When capturing very large objects, it may be convenient to use multiple scanners (and scanning computers) for the 3D-capture process. By having multiple people scan different parts of the object simultaneously, the digitization can be completed significantly faster.
Once the 3D capture process is complete, we recommended merging all of the raw 3D data into a single Artec Studio project for post-processing.
In the instructions below, we will assume that you used two computers for the scanning process; meaning that you have Project 1 (from computer 1) and Project 2 (from computer 2).
Merging together more than two projects is also possible and can be accomplished in the exact same way (see the note in step 4 below).
- Open Project 1.
- Select all of the scans in the Workspace panel (by enabling the eye symbol next to each scan).
- In the menu bar, select File -> Export scans -> *.ply
- Close Project 1, open Project 2. Repeat step 3 (export all scans).
Note: If you are merging more than two projects, keep repeating step 3 for all of your projects. - Open a new (blank) Artec Studio project. This is where you will merge all of your scan data.
- Select all the folders that were generated in steps 3 and 4, and drag and drop them into the Artec Studio window of your new project. You do not need to open the folders.
- Wait for Artec Studio to import the data into your project.
- In the menu bar, navigate to File -> Settings -> Scan and choose the correct preset for your scanner (e.g. use the M-type scanner preset for scans made with the Eva scanner or the S-Spider-type preset for the Spider). This setting influences all post-processing algorithms, therefore it is crucial that you set the scanner type correctly (matching the scanner type that was used to capture the data).
- Save your new project and proceed with the post-processing.
Note: In step 3, we recommend using the *.ply extension because, in comparison with the *.scan and *plyVC extensions, it’s the fastest way to export a sequence of raw 3D frames with texture.
Useful links:
- Learn more about using scan prefixes to assign appropriate names to raw scans on the go.
- Learn how to combine data from different scanner types into one model, for example when an object was scanned using both the Eva and Spider scanner.
We are here to help! If you have any questions or issues, please do not hesitate to contact our team by emailing support@artec-group.com or by clicking on "Ask Support" button on the upper part of the screen. We will always be happy to assist you and will get back to you as soon as we can.