easy 3d scanning?
 

With the talk about digital flow modelling (i.e. openfoam), I've just been toying with simple ideas for scanning vehicles into the computer (on the cheap of course), looks like these folks actually put something together. Just need a hand held line laser, web cam, and a backdrop. Wonder if it could work on a metro (certainly the concept could be applied to a metro)?

http://www.david-laserscanner.com/gf...scanner_4s.gif

FYI, only the low-res version is free, probably something similar in open source land too.
DAVID 3D Scanner

Thank you so very much for posting this. Made my day.

That's still over $900 in US dollars, right?

If you use 3D scanning on a car model, it would make sense to build a half model, scan it, and then mirror the other half. Symmetry is tough to do by hand.

I could have used this to start my CarBEN EV model...

I was thinking of scanning actual cars, not models, then doing your aerodynamic tweaks on the computer and simulating to derive the drag/lift coefficients, tweak and repeat. If your car in your driveway actually isn't quite symmetrical, then the simulator needs to know that.

I ran a 3D scanner for about a month. It makes a point cloud file. Lots if data points depending on your resolution. You have to then import and model around the cloud info. Easier said than done for super accuracy and lots of surface detail. Small parts are easier. Large parts like a car would require stitching of the cloud info as you are limited on the scan size and distance away.

...memory and terabyte harddrives are cheap!

...but, quoting Microsoft™ "...Who's gonna use more than 64KB of memory anyway?"