FAQs

What are the dimensions you can scan with the ASCAND?

The scanned objects need to fit onto the turn table and the turn table has to be completely visible to the phone camera you are using.

The height of the objects you can scan depends on your phone camera and how far you place it from the turn table. As a rule of thumb it is slightly higher than the diameter of your turn table. You can increase the supported height by moving your phone further away from the turn table at the cost of losing some scanning resolution.

The supported scan object dimensions are:

ASCAND Standard: Diameter 200mm, Height 210mm

ASCAND MAX30: Diameter 300mm, Height 315mm

ASCAND MAX40: Diameter 400mm, Height 420mm

ASCAND MAX60: Diameter 600mm, Height 630mm

What are the Standard ASCAND Turn Table specifications?

The objects you are scanning need to COMPLETELY fit onto the ASCAND Turn Table.

For best results the Turn Table should operate at the slowest available speed. Two full rotations should be recorded by the Scan Video.

The Standard 3 Speed Turn Table has the following specs:

Size:Diameter 200mm, Height 35mm
Load:Within 5kg
Power Supply:USB, optional 18650 Battery
Weight (Black Velvet)：0.36KG
Speed: 1-Speed:8s/circle 2-Speed:15s/circle 3-Speed：30s/circle (controlled by the middle button labeled “SR”)
Optional Battery endurance (depending on battery capacity used) :8-10 hours

Which File Formats Are Supported by the ASCAND 3D Scan Platform?

ASCAND supports a broad selection of file formats for 3D scanned objects. To optimize system performance and storage efficiency, these formats will only be generated once you’re satisfied with your scan and request the final files.

PLY-Pointcloud: A format used for storing 3D point cloud data, often including color and position for each point.

PLY-Mesh: A mesh-based version of the PLY format used to store 3D geometry with vertices, edges, and faces.

OBJ: A widely used format for 3D models that stores geometry data like vertices and polygons, without color or texture.

STL: A format primarily for 3D printing, representing only the surface geometry of a 3D object without color or texture.

OBJ Texture-Colored: An extension of the OBJ format that links to external texture files for colored surfaces.

PLY-Mesh Texture-Colored: A PLY format that includes both mesh geometry and vertex color or linked texture data.

FBX: A complex format used in animations and 3D models, supporting textures, colors, lighting, and even animation data.

Blender: A native format for Blender, storing all aspects of 3D scenes, including mesh, textures, animations, and materials.

Collada: An open-standard XML-based format for 3D assets, supporting mesh geometry, textures, and physics simulations.

Collada Texture-Colored: A version of Collada that includes texture mapping for fully colored 3D models.

X3D: An XML-based format for 3D models with support for textures, animations, and interactive 3D content, often used for web applications.

GLB/GLTF: A modern, lightweight format for 3D models designed for efficient transmission, supporting textures, materials, and animations.

3MF: A 3D printing format that stores model geometry, material, and texture information in a highly compressed form.

AMF: An XML-based format for 3D printing that supports geometry, material properties, and color information.

CTM: A compressed mesh format that reduces file size while maintaining high-quality geometry data.

3DS: An older format primarily used in early 3D modeling programs, supporting geometry, material, and basic texture data.

ASC: A simple ASCII text format used to store point cloud data with coordinates for each point.

XYZ: A format used for point cloud data, representing 3D objects with position information for each point, often with additional color data.

What coloring methods does the ASCAND 3D Scan Platform support

ASCAND supports Vertex Coloring, Texture Coloring, and Point Cloud Coloring.

Vertex Coloring

Vertex coloring assigns color to each vertex of a 3D model. The color transitions smoothly between vertices across the model’s surface.

Advantages:
- Simple and lightweight.
- Color data stored within the model itself, no external files needed.
- Works well with low-polygon models.
Disadvantages:
- Limited by the number of vertices; fewer vertices mean less color detail.
- Not ideal for highly detailed textures or photorealism.

Supportedn file formats using Vertex Coloring:

PLY (Polygon File Format): Often used for 3D models with vertex colors.
OBJ (Wavefront OBJ): Can store vertex color data via extensions or MTL files.
DAE (Collada): Can store vertex color data s and is commonly used in asset pipelines.
X3D (Extensible 3D) is another widely used file format, especially in web-based 3D graphics, and it supports various methods of coloring, including vertex coloring, texture mapping, and point cloud coloring

Texture Coloring

Texture coloring applies a 2D image (texture) onto a 3D model using UV mapping to wrap the image around the object’s surface.

