How to clean up a 3D scan

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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.

[TheCADWhisperer]

@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.)

[hfcandrew]

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?

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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.

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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.

[TheCADWhisperer]

@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...

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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. 

[hfcandrew]

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.

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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

[TheCADWhisperer]

@kenneth_krolikoski 

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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.

[TheCADWhisperer]

@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.

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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.

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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?

[TheCADWhisperer]

@kenneth_krolikoski 

Why are there multiple Moves in your Timeline.

Simply Edit Feature the first Move.

[kenneth_krolikoski]

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