First 3D Printers, Now 3D Scanners
As 3D printers become more and more mainstream, we’re also starting to see growth in other areas of 3D technology. For example, 3D scanners have hit the market and are receiving a lot of attention. They’re being used in medicine, architecture, crime fighting, archaeology, jewelry of course, and more.
Exactly What are 3D Scanners?
3D scanners, also called 3D digitizers, laser scanners, or white light scanners, are devices that can capture the geometry of a physical object with millions of measurements and then use that information to generate dense point clouds (a set of data points in some coordinate system). The point clouds, then, represent the points of the physical object that that was measured. Point clouds from 3D scanners are used to create 3D CAD models. Put more simply, 3D scanners can convert the measurements of real objects into computer data that is three-dimensional. Computer modeling programs can then be used to rotate, manipulate, and modify the 3D scanned objects.
3D Scanners and 3D Jewelry Design
3D scanners are especially well-suited to jewelry design, as they are capable of providing great detail and precision; much more detail and precision, in fact, than a photograph or sketch of a jewelry item, which designers often use for creating custom jewelry pieces. And, since most 3D scanners come with software that prepares the scan data file for use in any of the most popular CAD/CAM programs such as 3Design, ArtCAm, Matrix, and Rhino Gold, the jewelry designs can be created, modified, and produced quickly and accurately. Entire pieces or just parts of an object can be scanned. So, for example, if you want to recreate a piece of jewelry that has been passed down several generations; scanners are your best bet. The piece can be scanned, modified, enhanced, and 3D printed and then manufactured in much shorter time and with far greater accuracy than traditional methods of jewelry making. No doubt, 3D scanners will quickly become mainstream in 3D jewelry design too.
