Scanning Reflection

This week we were introduced to a new program, MeshMixer and learned how to edit scans that were taken from the iSense scanner. Our guest speaker this week was a past digital making student, Arielle Rausin, who has used the scanner in the past to create her own modified racing gloves! Seeing her talk about how she was able to create her own product for a much cheaper cost and customize it to maximize her use for it was really inspiring, especially because she was in the same place as we are, just one year ago! I had previously worked with the iSense scanner during our “Build-a-printer” event after spring break, and this was the first time I was able to play around with modifying the scans.

We began by downloading the MeshMixer program from meshmixer.com, it is available for Mac, PC, and Linux operating systems so we are able to work on imported scans pretty much anywhere. While others were learning how to use the iSense scanner, I was talking with Paige about our final project ideas since we had already learned how to use the scanner at the Ultimaker event three weeks ago. She gave me some advice on how I could find a small fish-shaped object and modify it for our “Tuna-lele” project instead of trying to draw the fish design in Cura. I would have to make sure I would not be breaking copyright laws but it could certainly save time in building a case for our arduino tuner.

After all of the scans were uploaded Arielle showed us how to import them into MeshMixer and modify them so they would print much faster and how to erase unnecessary detail. One of the biggest issues with the scanners is that they will not smooth out edges and thus create a very jagged design that could turn into a very sloppy print. She taught us how to smooth these out and also change some parts of the design to add other parts. Another important thing we learned was how to add a base to the design so that it has a stable bottom to either hold it up or prevent it from sticking to the printer. If I end up using a scanner for our project casing, I will definitely be using these tips from Arielle and create a much cleaner prototype than I had originally designed in Cura. My favorite part of her presentation was how easy-going she was and talked to us more as a friend than an advisor, it was much easier to ask her questions afterwards.

One thought on “Scanning Reflection

  1. Hey Johnny!

    The advice Paige gave our group in regards to our final semester project was extremely helpful. Even though we haven’t created the design yet, Paige’s advice easily saved us a lot of time and effort because now we can modify an existing design to fit our own needs!

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