In our new Scanning Stories series, Shapeways’ 3D Scan Engineers Brigitte and Astrid will share tips and tricks to help you make the most of 3D scanning.
Selfies are as old as photography itself. But lately, miniature clone-like 3D printed figurines — better known as 3D Selfies — are taking the world by storm. People are always amazed to see themselves or their loved ones appear in miniature for the first time. But, actually making one of these figurines can be tricky, so we (Brigitte and Astrid, Shapeways 3D Scan Engineers) are here to show you around the world of 3D scanning and 3D Selfies, and share our knowledge about this new industry.
First, let’s get back to basics. Think about where you want to start. Would you like to be 3D scanned or would you like to start your own 3D scanning business?
GET SCANNED!
If you want to be 3D scanned, you can visit one of our certified 3D scanning retail partners, all listed at this link. Get it touch with one of them and make an appointment.
Make sure to wear a colorful, fun outfit that you’ll feel great immortalizing yourself in. You can also bring an object that represents your hobby. This enables a 3D Selfie to capture your personality, making it truly a miniature you.
Once the file is created, your scan will be sent to Shapeways, and you’ll get an email prompting you to choose a material, then purchase your own miniature 3D Selfie.
GET SCANNING!
As members of the scanning team, we will focus more on the scanning itself in the Scanning Stories series. To help you get comfortable with 3D scanning, we’ll be posting blogs in the coming months to provide inspiration for your own scanning business.
Over the course of scanning hundreds of people, we came across a few recurring hurdles. Here are some of the things we will go over in this series:
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The best software to use for scanning and/or editing
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Do I buy expensive software, or use freeware?
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How to create the highest-quality selfies and edit colors, shapes, etc.
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How to share selfies with my customers
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Materials
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Scanning events we participate in
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The future of 3D scanning
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And lots more!
When you want to start your own 3D scanning business, it only takes a few small investments. Buy a handheld 3D scanner and software, research the market, and go!
Tips for using handheld scanners:
At the moment, we use the Occipital handheld scanner. This device is very easy to set up and quite user-friendly. We also use software (Skanect) that works well with the occipital sensor. It has an upload link to the Shapeways site, so your scan can immediately go from scan to product. Both the software and the scanner are accessibly priced.
Visit this link for more information about the handheld scanners we use.
We’ve made a workflow for you with all the settings and best practices while scanning with the occipital sensor and the skanect software. You can find this workflow here.
If you’d like a more guided approach, here is a series of video tutorials you can follow:
In our next installment, we’ll talk more about how to improve your scans after scanning. And if you have a subject in mind that we should address in a future Scanning Stories post, please get in touch.
In the meantime, enjoy the amazing world of 3D Selfies!
Excellent post. More bloody research. 🙂