I'm looking to buy my first serious 3D scanner and want to make sure I'm not missing anything before spending around $2,000.

I will mainly use it to reverse engineer mechanical parts and reconstruct them in CAD. Some parts have narrow blade channels, deep recesses, and other areas that are difficult to reach from a good scanning angle. Impellers and pump casings are probably the best examples. I pay attention to Revopoint MetroY Pro, that one's actually in budget. 3DeVOK MT Gen2 and EinScan Rigil both went over budget

My biggest concern is data loss in tight or recessed areas. The scans I've seen show that most of the exterior looks fine, but the deeper sections between the blades are either missing or require a lot of additional passes and mesh cleanup. I like the single line mode of MT Gen2. I've seen people use this on impellers and it seems to capture more blade passages than the other modes. I'm not sure how much of that depends on the scanner itself and how much depends on scanning technique, spraying, mark placement, and experience.

Has anyone used the MetroY Pro on parts like this? I keep thinking about the MT Gen2 because of the single-line mode, but I don't know how much difference it really makes.

I already ordered a POP 4, and today I randomly saw a video about the Pika. I had kind of ruled out portable 3D scanners before, because they seemed way too expensive for something I’d only use maybe a couple of times a year. That’s why I went with the POP 4 and figured I’d just bring the object to my PC when I want to scan it.

But the Pika seems much closer to what I actually want, since I want to work on car parts and usually can’t bring a laptop or PC to the car. My main concern is what to expect regarding accuracy and software for that kind of use.

So keeping the portablity out of the equation, does anyone have any thoughts on whether it’s on par with the POP4 accuracy and software wise? (Given the claimed accuarcy and experience with other creality scanner)

Thanks!

So ive Had this Thing for a few weeks thinking hey its a Budget Tool to get the Job done IT doesnt Need to BE detailed or anything but i cant even get this Thing to Turn on properly. It keeps telling me that im outside of the previously Scanned area even tho ive never Scanned anything before.

Does anyone have a fix for this

Hi everyone,

We are developing PPF Engine, a software for turning 3D vehicle scans into editable 2D PPF patterns. We’ve been getting some promising flattening results, but we want to test the workflow against real production experience rather than relying only on our own examples and assumptions.

I’d be interested to hear how people here currently create or modify patterns:

• Which scanning and pattern-making software do you use?
• How do you go from the raw scan to a plotter-ready file?
• Which parts of the process require the most manual work?
• What kinds of panels cause the most trouble?
• How do you handle compound curves, stretch, fingers and wrapped edges?
• What do existing tools do well, and where do they let you down?

I’m especially interested in understanding the difference between the first flattened result and the pattern that actually works well during installation.

If anyone is open to sharing a real example, I’d love to study a raw panel scan alongside its flattened or manually corrected pattern. It would also be useful to know what needed changing and how the first version behaved on the vehicle. Anything shared could remain private and would only be used with permission.

In return, I can test the scan with what we are building and share the results with you. If the example ends up helping shape the software, I’d also be happy to give you access to it once it is ready.

I’m not suggesting that we’ve completely solved scan-to-pattern flattening. However, the results so far are encouraging, and the workflow is beginning to work well enough that testing it against difficult, real-world panels now feels like the most important next step.

Even if you cannot share any files, I’d really appreciate hearing about your current workflow and its biggest frustrations.

Hi everyone,

I’m new to 3D scanning. I recently scanned a small plastic mechanical piece using the Shining 3D Einstar 2 to 3D print a replacement.

I scanned the object from 3 different angles, aligned the scans, generated the mesh, and used auto/non-manifold repair tools to close some holes. However, the result has major issues and isn't ready to print:

• Bumpy / Noisy Surfaces: Flat areas came out wavy and uneven.
• Lost Detail & Edges: Sharp 90-degree corners look melted and rounded.
• Deformed / Closed Holes: Small screw holes and internal cavities either got filled automatically or became completely distorted.

I originally thought a 3D scanner would output a ready-to-print STL file straight away, but I guess that's not how things work?

I have two main questions:

1. Is this quality normal for the Einstar 2 on small objects like this? Are there specific scanning modes, settings, or spray techniques I should use to get cleaner raw scans?
2. What do I need to do after scanning to fix this? What are the standard workflows and software used to make a raw mesh like this printable, smooth out surfaces, and repair holes properly? Do I really have to do all of this?

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated!

I’m looking for someone to do me a wheel centre cap. I bought some wheels had them posted to me. But they arrived but centre cap was missing from one. Tried company but there old wheels so no look there. So wondering if anyone can do one for me please. Regards

Hello,
I have about three years of professional experience with 3D scanning, and the main scanner I use at work is a Scantech KSCAN Magic 2.
I’m thinking about buying a scanner for my own side business. Since the KSCAN Magic 2 is around five years old now, I’ve been comparing it to newer “prosumer” scanners like the Revopoint Metro Y Ultra. On paper, the specifications seem surprisingly similar.
My question is for anyone who has used both high-end metrology scanners and these newer, much cheaper scanners:
Has the technology advanced enough that today’s prosumer scanners are genuinely comparable to what professional scanners offered five years ago? Or are the similar specifications mostly marketing, with the real-world performance still being in a completely different league?
I’m especially interested in things like tracking stability, ease of use, scan quality, accuracy in real-world conditions, and how much cleanup is required afterward.
I’d love to hear from people who have hands-on experience with both.