3D scanners for objects of various sizes, materials, and shapes
Creating 'mesh' for measurement, reverse engineering, and printing
Mesh editing, CAD software compatibility, highly required tools


There are many ways to create a virtual representation of reality. 3D scanners are one of the most effective. 3D scanners project lasers or white light onto an object, capturing its shape and converting it into digital data.

Data acquired by 3D scanners is being used to enhance the capabilities of organizations and companies across various industries. The global 3D scanner market has grown by 15-20% annually over the past decade, and the Korean market, where manufacturing is a key driver of the national economy, is also growing accordingly.

3D scanners can be used in fields such as product development and design, reverse engineering, quality control and warranty maintenance, repair and overhaul, non-destructive testing, science, history, and medicine. 3D scanners are often paired with 3D measurement and editing software.

We met with Jeon Jeong-hwan, a sales application engineer at Creaform's Korean branch who is responsible for application support and product training, to learn more about 3D measurement and editing software that digitally creates and modifies reality.


Q. To perform various tasks with the 3D scanner scan results, related software is required. What software does Creaform provide?
A. When you scan with Creaform's 3D scanner, a file called a "mesh" with the "STL" extension is created. A mesh is an international standard for representing 3D data, representing the surface of a shape acquired by a 3D scanner as countless triangles. It can be thought of as a type of polygonal model.

Meshes are primarily used in product dimension measurement, reverse engineering, and 3D printing. Creaform offers VXinspect, a product dimension measurement solution within the VXelements portfolio, and VXmodel, a mesh editing solution for reverse engineering and 3D printing.


Q. In addition to VXinspect and VXmodel, VXremote and VXtrack are also part of VXelements. What is the exact relationship between VXelements and the rest?
A. VXelements is a software program that connects Creaform's 3D scanner to your computer, allowing you to easily use it while also editing the results generated by the 3D scanner. VXelements is divided into several modules.

Those modules are 'VXscan', 'VXprobe', 'VXshot', VXmodel, VXinspect, and VXtrack. Among these, VXscan, VXprobe, and VXshot are modules that are included by default in Creaform's equipment so that they can be used, and VXtrack is an optional module used with the equipment.

VXmodel and VXinspect are options for measuring and editing mesh results and can be purchased separately, regardless of equipment.


Q. Among the modules above, why do you emphasize VXinspect and VXmodel in particular?
A. Creaform's portable 3D scanners are already widely known in the market and are used by many customers. However, compared to the 3D scanner itself, relatively few people are familiar with its software.

Both modules are ideal for use with Creaform equipment. Furthermore, their user interface (UI) is simple and intuitive compared to other modules, and their powerful functionality makes them particularly suitable for those considering measurement and mesh editing. Therefore, we've prepared a related webinar on the 23rd.


Q. Please introduce VXinspect and VXmodel.
A. First, VXinspect is a dimensional measurement software module that helps you compare measured dimensions with design dimensions. It uses mesh files scanned with a 3D scanner or data measured with non-contact probing equipment as measured dimensions, and STEP, IGES files, or other meshes as design dimensions for comparison.

This allows us to verify that the product we produce is manufactured according to the design intent and dimensions. Additionally, VXinspect allows you to easily measure not only simple dimensions such as length and angle, but also geometric tolerances (GD&T).

VXmodel is a module for editing scanned meshes for 3D printing and reverse engineering. It features a simple, intuitive UI and powerful editing features. For example, it aligns the XYZ coordinates of the mesh, fills in holes, and smooths surfaces, making 3D printing preparation easy and convenient.


Q. What is the level of compatibility between the two modules and third-party CAD software?
A. Both VXinspect and VXmodel support the use of common standard file formats, STEP and IGES. Specifically, VXmodel allows you to not only export geometry objects and surfaces created for reverse engineering to STEP and IGES, but also pass the results on to specific CAD software in real time.

Currently, we support three software products: Dassault Systèmes' 'SolidWorks', Siemens PLM Software's 'Solid Edge', and Autodesk's 'Inventor', and we plan to expand the supported software in the future based on user demand.


Q. What are Creaform's future plans for 3D measurement software?
A. Creaform is planning updates that will enhance the original functions of the measurement software, which allows users to scan and inspect products, while also supporting automated scanning and measurement functions.

Additionally, we will continue to maintain an intuitive UI to ensure synergy in terms of efficiency when used with Creaform's 3D scanners.