Diagnose Laser and Combo evidence before changing the setup

Diagnose Laser and Combo evidence before changing the setup

Use this page when an accepted laser-assisted source has reached an ASCAND Laser or Combo result, but the geometry is distorted, sparse, incomplete, noisy, outlier-heavy or otherwise unsuitable.

Begin elsewhere if the first observable fault belongs to another stage:

• If framing, camera or object stability, coded-reference visibility, focus, lighting or recording continuity fails, use Capture Setup Problems.
• If transfer, submission or processing did not reach a verified result, use General Troubleshooting.
• If suitable reconstructed geometry becomes defective only after meshing, conversion, download or import, use Mesh and Export Problems.

A Laser Scan uses an observed projected line and the known acquisition geometry to derive surface samples by triangulation. A Combo Scan adds related laser-disabled evidence of the unchanged object, derives its evidence paths separately and then reconciles their contributions.

These dependencies create different diagnostic questions. A distorted Laser result does not by itself prove that the laser is misaligned. An incomplete Combo result does not prove that fusion failed. Preserve the sources and test the earliest stage that can explain the symptom.

Do not adjust, energize or improvise with laser hardware from a symptom alone. Use the current product-specific setup and safety instructions for every physical check.

Preserve the complete source set, configuration and result

Keep the unedited source recording or recordings, the project record and the failing result together.

Record:

• every original source filename and recording date;
• whether the intended method was Laser or Combo;
• the object and physical configuration;
• applicable setup, alignment or calibration evidence;
• the project or job identifier;
• the verified processing state;
• the exact result and representation being inspected;
• the symptom and affected region; and
• every recapture, resubmission, filter, conversion or repair already attempted.

For Combo, preserve which laser-enabled and laser-disabled observations belong together. Do not rename files in a way that hides this relationship. Note whether the object, camera, turntable and extension remained unchanged between them.

Do not overwrite the original sources or begin by deleting outliers, closing holes or smoothing the result. These operations can hide evidence while leaving the upstream fault unresolved.

For a comparison, keep the baseline and create a separately identified test. Change one instruction-supported condition and compare the same result type, viewpoint and region.

Review the general evidence checklist.

Verify the source, scan method and physical configuration

First confirm that the source still passes the acquisition gate:

• the complete object and coded turntable remain framed;
• the camera remains fixed;
• the object remains fixed relative to the turntable;
• the recording is continuous;
• focus, exposure and illumination remain usable;
• the coded reference remains visible under the applicable instructions; and
• the source is the unedited original for this object.

Then verify the method lineage.

For Laser, confirm that the submitted source contains the expected laser-assisted observation and was submitted as the intended Laser project using the matching physical configuration.

For Combo, confirm that all required related observations belong to the same unchanged object and setup, that laser-enabled and laser-disabled evidence has not been interchanged or omitted, and that the intended Combo path was selected.

Finally, confirm that transfer, project acceptance, processing completion and the exact reviewed result all belong to that source lineage. These are separate gates. A completed job does not prove correct pairing, correct interpretation or suitable geometry.

If the source set or project identity is uncertain, return to the Laser and Combo workflow before interpreting the shape.

Inspect laser visibility and shared rotation evidence

Triangulation can use only laser-line evidence that is visible to the camera and interpreted as belonging to the object.

Inspect the complete rotation, not one favorable frame:

• Is the projected line visible on the object where samples are expected?
• Does it remain distinguishable from the object’s own color, texture and highlights?
• Does it become weak, broad, saturated, broken or displaced on some surfaces?
• Do reflections create additional bright responses?
• Do steep regions, recesses or the object itself hide the illuminated surface from the camera?
• Does the line fall onto the turntable or background?
• Do the coded reference and object-camera relationship remain stable throughout?

A line can be projected onto a region yet remain unavailable for reconstruction if the camera cannot observe it reliably. Conversely, a bright response in an image is not automatically valid object-surface evidence.

Surface material, viewing geometry, self-occlusion and illumination can all influence what is observable. Do not assume a universal laser color, brightness setting or material response. Follow the applicable product instructions.

Learn about laser visibility and material boundaries.

Treat width, taper and height-dependent distortion as alignment questions

Laser triangulation depends on the physical relationship among the camera, projected laser plane and controlled rotation. If the real configuration differs from the configuration used to interpret the observations, the result can contain systematic geometric error.

