High-tech 3D scanning, an important source of creating 3D models, is becoming more popular among enterprises, schools, scientific institutions, 3D designers and 3D printing engineers.
So, what factors should be considered in choosing a professional handheld 3D scanner?
In this article, we will talk about five factors, namely, price, objects to be scanned, environmental adaptability, material adaptability, and ease of use. We will also evaluate iReal 2E in a five-star rating system from these five aspects.
- Price
Table 1: Price Range of Different Types of 3D Scanners | |||
Consumer-grade Handheld 3D Scanner | Desktop Raster 3D Scanner | Professional Handheld Color 3D Scanner | |
Price Range | $300-600 | ≥$1,000 | $4,000-12,000 |
Suitable for | Individual tasks with no strict requirements for accuracy and precision. | Art & design objects with sizes ranging from 0.1 m to 0.4 m. | Art & design objects with sizes ranging from 0.2 m to 5 m, and industrial design objects with accuracy requirements around 0.3 mm/m. |
Notes: The Ex-factory price of 3980$ does not include freight, VAT, tariff, etc. iReal 3D reserves the right of final interpretation.
iReal 2E: ✬✬✬✬✬
iReal 2E features a high scanning precision (basic accuracy up to 0.1 mm and alignment accuracy up to 0.3 mm/m) and a resolution up to 0.2 mm. It’s equipped with standard HD color scanning modules that can meet most requirements for scanning medium and large-sized objects and the human body. iReal 2E, with a price of $3,980, stands out among its competitors (most of them range from $4,980 to $8,000).
- Objectsto Be Scanned
The design inspirations of 3D designers are diverse. Therefore, a scanner, which can be used for a wide range of applications, can help them to achieve their design intent better.
iReal 2E: ✬✬✬✬
- Hybrid Alignment Modes
iReal 2E offers powerful alignment abilities, supporting four different alignment modes: feature, texture, marker, and mixed. The features alignment mode can be used for scanning sculptures with rich geometric features or scanning the human body. Texture mode is suitable for plane surfaces like walls, while markers mode can be used to scan a whole car or a set of castings. For objects with a number of diverse textures and features, the mixed-mode can be used.
- Size Range of the Objects to Be Scanned
The minimum point distance of iReal 2E is 0.2mm (the smaller the point distance is, the finer the 3D model will be). Its ideal size range for the objects to be scanned ranges is between 0.3 and 4 meters.
- For BothArt and Industrial Design
One of the biggest advantages of professional 3D scanners is that they can align scans by features instead of makers. This kind of 3D scanner is mainly used in the data acquisition of sculptures, artworks, body parts, and portraits.
- Environmental Adaptability
The environmental conditions in different 3D scanning tasks vary. A 3D scanner with a strong ability to adapt to different environmental conditions allows designers to obtain data anytime and anywhere.
iReal 2E: ✬✬✬✬✬
Engineered with infrared VCSEL structured light technology, iReal 2E boasts great adaptability for different light conditions. It is capable of successfully capturing 3D data in a luminous indoor setting, under direct sunlight outdoors, or in a bright or dark environment.
- Material Adaptability
Handheld 3D scanners generally can capture data of matt and light-colored surfaces. These scanners generally have trouble capturing surfaces that are transparent, reflective, or very dark surfaces.
iReal 2E: ✬✬✬✬
iReal 2E adopts linear-array structured light technology to gain better material adaptability to scan more items without powder and creatively solve the difficulty of hair scanning.
Thanks to iReal 2E’s unique decoding algorithm, it has stronger adaptability to colors. It can scan objects with sharp contrast without resetting exposures, which makes it easier for users to operate the scanner.
- Ease of Use
Most professional 3D scanners use features to align scans. It requires users to know how 3D scanner works and how to operate, which is not easy for beginners. A scanner with a large field of view and depth of field offers operators more freedom of operation. This kind of easy-to-use 3D scanner can be suitable for beginners.
iReal 2E: ✬✬✬✬✬
Thanks to its large field of view (scanning area of 580*550 mm) and a 720-mm depth of field (scanning distance from 280 mm to 1000 mm), iReal 2E offers people true freedom to 3D scan.
Friendly UI design helps users to post-process scanned data easily, and the scanning experience is further improved by versatile features such as a smart colormap and compatible resolutions set.
Conclusion – Infrared VCSEL Technology is More Friendly to Users
If you are planning to scan the whole human body, body parts, or medium and large-sized objects, iReal 2E with infrared light is your choice. Its invisible light is safe for eyes and it can offer comfortable scanning experiences. Besides, it is cost-effective, highly adaptive, and easy to operate. iReal 2E could bring you a more friendly 3D digital experience and it’s your first choice in professional handheld color 3D scanners.
About iReal 2E
iReal 2E maximizes the performance in depth of field, scanning area, algorithm, texture reproduction, and detail capturing, specially designed for medium to large-sized objects and human body 3D scanning. iReal 2E adopts the infrared VCSEL structured light technology to bring you the safest and most comfortable 3D scanning experience. Without attaching markers, a quick texture capturing and geometry acquisition can be achieved. Its hybrid alignment modes can meet various scanning situations.