Advantages:
- High detail, independent of the model’s geometry.
- Can use real images or custom designs for complex visual effects.
- Allows additional effects like bump mapping and specular highlights.
Disadvantages:
- Requires more memory due to external texture files.
- UV mapping can be complex to set up.
- Can cause stretching or distortion if UV mapping isn’t well-done

Supported File Formats:

OBJ: Commonly used with a separate texture image file (e.g., PNG, JPEG) and an MTL file for material information.
FBX: Supports UV-mapped textures along with other material properties.
GLTF/GLB: Supports texture maps, including base color, normal, and metallic/roughness maps, embedded within the file.
DAE (Collada): Can store UV-mapped textures and is commonly used in asset pipelines.
3DS: Can store UV-mapped textures, though less commonly used today.
X3D (Extensible 3D) is another widely used file format, especially in web-based 3D graphics, and it supports various methods of coloring, including vertex coloring, texture mapping, and point cloud coloring.
blend Blender excels at texture mapping and painting. You can unwrap your 3D model’s UVs and apply a 2D image texture using the UV/Image Editor or paint textures directly on the model in Texture Paint mode

Texture File Formats: PNG, JPEG, BMP, TGA, TIFF (stored separately from the model file).

Point Cloud Coloring

Point cloud coloring applies color directly to individual points in a 3D point cloud, often used in 3D scanning or photogrammetry.

Advantages:
- Highly accurate color representation of real-world objects.
- Direct color capture from the source, no need for complex mapping.
Disadvantages:
- Not a fully-constructed surface; requires further processing to create a 3D model.
- Higher computational load for large point clouds.

Supported File Formats:

PLY: Commonly used for point clouds and supports per-point color information.

Key Differences:

Detail: Texture coloring allows much finer detail than vertex or point cloud coloring.
Performance: Vertex coloring is lightweight, while texture coloring uses more memory and point clouds can be computationally intense.
Use Case: Vertex coloring is great for simple models, texture coloring for high-detail surfaces, and point cloud coloring for 3D scans.

What camera / mobile phone model can I use for the 3D-scan process?

You phone camera needs to take good quality Full HD Videos with 30fps. That’s it.

Pretty much all of today’s reasonable iOS and Android smartphones fall into this category.

What camera / mobile phone model can I use for the 3D-scan process?

You phone camera needs to take good quality Full HD Videos with 30fps. That’s it.

Pretty much all of today’s reasonable iOS and Android smartphones fall into this category.

What settings should my smartphone camera have to get good scan results?

Since the standard ASCAND 3D scanner is designed to operate on a very low power safe 5mW Laser, the room should not be too bright for the laser to be visible on the video.

When uploading your ScanVideo the ASCAND Platform checks the quality of it. It will give you detailed information on what to imporove, if your scan needs an improved environment.

Typically you should have the surrounding light to be at around 10-75 LUX when working with the standard 5mW laser.

The rule of thumb is to set the focus of the camera on the turn table sleeve ring to give your ASCAND the best possible quality Block Code Tape reading. Also make sure it is not too dark for the white on the block code tape to turn “blueish”

When using an iPhone it is best to set the video brightness to -1 in the camera app. You can measure the surrounding with the “LightMeter”-App available in the AppStore.

When using Android you need to manually adjust the brightness by taping on the block code tape to set the focus. Then slide your finger down to turn down the brightness of the recording.

Why are you using such a low powered 5mW laser module for the ASCAND? Can we use a stronger laser?

Technically you can use the ASCAND 3D scanner with much stronger red and green lasers. For safety reasons we have decided to ship the product with a laser not exceeding Laser Class 3A. Our enterprise subscriptions support a selection of stronger lasers.

How long should my ScanVideo be?

The minimum length of a VISION scan video needs to be 75 seconds. Two full rotations at the slowest Turn Table speed.

Please keep in mind ASCAND can use multiple passes (oversampling) of the video to improve the scan resolution once you are going beyond draft quality.

For Standard Quality LASER scans the best combo to get started is to take a 150 second video. Starting with the laser switched on. Switching the laser off for last 75 seconds will give you best standard results.

If you want to go for Detail you can record more spins to benefit from ASCANDs oversampling capabilities. 150 seconds with laser ON and the remaining 75 seconds with laser OFF will give you a good start.

What is the purpose of switching off the laser for the last 75 seconds and what do I need to take care of if I want to use that feature?

