3d scanning is a process that uses either laser or structured light to quickly collect xyz coordinate data in 3 dimensional space,  each of these measured points makes up a point cloud.    3d scanning allows the collection of millions to billions of individual point measurements in a short amount of time, making short work of measuring hard to measure parts and projects.    

​

Parts and equipment  with complex geometry are especially suited for 3d scanning,  there is no longer a need to spend hours or days measuring using conventional methods. (this method is highly susceptible to inaccuracies and tolerance stacking).

​

There are two general types of 3d scanners,  Laser and Structured light.  Lasers are more accurate but require the use of reflective targets (round stickers that must be place on the scanned object),  this is how the scanner tracks itself through 3d space and lends itself to the improved accuracy over structured light scanners.   Laser scanners also can not capture texture (color).     Structured light scanners  project basically a bar code onto the object and the camera's read the deformation of the bar code calculating distance.   Structured light scanners can capture color in their scans as well, useful for forensics, artifact scanning, heritage preservation, archaeology,  video game asset creation, etc.   These scanners are however not as accurate as their laser counterparts.