Bring smaller objects into a more useful capture scale
The ASCAND Macro Expansion Kit adapts the standard coded turntable for appropriately small objects. The documented Mini-9 attachment mounts on top of the standard turntable and rotates with it. A smaller coded reference supports the same controlled relationship between recorded frames and turntable orientation.
This configuration helps a small subject occupy a more useful part of the camera image while the phone remains fixed. That can provide better source observations than leaving the same object small within a much wider frame.
“Macro” describes a smaller-object capture configuration. It does not turn ASCAND into a microscope, guarantee a particular minimum feature size or establish certified dimensional accuracy.
View the current Macro Expansion Kit
A smaller capture surface on the standard turntable
The Mini-9 attachment uses the existing rotation
The Mini-9 is a modular attachment placed on the standard ASCAND turntable. It does not rotate independently and does not replace the turntable motor or its controlled motion. The standard platform continues to move the object through the recorded viewpoint sequence.
A Mini Magic Sleeve preserves the coded reference
The coded sleeve around the smaller capture surface provides a rotational reference at the scale of the Mini-9 configuration. As with the standard coded turntable, the pattern is functional rather than decorative: it helps associate captured observations with turntable orientation.
The camera stays fixed
The phone remains steady while the object rotates. Framing, focus and any supported optical setting are established before recording and then kept stable. Use the verified setup instructions for the current kit rather than treating one zoom value as universal across phones and cameras.
Understand the coded turntable
Why the camera remains steady
From standard turntable to smaller-object capture
1. Install the verified Mini-9 components
Mount the current Macro Expansion Kit on the compatible standard coded turntable according to its verified instructions. Confirm that the attachment is secure, level and able to rotate without interference. Check that the Mini Magic Sleeve is complete, correctly positioned and visible.
2. Place an appropriate small object
Center the object on the smaller surface and leave the clearance required by the current setup guidance. The object must remain stable throughout rotation. Use a support method that does not introduce avoidable movement or hide more of the surface than necessary.
3. Frame and focus the recording
Position the fixed phone so the object and required coded reference remain visible throughout the turn. Establish focus, exposure and any supported zoom setting before capture. Do not move or refocus the camera during the recording.
4. Capture controlled rotation
Record the planned turntable sequence under stable lighting. Watch for wobble, motion blur, reflections, loss of focus and parts of the object leaving the usable frame. A smaller setup improves framing only when the source recording remains controlled.
5. Upload, process and review
Upload the recording through the applicable 3D-Scan.Online project path. Review the resulting geometry for missing regions, noise and surfaces that were not observed. Further processing can organize evidence, but it cannot recover detail that was never visible in the recording.
Choose the appropriate turntable setup
Prepare and position an object
Process the recording
More useful image coverage—not automatic detail
A small object placed in a wide camera view may occupy relatively few pixels. Fine boundaries and local surface changes then have limited image evidence available for reconstruction. By presenting the object on a smaller capture surface and framing it more closely, the Macro Expansion Kit can help use more of the recorded image for the subject.
This does not create detail by itself. The camera must still resolve the relevant features. Focus, exposure, motion stability, lighting, surface response and depth of field all influence what can be observed. Very close framing can also introduce new problems if part of the object or coded reference leaves the frame, or if only a narrow depth range remains sharp.
Reconstruction cannot infer microscopic structure simply because the configuration is called “macro.” Nor can it guarantee a minimum feature size, a tolerance or a faithful result for every small object. The useful scale is set by the complete relationship between object, optics, camera, setup and processing.
Use the kit to improve how an appropriate smaller subject is presented to the capture system—not as a substitute for source-image quality.
Assess object suitability
Capabilities and limitations
Choose objects the camera and workflow can actually observe
Begin with a stable, opaque object that fits safely within the verified Mini-9 capture area. A clear silhouette, visible shape changes and useful surface evidence make it easier to assess the setup and understand the result. Keep adequate clearance around the object and ensure that no part collides with the camera support or surrounding structure during rotation.
Small does not always mean easy. Thin features may occupy too few pixels. Deep recesses and overhangs can hide surfaces from the camera. Reflective materials can produce moving highlights; transparent or translucent materials can redirect or weaken visible evidence. Uniformly dark or low-texture areas may also be difficult, depending on the selected reconstruction method and lighting.
The underside in contact with the support is not directly observed. A second orientation or Multi-Scan workflow may contribute complementary geometry, but it does not guarantee a seamless complete model.
Select the smallest verified configuration that comfortably accommodates the object, then judge the recording rather than relying on the product label alone.
Object suitability guide
View verified scan examples
A practical extension for detailed, hands-on subjects
The Macro Expansion Kit brings smaller physical subjects into the same observable ASCAND workflow: prepare, frame, rotate, process and review.
Makers and model builders
Makers can capture suitable components, miniatures, craft objects or model parts that would appear too small in a wider standard framing. The resulting model may support documentation, modification or creative reuse, but dimensional decisions should be checked independently when tolerances matter.
Education
Learners can explore how image scale, pixels, focus, depth of field and object visibility affect reconstruction. Comparing one object across different framing choices turns an abstract imaging principle into a controlled, hands-on investigation without requiring claims of laboratory precision.
Museums and collections
Museums can use approved replicas, handling objects or suitable collection material for interpretation, documentation experiments and digital engagement. Object handling, support, lighting and capture must follow the institution’s procedures; use of the kit does not imply conservation-grade documentation.
ASCAND for Makers
3D Scanning for Education
3D Scanning for Museums
An attachment—not a standalone scanner or microscope
The Macro Expansion Kit changes the physical scale of the ASCAND capture area. It still relies on the compatible standard coded turntable for rotation, a stable phone or camera arrangement, a suitable recording and processing through 3D-Scan.Online.
It is not an independent scanner, digital microscope or certified measurement instrument. It does not guarantee a complete point cloud, an accurate mesh or a model ready for 3D printing. Hidden surfaces, insufficient image evidence and unsuitable materials remain relevant at smaller scales.
Engineering descriptions of the Mini-9 attachment and Magic Sleeve also do not define the current retail package. Confirm the exact included parts, compatible turntable, required printed components, assembly materials, camera guidance and platform requirements against the current offer.
Explore the complete ASCAND system
Explore 3D-Scan.Online
From scan to 3D print
Verify fit, contents and current requirements
Before ordering, confirm:
- whether the current commercial name is Macro Expansion Kit, Mini Expansion Kit or another verified name;
- the exact Mini-9, Mini Magic Sleeve, printed, fastening and assembly components included;
- compatibility with your standard ASCAND coded turntable;
- the verified usable capture area, object-clearance guidance and physical limits;
- supported phone positioning, framing, focus and zoom guidance;
- required assembly files or instructions and current 3D-Scan.Online requirements;
- the current price, taxes, delivery scope, returns and warranty.
Match the capture scale to the object
Choose the Macro Expansion Kit when an appropriately small object needs a more useful place in the recorded frame while remaining within ASCAND’s controlled-rotation workflow. Review the verified current offer before purchase—or compare configurations first to match the capture surface, framing and method to the objects you intend to scan.