laser scan meshes

[Tommy L]

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has experience using meshes derived from 'point cloud' laser scan data. Please contact me at thomaslivings - AT - gmail - DOT - com

[notamondayfan]

I have used a desktop 3D scanner, and may be able to help you if you want to PM me?

[Tommy L]

Hi Dean,

We are trying to scan people. Best solution we've come up with so far is this: http://www.artec3d.com/3d_scanners/artec-mht

Only issue is figuring out how to resolve mapping to an operable bitmap. As it scans it sends rgb data to an image but not in a manner that makes modification user friendly (it just looks like a big mess). If we can figure how to export an image map from seams we paint onto the model, then we're in business. Kind of using the model itself as a tool for re-organising the pixels in the scanned map. Im sure someone must have figured this out before so Ill keep trawling the web till I find something.

[notamondayfan]

I think we had the same issue here, where the diffuse is made up for multiple images, and then mixed by using multi sub materials, so like you say, modifying the maps is near impossible.

 

They way I developed was to use the Render to Texture inside Max. I presume that scanner maps the images on map channel 1, so therefore you can manually map the object using what ever technique you prefer, but instead of altering map channel 1, you modify map channel 2. You can then use Render to Texture to bake the maps from channel 1, to channel 2, so you end up with 1 map, which you can then easily paint over and adjust.

[Jonathan]

Hi Dean,

interesting to hear your process. Ive also been using the projected render to texture for normals/diffuse mapping with photogrammety software, Agisoft Photoscan and now Project Photofly with pretty good results. It becomes more problematic when retopologised meshes become more complex but the biggest headaches come when painted (cloned) textures do not match up in 3d space. I really need a process where 3d texture painting can be done in Mudbox for example but at the moment I cant get the texture atlas into Mudbox...