3D Scanning with the MIRACO All-in-one Scanner

3D Scanning is a great tool that really hits the spot with the right application, and I wrote an article diving into what's new in this area. My conclusion? All-in-one 3D scanning devices are pretty nice!

In 2021 I wrote an article about how 3D scanning; how it works and what to expect from it (link) and while the broad strokes haven't changed too much, the tools and software have gotten much better.

The MIRACO by Revopoint is one example: it's an all-in-one portable device aimed at the higher-end hobbyist / prosumer market, and the fact that it's tetherless and self-contained makes it so much easier to use and experiment with compared to tethered devices that need to process their jobs on a desktop machine.

I recommend checking out my article if you're at all interested in this area, I include several example projects that show what's possible.

Here's one example that didn't make the cut for the published article but I'll share here. It's less about 3D scanning and more a kind of 3D printer trick. I got the idea from something Angus of Maker's Muse showed on one of his videos.

The idea is that, when 3D printing, the support structure for an object can make a decent "stand" that cradles an object perfectly for display. Organic tree supports are pretty in their own way, so why not use them like this?

Well, when combined with a 3D scanner one can create such a stand for just about any object. Here's an example. I scanned a 1-2-3 block, then perched it at an attractive angle, generated a support structure... then printed only the supports and ignored the object itself. (I did this by setting all walls, perimeters, and infill to zero.) The result is a not-bad display stand.

By 3D scanning an object, I can create a unique display stand with relatively little effort. 

I haven't really found the ideal application for this technique, but I probably will someday!