Better Colors, denser point clouds and fewer outliers.

The ASCAND platform is using a unique algorithm that takes advantage of laser and non-laser images for improved colors and better accuracy.

It uses advanced AI algorithms to remove the background and does some 3D image magic subtracting the stuff you don’t want and increasing it’s confidence in the voxels you do want.

When switching off the laser after 75 seconds and recording the final 75 seconds without laser, you need to make sure there are no vibrations in the video when you operate the battery switch. So, don’t rock the boat.

It is good practice to take the battery case out of the Battery Case Holder and operate it with no direct contact to the ASCAND base structure to avoid instable video recordings.

My 3D-scan fails or the quality is bad on a LASER scan. How can I improve?

The eMail notifying you of the failure of your scan will have specific information on your scan.

However, the most common reasons for a failed or bad LASER scan are:

Too much surrounding light or backlight

While VISION Scans need to be on the bright side, LASER scans need to be done in dimmed environments.

Try to establish an environment with 10-50 LUX and the light coming from behind without throwing a shadow on the Block Code Tape or the Turn Table.

You can measure the brightness (LUX) by using one of these free apps:

iOS: LUX Light Meter Pro

Android: LUX Light Meter

A comprehensive list of light metering apps can be found here.

AVOID Backlight. Always have the light coming from behind.

AVOID Direct Sunlight.

DISABLE automatic light correction/exposure on your phone.

On iOS:

Go into Settings -> Camera -> Preserve Settings -> Exposure Adjustment

After making these changes your camera will show the exposure settings while you are recording your video. The Screenshot shows a -1 Setting that we have been successfully working with.

On Android:

Tap in the middle of Turn Table Sleeve Ring with the Block Code Tape and drag your finger vertically to set the desired camera exposure:

Make sure that you have a surrounding light of about 10 – 50 Lux and there is no significant variation in lighting. If you have too much light and can’t get rid of it, try using a GRAY IKEA DRÖNA box and put your turn table into it while scanning. Also make sure that there no shadows are thrown at the block tape.

Too little surrounding light

If things are too dark where you scan. Again – shoot for about 10-50 Lux when using a standard 5mW laser.

Set your Turn Table to SLOW speed and make sure it rotates clockwise

The Turn has 3 speeds it can operate on. Set it to the slowest speed and make sure that it turns clockwise.

Camera Focus is not on the Object on the Turn Table

A lot of mobile phones allow to manually set the camera focus by tapping on the area you wish to focus on. Make sure your focus is on the Turn Table Sleeve that is closest to your phone by tapping on that part of the image before recording.

If your video looks like this

· Clearly visible Laser Line on Scan Object

· Clearly visible Laser Line on Block Code Tape

· Camera Focus on the Object on the Turn Table NOT ON THE BACKGROUND

you should be OK:

Busy Background

As some of ASCAND algorithms rely on background removal, make sure no one walks through your video when you record. Always have stable lighting and background conditions while taking the scan video.

Vibrations of the Turn Table or the Phone

Make sure your ASCAND 3D scanner is free of vibrations while you are recording the scan video. Also make sure that no one bumps into the table the ASCAND is placed on. Also make sure that switching the Laser off during the scan process does not shake the ASCAND.

Calibrate your ASCAND 3D Scanner

The factory setting of the ASCAND is set to the most common vertical size of the Smartphones sold in 2020-23.

During the registration process you are asked for the phone you will use for recording the scan videos. This will enable our ASCAND platform to use the phones geometry for optimizing the scan.

Additionally, you can scan our Checkerboard Coaster for fine tuning the scanning process to the Phone you are using. The status of the fine tuning will be shown in your profile.

Please have a look at this video to see how easy it is to get the perfect setup.

Is there a simple 1-2-3 check making sure that the video settings for LASER scans are good?

A good setup is when:

You have focused your camera on the object you are scanning and clearly see the Block Code Tape with no blurring as it moves
You can see the laser beam (with its center turning slightly white) when it hits the Turn Table Sleeve Ring with the Block Code Tape. It needs to completely cover the height of the sleeve.
You can see the laser beam hitting the object

How can I view my scans (PLY and other files)?

The ASCAND generates the widely used 3D-point cloud format PLY. There is a myriad of viewers and converters for this format.

There is a great free on line view available at https://3dviewer.net/

And as always Wikipedia is a great source of information. Two of our favorites are MeshLab and CloudCompare.

