topic Re: How to clean up a 3D scan in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 18:25:56 GMT

I'm struggling with how to clean up a 3D scan so I can 3D print it. This is a cover for an antique Sun tachometer cover from 1920's. My friend is an antique car gauge restorer, and he ask if I could reproduce this part for him. I'm using this as a learning experience, and not doing for this for any commercial purposes.

I seems to me it would be easy to smooth the flat and the round areas and just have the mesh align with a sketch I create. I've tried multiple apps including meshmixer and exmodel. I've spent a week trying these programs with others, and I'm struggling to find a solution. Not sure if Fusion can do the 3D scan clean up. Thanks for your help.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

TheCADWhisperer — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:07:35 GMT

@kenneth_krolikoski

You have a good scan to start with.

First I need to know that the calibration is correct.

What is the actual center - to - center between the holes on the real world part measured with calipers?

(Measure to edge of holes and subtract the diameter.)

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

hfcandrew — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:53:50 GMT

Great scan. Getting both surfaces especially when one is concave is near impossible. Given this is a watertight manifold model did this already go through significant post processing/stitching?

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 21:19:53 GMT

The holes are outer edge to outer edge are 67.3 mm with a hole diameter of
4.8 mm so 62.5 mm is between the center of the holes.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 22:06:53 GMT

Not too much post processing. I tried to keep the post processing like
smoothing low because of the logo detail. I had two scans and I aligned
them.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

TheCADWhisperer — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 23:55:19 GMT

@kenneth_krolikoski

Just to be clear - there isn't some automagic Easy Button to convert this from a mesh to a solid body.

The mesh can be used as visual reference (along with caliper measurements) to model the geometry from scratch.

The first step is to align the mesh to the Origin.

I can create a video of the process if you are interested.

I have started to model the geometry...

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 02:17:45 GMT

I'm interested in the process and the video. I'm all ears. I wasn't hoping that I was going to have to model it from scratch though. LOL I thought there was a way to do it without modeling it. I was really concerned how I would sketch the logo.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

hfcandrew — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 02:54:51 GMT

You can either spend 20 mins with the sculpt tools in MM working it into what you want with this 'digital clay' to get an okay result, or spend and 1-2 hours remodeling from scratch in F360 for a great result.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 04:01:23 GMT

Well, I already many hours in MM. LOL 1-2Hrs is not a bad price to get the best results.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

TheCADWhisperer — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 20:02:41 GMT

@kenneth_krolikoski

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 21:49:22 GMT

I think I figured after awhile, where to change my signature!.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 22:03:24 GMT

That was quite a video, and I learned a lot. I will need to review that video to make sure I understand all that you did, and see if I can replicate it on my desktop.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

TheCADWhisperer — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 22:07:06 GMT

@kenneth_krolikoski

Hopefully it will make sense.

I was kind of lazy this morning when I recorded it. I might not have mentioned everything important.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 20:53:20 GMT

There was a new command added in Jan 2025 to Fusion, "align mesh" available in the direct edit mode you might not had been aware of. I think this command does what you did in the first part of your video by trial and error, trying to get the mesh body align with the planes. I have attached of what I have done so far. I am now reviewing the rest of the video to add a sketch with dimensions.

https://help.autodesk.com/view/fusion360/ENU/?guid=MESH-ALIGN

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 23:10:35 GMT

I've hit a roadblock. I believe I have the mesh body aligned to the planes. However, when I go into the sketch mode, the mesh body appears to move.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 23:49:12 GMT

I thought I had it cleaned up, but still have the same problem. Some how I have two mesh bodies in design. I'm not sure I delete one of those two bodies and which one?

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

TheCADWhisperer — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:17:38 GMT

@kenneth_krolikoski

Why are there multiple Moves in your Timeline.

Simply Edit Feature the first Move.

Re: How to clean up a 3D scan

kenneth_krolikoski — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:57:40 GMT

Thanks for the suggestion "edit feature the first move". I never paid attention to that.