Description


The Matter and Form 3D scanner is a tool well suited for older students who want to bring more complex objects into their virtual toolbox quickly and easily. In this hands-on edition of the Eduporium Experiment, we will explore the imaging resolution of the Matter and Form 3D scanner. We’ll cover some of the most important information that students and teachers need to know for enhancing their MakerEd experiences and help you discover some of the most important things to know, like which lighting conditions and materials are most effective for different learning environments. 



Materials

  • Matter and Form 3D scanner
  • Windows/macOS computer with MFStudio 
    (Downloadable and works on Windows 7 and macOS 10 or above)
  • Scanning objects

    These objects do not need to be uniform, but should fit all of the general shape and color guidelines provided by Matter and Form Inc. This means they should have a maximum height of 25 cm, a maximum diameter of 18 cm, and a maximum weight of 3 kg.

    • A small building block.
    • A coffee mug.
    • A pair of glasses, folded.
    • Keys on a keyring.



Procedure

  1. Set up and plug in your Matter and Form scanner using the power cord. Ensure you have several different objects that meet the specifications from the materials list and that are easy to tell apart. Turn on the scanner.
  2. Connect your scanner to your computer and run a calibration cycle. For more information on how to download the Matter and Form software or set up a new scanner, check out the website or the PDF copy of the instruction manual.
  3. Begin scanning your objects, starting with the building block.
    1. Place the item on the center of the scanning plate.
    2. Choose between using a single-color scan or a multi-colored scan depending on the object that’s being scanned. Use this guide for further information:

matter and form color chart

  1. Looking at the camera feed, position the object so that the laser line passes over the lightest colored area. Click the ‘confirm lightest color’ prompt.
  2. Looking at the camera feed, position the object so that the laser line passes over the darkest colored area. Click the ‘confirm darkest color’ prompt.
  3. Begin scanning the item using the default settings. This may take up to 30 minutes per item, but can take as little as two minutes.
  4. Rotate the item on the scanning plate as needed to ensure that all sides face the camera at some point while scanning. To do this, use the combine tool located on the dashboard.
  5. Save the completed scan of the Item.
  6. Repeat the process described in step 3, with a different material from the list. Be sure to complete the scanning each item even if the models don’t clean correctly in the software. These errors will drive your analysis.
  7. Clean the saved scans, according to the instructions included in the manual.



Questions

  • For the building block, are all of the sides of the building block present in the virtual model?
  • What’s the smallest detail you can pick out from the building block?
  • Do you think this block would be able to interface with other similar building blocks if it was printed? Why or why not?
  • Does the scan of the mug seem to be watertight? Are there any holes in the mug?
  • Is the interior of the mug fully formed? Does it have strange sloping shapes?
  • Are the lenses of the glasses visible in the scan? How could you ensure that the lenses could be seen on the scan?
  • Is the scanner able to compile the different scans of the keyring? Why or why not?



Reflection


By answering the above questions and trying to scan different types of objects, you probably learned some of the most important base rules for the Matter and Form 3D scanner. Small, single-colored objects, like a building block, are easy to scan, but objects that have large internal spaces, like a mug, often present issues when compiling. Clear and translucent surfaces, like the lenses on a pair of glasses, will not appear at all within the scans. The Matter and Form team recommends you cover these surfaces with masking tape to ensure they’re picked up by the scanner. The keyring is easy to scan at first, but, when you move it around, it changes shape. In future scans, you should try to place moveable objects like the keyring into a clear container, so you can move the entire object without changing its shape.



To learn more about the Matter and Form or to grab a machine of your own, visit our store. Be sure to check out our other maker tools as well, including 3D printers and CNC machines! If you have any questions about the Matter and Form, feel free to get in touch with us and make sure you follow us on Twitter and Instagram to keep learning more about the best tech tools for STEM education.


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