DO NOT use the Windows 10 3D Viewer, as it ONLY supports meshes and has no support for native point clouds.

How can I print my scans (or have it printed)?

You need a so called “watertight mesh” to use it with a 3D printer. The STL file format is widely used for this purpose.

All paid ASCAND plans generate these meshes automatically and send them to your myascand.xplicator.com account at the end of every 3D-scan you make.

Community Edition users can manually convert the “point cloud” into a mesh. There are some great tutorials how to convert a point cloud into a mesh using the free Meshlab program.

Since this process is pretty computing intensive, we are currently not offering automated STL generation for the Community Subscription to protect the availability of our ASCAND Community Servers.

Once you have an STL file it is easy to “slice” these the GCODE that can be interpreted by a 3D printer.

There are a lot of free options for slicers out there.

The outer shell of the 3D-scan looks great. How can I get rid of the nasty holes at the top and at the bottom?

You can use ASCANDs multi scans and simply select multiple ScanVideos (upright, sideways, etc.) when uploading them to your myascand.xplicator.com account. You will get all individual scan results PLUS a point cloud containing a MERGED version of all files uploaded in your multi-scan. If you like to fine tune the results you can use our browser based multi scan merge editor that gives you a powerful and easy-to-use toolset to align and merge up to 4 scans.

Of course you could also take 2 scans – one upright, one sideways – and combine them through MeshLab, CloudCompare or similar software. YouTube has some useful tutorials on this. This is on meshing, and the second part (starting at minute 10:30) of this is on gluing. Or simply google for “meshlab point based gluing”.

Where can I get the parts for the ASCAND MAKER Edition that I can’t 3D-print?

You can get a complete pre-packaged box directly from our website.

If can also get components from your favorite local store, or at AMAZON™ .

Visit our DOWNLOAD page for information where and how you can get all parts for the ASCAND 3D Scanning platform.

Is the ASCAND service FREE, or do you charge for your service?

ASCAND Scans are processed using Credits.

But worry not – to keep the basic use of ASCAND free for the occasional, personal user we are posting a bunch of FREE credits to your ASCAND Account when you register and sometimes along the way.

You always get 1 Credit for every €1 you spend our site. So the hardware comes essentially free.

What software program do I need / should I use to 3D-print the downloaded STL-files?

You need a Slicer to translate STL files into the GCODE understood by your 3D printer.

While your downloaded STL-file is 3D-printer agnostic, the Slicer translates it into machine specific GCODE that is understood by your 3D printer.

Typically your 3D printer manufacturers shipp their own Slicer software or Slicer recommendation with their 3D printers. There are good reasons to stick with that.

While there are a lot of good printer agnostic “Slicers” out there, CURA is a great choice that is freely available.

A short and great comprehensive tutorial can be found here. Others can be found here

What 3D-printer model/type do I need to 3D-print the ASCAND Maker Edition components?

We strongly recommend printing the ASCAND 3D scanner components with PLA filament as it is eco-friendly, cost effective, and very easy to handle. Other materials are not supported for various design reasons.

The ASCAND 3D scanner is designed to be printable on build plates large enough to print 203 mm (xy) objects with a minimum height of 50mm (z). Most 3D-desktop printers are fulfilling this requirement.

You might need to deactivate the “brim” or “skirt” (or set it to 0) in your Slicers Printer Settings, if the ASCAND component (usually the turn table sleeve) you are trying to print is getting too close to the border of your build plate.

Why do I need Block Code Tape for the ASCAND and where can I get it?

The Block Code Tape on the ASCAND turn table sleeve ring is produced using a specially coated high-quality foil to provide the best optical durability and contrast possible.

This is the only part you need to get directly from us. Everything else is commodity. You can get it wherever you want.

What Video Formats are supported by the ASCAND Upload Page?

The ASCAND Upload Page accepts Full-HD-Videos using the standard Format MP4 (H.264) used by Android and iOS Phones.

Does the ASCAND support color?

Yes – the ASCAND delivers High Resolution Color Point Clouds using the widely supported PLY format.

ASCAND also supports generating color meshes with vertex colors (OBJ files).

What resolution and what file format can I expect for my 3D model?

The supported resolutions currently available on the myascand.xplicator.com page range from 1mm to 0.1mm. A resolution comparison can be found on our LEARN page.

The output file is a high resolution color point cloud in the widely supported PLY format. You can use CloudCompare, MeshLab, or other applications to further process or convert your point clouds into other 3D model files.