Use shape symptoms to formulate questions, not conclusions:

Symptom	Check next
The result is consistently wider or narrower than expected	Verify source/configuration identity, rigid mounting and the applicable alignment or calibration state.
Width changes progressively with height	Check for a configuration or laser-plane relationship that differs across height.
Straight vertical features taper, lean or curve consistently	Compare the same symptom across the full result and review the verified setup path.
Similar distortion repeats across objects	Preserve both cases and investigate the shared physical configuration before editing either mesh.
Only one local region is wrong	Check visibility, reflection, occlusion and evidence classification before assuming global alignment.

Stop if a check would require moving, loosening, aligning or operating laser hardware without the current procedure. Use Set up the Laser Extension.

Cropping, smoothing, rescaling or remeshing may change appearance. They do not correct the geometric relationship used to triangulate the points.

Separate missing laser evidence from false laser evidence

Laser results can contain too little evidence, evidence in the wrong place or a mixture of both.

Sparse bands or holes

Ask whether the projected line was visible and observed through the affected orientations. Self-occlusion, steep surface angles, weak surface response and gaps in usable rotation evidence can leave regions without samples.

Detached points or clouds outside the object

Inspect the source for reflections, background responses or an ambiguous laser line. Confirm that the symptom exists in the reconstructed point cloud rather than appearing only after meshing or import.

A flat platform or turntable-like surface

Check whether laser evidence on the turntable appears to have contributed to the result. Preserve the source and project; do not simply delete the plane and call the upstream case resolved.

Doubled, layered or unstable surfaces

Check rotation context, repeated bright responses, configuration identity and systematic alignment questions. Similar-looking layers can also be created later during merge or mesh operations, so identify the first representation that contains them.

Filtering can remove points. Hole filling can create replacement geometry. Neither proves what the object surface was where valid laser evidence is missing.

Review how observed laser lines become surface samples.

For Combo, verify pairing before judging fusion

Combo depends on related laser-enabled and laser-disabled observations of the same unchanged object and physical configuration. These observations support different evidence paths before they are reconciled.

Verify:

1. Every source belongs to the same object and intended Combo case.
2. The object did not move relative to the turntable between related observations.
3. Camera framing and physical configuration remained applicable.
4. Laser-enabled and laser-disabled sources are correctly identified.
5. Both evidence paths reached their expected project states.
6. The reviewed result is the Combo result, not an intermediate Laser, Vision, mesh or export variant.

Then inspect the symptom.

• External outliers remain: determine whether they already exist in the Laser evidence and whether the related Vision boundary evidence is dependable.
• A Laser dead zone remains empty: determine whether the related Vision evidence supports that region and whether the region is actually observable by either path.
• The outer shape and laser detail disagree: preserve both intermediate evidence paths when available and compare where the disagreement begins.
• The combined result loses a real recess: distinguish a reconciliation question from a region that lacked dependable Laser evidence.
• The result looks complete but has the wrong proportions: return to configuration and systematic geometry checks; combination is not proof of dimensional correctness.

Combo can use complementary evidence, but it cannot observe a surface hidden or ambiguous in every contributing source. It also does not turn conflicting evidence into automatic certainty.

Learn how Combo handles agreement and conflict.

Correct the earliest confirmed fault or escalate with the pair intact

Choose the next action from the earliest confirmed evidence:

• The fault is visible in the source: preserve it and correct acquisition through Capture Setup Problems.
• The physical setup or configuration is uncertain: stop improvising and follow the current Laser Extension setup and safety guidance.
• The object offers weak, reflected or occluded laser evidence: review object suitability and compare Vision, Laser and Combo.
• The Combo sources do not describe the same unchanged setup: recapture a valid related source set using current instructions.
• The first defect appears in a mesh or exported file: use Mesh and Export Problems.
• The first defect appears when independent scans are registered: use Multi Merge Problems.
• The case remains unexplained: contact Support with the original source set, project identity, configuration evidence, exact result, affected region and prior tests.

Share only what Support requests and remove unrelated personal or confidential material where practical. Do not send only an edited mesh or screenshot when the diagnosis depends on source lineage.

A successful reprocess, clean point cloud, closed mesh or visually plausible Combo result is not proof of accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose. Validate the result against its intended downstream use.Use this page when an accepted camera-only source has reached an ASCAND Vision result, but the geometry is missing, distorted, noisy, fragmented, unexpectedly closed or otherwise unsuitable.