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n n n n CAD•Scanning mans. The software is going mainstream in dentist offices, where direct scans of a patient’s mouth can be used to construct bridges and crowns that fit perfectly and do not require physical molds. Fu has been working closely with Scott An architectural CAD elevation drawing of scan data with photographic information overlaid on the laser data creates a photoreal, measurable deliverable, here depicting the San Antonio Missions National Park in Texas. At left is the scan data of the facade, including intensity maps. so it can begin to manufacture a different ve- hicle model. In other plants, a similar process can be used. The facility can be scanned, and the re- sulting point cloud can be used to determine where to place new pipes. The information is full-3D data, so the relevant points can be se- lected and erased, and models for the pipes can be added. Jason Adamowicz, project manager for 3D surveying at Ghafari Associates, con- tends that the technology is helping to drive building information management (BIM). In an interview with Ghafari Magazine, he main- tained that there are some people who have worked in 2D their entire careers but didn’t see the value of accurate 3D models until they were able to interact with 3D scan data. “Un- der the right conditions, we can scan about 80,000 square feet of plant space in a 24-hour period,” he stated. On a Human Scale Before large-scale scanning, there was a lot of close-up work being done, including reverse engineering. In fact, reverse engineering is one of the earliest uses of scan data, whereby de- signers digitize a real object using a variety of tools, including probes, cameras, and low-cost hand scanners. The point-cloud data can then be imported into a CAD program to re-create the object or to refine the design so a different object can be generated. Sometimes it’s used to replace a part for which the original design is lost, while sometimes it’s, ahem, used to “bor- row” a design. However, in all these cases, the origin of the CAD model is in the real world; it’s not inside the head of an engineer. Ping Fu, CEO of Geomagic, believes that the future of engineering software will entail 30 June/July 2011 starting with the real world and real people, while the machine will use computational al- gorithms to provide geometry and topology information to engineers—rather than an en- gineer sitting in front of a machine to describe what’s inside his or her head. Fu uses this anal- ogy: Scanning to CAD is the process of data mining; an engineer creating CAD on screen is, in effect, generating a database of sorts. As an early innovator in the field of point- cloud translation software, Fu has long been involved in the process of reverse engineering. Whether large scale or small scale, the ability to work with point clouds often means the difference between success and failure. Point-cloud data always results in a huge amount of data, and the information from the dif- ferent scans has to be aligned and rationalized to the other scans in order to create a useful model. Holes have to be filled. The amount of data has to be intelligently processed. And, if you want to get the data into a CAD program to create a manufactureable model, you must understand how to transform the infor- mation into useful engineering data. Indeed, the advances in point-cloud software have done as much to move the industry for- ward as they have in reducing the prices for scan- ning hardware and increasing awareness in the architecture and manufacturing communities. Reverse Engineering Humans Increasingly, Geomagic has been developing software that can help to better engineer hu- Summit, of Bespoke Innovations, who uses a combination of tools, including scans and rapid-prototyping machines, to build not sim- ple artificial limbs, but beautiful custom legs that are functional and add emotional value. Unfortunately, the steady progress of war and the use of land mines and IEDs mean there is a growing need for artificial limbs and this type of service. Summit is also working with people who have lost their legs as a re- sult of cancer or traffic accidents. The use of scans has dramatically improved the ability of technicians to create human-shaped legs that fit comfortably and enable clothes and shoes to fit normally. Thanks to innovations in elec- tronics, the artificial limb can actually respond to impulses from the nerve endings at the point of amputation. Sadly, there’s no getting around the fact that a person has suffered such a loss and that the artificial limb is still artificial. However, Sum- mit has been trying to eliminate as many bar- riers as possible to make amputees feel more at ease, particularly in social situations. Using scans to generate organic shapes that cor- respond to the lost leg, Bespoke creates new custom prosthetics with rapid-prototyping Scan data is now so detailed that it communicates the exact layout of the factory floor. Ford has found that it can dramatically shorten its cycle time by using scans and models. machines. Bespoke has a line of artificial legs called Fairings, which compliment a patient’s personality. Less a replacement, the artificial limb can be thought of as an extension of the patient and something the person will be more comfortable wearing. In another example, writer Randall Newton reported a very personal use of 3D models and rapid prototyping on Jon Peddie Research’s newly acquired GraphicSpeak Web site (for- merly VEKTORRUM.com). It involves Sens- Image courtesy Paintools and Ford Motor Company. Images courtesy CyArk and the National Park Service.