The ASCAND also supports “auto-meshing” of point clouds to deliver STL files ready for 3D printing and OBJ files for color models.

What is the benefit of using laser scanning vs. Photogrammetry “image-stitching” that most 3D-Scan-Apps are using?

One Word: Precision.

Photogrammetry (aka “Image-Stitching”) relies on 100+ photos taken of the object you wish to model. It does not require or have a depth sensor. The algorithm then tries to identify “features” that allows it to derive the camera position from each image.

Due to the very limited accuracy Photogrammetry is mostly used in large scale scans for outdoor applications such as geoscience, surveying, and historical architecture. It is a good fit if you do not require great accuracy and are relying on “texture” to give you the sensation of structure.

The latest iPhones have a true TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) built in . Its precision is much lower than laser scans (about 1 to 10 cm).

How come ASCAND 3D Models are so colorful when you are using laser triangulation?

We have developed a special technology that removes the “color weakness” of traditional laser triangulation algorithms. By simply switching off the laser after its first rotation the ASCAND matches the “untainted” colors of the second rotation to colorize the models. It works like a multicolored charm.

What is the benefit of using LASER scanning vs. LIDAR that some Apple iPhone 3D-Scan-Apps are using?

One word: Precision

The latest Apple PRO iPhones have a true TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) built in. LIDAR 3D precision is much lower than laser precision. While LASER 3D scans typically start at a 0.2mm resolution, LIDAR scans typicalls start at 10mm making LASER scans 50+ times more accurate.

Do I have to “calibrate” ASCAND for my phone and – if so – how do i do it?

You don’t have to calibrate ASCAND for your phone as ASCAND comes with an out-of-the-box standard calibration, that will produce good results with the vast majority of all supported phones.

If you are experiencing distortions in your 3D models, they are most likely due to the distortion characteristics of the camera optics built into your phone.

To address this, we have added a standard calibration process to analyze your phones “distortion matrix” and apply it to the Scan Videos you are processing.

While the technology is sophisticated, the process is very simple and very straight forward:

Put the Calibration Card into by the Calibration Card Holder that came with your ASCAND.

Make sure the Calibration Card is centered in the Calibration Card Holder and the Laser is switched OFF

Place it on the edge of the turn table

Take a ScanVideo at the slowest Turn Table speed for a MINIMUM OF 60 seconds.

Upload the Calibration ScanVideo to your ASCAND dashboard by clicking on “Start Calibration” in your Profile Section.

ASCAND will analyze it and apply your phone’s specific “distortion matrix” to your future scans.

Done.

Is the Laser Module used by the ASCAND LASER Expansion Kit a toy? If not, is it dangerous?

The Laser Module ASCAND uses is NO TOY! It falls into the LASER Class IIIa.

The FDA concludes that “… The risk of injury is very small when Class IIIa pointers are used responsibly …” and states:

“Class IIIa or IEC Class 3R lasers can be dangerous. Class IIIa lasers can cause temporary visual effects such as flash blinding, which could distract or startle the person exposed. The risk of injury is very small when Class IIIa pointers are used responsibly because natural body motion of a person holding the pointer or motion of a person who might be exposed makes it difficult to expose the eyes for a long period of time. People also have a natural aversion to bright lights and are likely to close their eyes and turn their heads if exposed.”

The original FDA document can be found here.

Is the ASCAND intended for Indoor or Outdoor use?

If you are doing VISION scans without using the ASCAND laser module, you 3D scan in stable lighting conditions and a stable background in the wild.

While ASCAND is supporting stronger lasers for OUTDOOR operation, all ASCAND LASER Kits offered on this site are intended for INDOOR use.

On this site, we are not offering Laser Modules stronger than Class IIIa with our ASCAND Kits for safety and regulatory considerations.

Is there a quick tutorial video of a complete ASCAND 3D scan process?

Yes there are two. One for VISION Scans and one for LASER Scans. Both of them are available on our LEARN page

Why can’t I view my PLY Point Cloud File on Windows 10?

The Windows 10 3D Viewer ONLY supports meshes and has no support for native point clouds.

You can use CloudCompare, MeshLab, or an on-line viewer instead.

How can I view my scans (OBJ Color Mesh Files)?

ASCAND uses Vertex Coloring to limit the amount of files needed. You can use MeshLab to open ASCAND OBJ files and convert them into anything you like.