New to 3D Printing / Need Questions Answered!

[justint]

Hey guys,

I'm an IT Admin at my company. My boss approached me today about possibly buying a 3D printer and scanner for the business. The company is a prestige antique shop. One example he gave me for the use of the printer would be to make "cases" or "boxes" for certain antiques.
Example >>> 29-1546_1.jpg
He would basically like to scan objects such as the one above, and then print it at any of our locations with a printer and maybe have it painted or velvet added to the inside, etc. Being that I am new to 3D printing and I have not had any hands-on experience, I have no clue what printer, or scanner to buy, nor the ins and outs of such a project. From the research I've done, I am looking at the Leapfrog Creatr HS. I completely get the concept of a cad object made and printed, but when it comes to scanning I definitely need more info. The way I am thinking, if a scanner scans an object like the one pictured above, it will print a solid 3d object... it will not be a box with some kind of interior.. is that correct? Someone please give me some more insight.
Much appreciated,
justin

[Sebastian Finke]

If you scan it correctly then yes, you will have a hollow box

But

You will need to scan the box and lid separately. You won't be able to print a living hinge either.

[awerby]

If you want to capture the detail from an object like that, you'll need to use a fairly high-end scanner, like the 3DS Capture units we sell. The shiny surfaces are also a problem; you'll want to use a dulling spray (which comes off easily) to avoid artifacts in your scan. An FFF printer like the Leapfrog will yield a print that has noticeable lamination lines. You can get rid of them by melting the surface slightly, or by covering them with another material, but both these things will compromise your detail. If you really want to capture all that in your prints, then a resin-based printer would be a better bet.

As Sebastian pointed out, if you scan the box when it's closed, then all you get is the outside. You can print it solid, or if you have the software to do it, you can "shell" it to give you a hollow object. But making a box that will function will require either scanning the inside as well as the outside, or reconstructing the interior in a CAD program.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[LambdaFF]

What you should do : Scan each side panel and paste it on a clean model of a box you've made. Will be easier to handle, more flexible and probably more adapted to how the box will be made.

You can try 123D scans for a first few scans. The results should be good enough if you take the time to do it right. Well, good enough for a trial print anyway.