Matter and Form's Bevel Clip

[Brian_Krassenstein]

A little over two years ago, the MF 3D scanner from Matter and Form Inc. surpassed its crowdfunding goal on Indiegogo, bringing in $471,082 CAD, well over the $81,000 CAD goal. The company is at it again, following up successes with a new Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign set to launch Monday, July 27th, for a piece of disruptive hardware. The new Bevel Clip will attach to any Android or iOS device, ready to turn a smartphone into a 3D photography-ready tool that can create 3D printable models, video game characters, or simply 3D photos to share. Priced at just $49, the Bevel Clip will run on Kickstarter July 27-August 27; backers will receive the Bevel Clip along with the Bevel app and free access to Cashew, allowing them to share their files and photos with others. Find out more about the Bevel Clip here: http://3dprint.com/83358/bevel-clip-3d-photography/

[Sebastian Finke]

That product is called the Bevel Clip, and it is an attachment that can turn any Android or iOS device into a tool that can capture photographs in 3 dimensions.

Take note, 3D Systems. Not every one uses Apple.

[curious aardvark]

too true :-)

Interesting to see how well it takes off as the intel real sense system will be hitting smart phones around the same time this is ready for general retail.

[LambdaFF]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...hone-or-tablet
Well, the cost is certainly low as compared to other 3D scanning means advertised elsewhere and the company is not on its 1st run. However overall the campaign is exceptionnally low on technical content and doesn't even have a basic timetable. Oh yes, this is KS so anything is allowed to happen as long as the dues are paid. But still, one might dream of well driven projects and informative content.

There is only marketing lingo and over-simplified explanations. Is this to show they aim for a larger population than just tech afficionados ? Seems a risky bet as the tech is IMO far from mature enough for wide adoption.

It would seem that the basic minimum would be to have : max file size, formats provided, battery use before recharge, some kindf of indication on precision ... ?

How was the M&F first scanner ? anyone used it ?

Also the "free access to cashew" seems weird to me : what's the point of a closed access social network thingy ? To make it wide-known it has to be free, so it's not an asset really offered to the backers.

[curious aardvark]

the M&F scanner makes a lot of great claims. The only people I've seen round here with them weren't happy campers.
The software seems to be the biggest issue.

They certainly put on a good show at exhibitions.
Tried to buy the demo model last year at tct, until she realised the price she'd quoted was actually half what they normally sell it for.

[PaulBanwatt]

Hey guys,

My name is Paul and I'm COO of Matter and Form - happy to answer any questions about Bevel, our scanner, or anything else!

To answer the points from LambdaFF above: Yes we're trying to keep Bevel consumer-oriented. Bevel isn't meant to appeal to someone who is trying to reverse engineer a part or perform a scientific measurement. It's a social tool that creates 3D pictures! Our goal is to ship the first units in December. We're finalizing the prototype design and schematics right now.

In terms of precision, that's a moving goal post. Bevel is constantly improving in development, so we're releasing some shots of where the quality is with the prototypes, and we're trying to make the release version even better. We'll have some examples linked on the Kickstarter page soon. Bevel 3D photos will be downloadable from Cashew as STLs, OBJs, DAEs, PLYs, and soon more.

You can read some reviews of our current 3D scanner and our customer support at our Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O2O5SS4

Please also check out the FAQ section of the Kickstarter. We'll be adding lots more to it over the next few days.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ect_faq_142682

Paul

[LambdaFF]

Hi, I don't need to 3D scan something to retro engineer it, I want to reproduce things to a good level of resemblance.

Any way I can scan a good sized sculpture (50cm*20cm*25cm) all around and 3D print it after ? Say an antique from a museum like this :
Achillis injured.jpg

I don't mind editing the mesh to close it and a few minor operations, but if it is not precise enough to be resembling, not interested.

[PaulBanwatt]

Hey LambdaFF, while it might be possible, I really don't want to overpromise. Bevel isn't going to give you the resolution of a full-fledged 3D scanner. Without textures, the resulting model really might not resemble the sculpture to the extent you would want for 1:1 3D printing. On the other hand, people will generally look like themselves when they're shrunk down for a 3D print, but that's because the scaling down is typically much greater.