PDA

View Full Version : Probe Files



mtworks
12-15-2006, 11:48 AM
Does anybody have some small point cloud files created with the shopbot probe that I could beg or borrow? I need to test my software compatability with the probe points file that is generated to see if the probe will work for me or if i need to invest in a real 3D scanner.
Thanks for any and all help.

Brady Watson
12-15-2006, 06:48 PM
Leo,
What software are you looking to test...chances are I've already tested it...

-B

mtworks
12-15-2006, 08:05 PM
Brady, I have access to solidworks 2007 with the new ScanTo3D functions. It takes a true point cloud file (.asc .xyz .txt .asci) and generates a mesh file with automatic hole filling and clipping. I have tried it with good sucess with a scanned point cloud, and I was hoping that the shopbot probe would generate a point cloud file also, but it seems that the shopbot probe creates a 3D.dxf file with the mesh already generated (I think). I think that the probe generates too much noise and the meshes would take too long to repair for someone that doesnt have a lot of rhino experience or own Artcam pro.

Brady Watson
12-15-2006, 09:14 PM
Leo,
You are correct that the SB probe would probably put out too much noise to realistically edit IF the points were already wrapped.

Try taking an SBP & stripping out the M3 and other commands from it in a text editor. Then, save the file in a text based format that SW will accept. I believe that it will accept a .XYZ file, so just name your file with that extension & try it. I know the NE scanners just added that extension for point cloud export for use in SW (and other wrapping programs) You should be able to do this with any 3D SBP file...just strip out any of the commands that are not comma separated values. IE - M3, 25, 36, 1.5 would become just 25,36,1.5 as a point location.

Try monkeying with that in various forms and see if it works and if you can wrap it in SW. I'm curious of what you will find. Let me know.

-B

bill.young
12-16-2006, 06:11 AM
Leo,

The meshes that you have heard about are post-processed from probe data in a seperate program that is included in the ShopBot software, they are not native output from the probe. The probing program gives you the option of outputting dxf points, dxf polylines, or native ShopBot files, in either 2d or 3d versions.

Can you use dxf points? If not you could modify the probing routines to output the format that you needed...

Bill