Mike