3D Scanning & CAD Project Thread - Nerds Assemble!

In reply to Jesse Ransom :

A year and a half ago I desperately need to get a new laptop for work, so I was shopping only what was in stock at Micro Center new me.  They had about 6 workstations to choose from.  I ended up buying an MSI, and it's been great.  I'd never heard of them and apparently they make good gaming computers, but had recently gotten into workstations.  Good reviews online.  Had a great video card, and good memory and processor.  Was $XXXX cheaper than a similar spec Lenovo.  Three year factory warranty, with service done right at Micro Center.  I've been very happy so far.

Here's a pic of an HVAC duct I've been messing with too:

In reply to TVR Scott :

That hinge project is cool! I've had trouble getting objects that small to scan well. So far I've just been tracing important features and making solids for critical interfaces but I want to play around more with surface extractions when I get some time. I really like the idea of being able to scan a fender or trunk lid and experiment with profiles for wheel arches or a wing. 
 

Also, I really miss living near a Micro Center... 

That hinge test is cool.  From a practical standpoint it is much easier to scan that with a 2D scanner though :)

ProDarwin said:

That hinge test is cool.  From a practical standpoint it is much easier to scan that with a 2D scanner though :)

For sure!

I'll admit I traced the part onto a piece of paper, and scanned it with my phone.  Brought the pic into solidworks, did a mediocre job scaling, and got frustrated by the giant pixels and poor resolution.  Fought with the spline tool for a while, and used it as an excuse to buy the new scanner.

Retail therapy!

That's when it's nice to have a copier/scanner in the office.  Just set the part on it along with something for reference scale and you get a super clean 2D image 

ProDarwin said:

That's when it's nice to have a copier/scanner in the office.  Just set the part on it along with something for reference scale and you get a super clean 2D image 

What do you do to curve fit to the 2D image?  Just trace it with a spline?

In reply to TVR Scott :

You can manually trace and use splines for complex profiles, but Solidworkd has a pretty neat built in tool that can generate a sketch profile from an imported 2D image. I've used that in the past for making gaskets and such from an image. 

TVR Scott said:

ProDarwin said:

That's when it's nice to have a copier/scanner in the office.  Just set the part on it along with something for reference scale and you get a super clean 2D image 

What do you do to curve fit to the 2D image?  Just trace it with a spline?

I usually trace with whatever curves seem most appropriate for the design.  Most non aesthetic things don't have splines, g2 tangency, etc so lines and arcs work great.

In reply to TVR Scott :

Thanks for the MSI tip! I've been a serial Thinkpad buyer and been pretty happy, but none since they became Lenovos has been so awesome that they should command a big premium.

ProDarwin said:

That's when it's nice to have a copier/scanner in the office.  Just set the part on it along with something for reference scale and you get a super clean 2D image 

What file type does a flatbed scanner output at ?

Interesting. I've been considering getting a scanner since I'm going to be wanting to remake/modify parts from the DMC when I get further along in putting it back together. I'd heard rave reviews of the Einstar with the caveat that you needed a beast of a laptop to make it really workable.

Damn it!  Now I have to upgrade my phone.

In reply to californiamilleghia :

A .jpg or .tiff usually

In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :

The system requirements really aren't too crazy for considering how powerful laptops are these days. I'm using a pretty budget gaming PC that I put together a few years ago but it seems to run large scans just fine with no drop in framerate. 

The only trouble I've potentially seen is trying to use the Einstar software to mesh massive scans (especially multiple aligned scans) or when a scan gets huge from continually pausing and restarting during the scanning process. Either is easy to work around. 
 

In reply to enginenerd :

Interesting. I'll have to keep it in mind- it will be a while before I get to the point of needing to scan stuff, so I'll revisit it down the line. I'd of course love to have one to just play around with and would get a fair amount of use out of it- but with having just picked up a second (even larger) printer I should probably not also drop $1k+ on a scanner+laptop right away...

Anyone used Rhino lately for converting meshes to surfaces?  It's been about 20 years since I've messed with it, and I never got much past the rubber-ducky tutorial.

Looks like there might be some powerful tools there.

Ive done it a bit, but rarely have much luck with it.  Anything complex I struggle to edit.  If its not complex, its easier to grab a few points and rebuild.

Rhino is super powerful, but definitely quirky.

I've been messing with grasshopper on and off lately.

Any chance you could share those models?  I'm also planning an ecoboost mgb swap. I used a kinect to do scans but they aren't very accurate at the larger scale.

Also, how does the oil pan clearance look with the stock pan?

MNIMWIUTBAS said:

Any chance you could share those models?  I'm also planning an ecoboost mgb swap. I used a kinect to do scans but they aren't very accurate at the larger scale.

Also, how does the oil pan clearance look with the stock pan?

Send me a message with your email and I'll see what I can do. I've identified a number of issues so far...not the easiest swap choice but doable.

The engine I have is currently set up for dry sump but I scanned a 2.3L sump from a Mustang and mocked it up. I don't see any way a stock 2.0L oil pan could work. A ranger pan might be ideal since it wouldn't have the additional bulge for the balance shaft. To get the engine where I want it the crossmember will need to be slightly notched (probably would clear on a rubber bumper MGB though since the crossmember has additional spacers from the frame) 

Yeah, I've seen other swaps use all of those options for various clearance issues.

My MG may be getting a Miata suspension setup if I decide I don't mind the fender flares so I'll be building a custom crossmember to stick everything together.

In reply to enginenerd :

I just stumbled across this while searching for some ecoboost information (planning a similar swap into a different chassis), and signed up so I could reply and follow along! 
 

Have you considered a Mazda NC sump pan? It's fairly low profile and to my understanding, with the balance shafts removed, you should be able to use the sump, pick up and oil pump as a direct fit. 
 

In reply to scr_reu :

Yeah an NC sump would likely work as well. It's kind of a strange shape but admittedly an overall lower profile than the 2.3L sump which would help some with ground clearance if that's a concern. Here's a comparison:

I think the only real clearance issues with the pan is to the front subframe, and it's more the front cover/sump interface that will foul. The engine would have to be really far forward and high up to have any portion of the sump itself over the MGB crossmember.

IIRC (been a while) from my latest mock up, only a small corner of the oil pan will foul the crossmember requiring a minor notch. I don't think it would change significantly with any other sump config:

In reply to enginenerd :

Clearance doesn't look totally awful actually! How is it up against the firewall?
 

I'd love to have a play about with that scan of yours if it's something you wouldn't mind sharing. The one thing I've not got in front of me here is an ecoboost motor to do it myself! 
That said, I'd never expect something for nothing, so if there's anything I can contribute to yours, I'd be more than happy to. I've got scanning kit here, and coincidentally, an MGB race car, along with a whole host of NC bits and pieces if anything springs to mind that you might need data from. 
 

Another nice rwd sump option we have here in the UK: 

https://www.raceline.co.uk/products/part_section.asp?categoryID=10%20&SectionID=109

In reply to scr_reu :

Firewall is tight but isn't too bad under the assumption that the heater shelf will be cut out. The HPFP and coolant outlet pipes both protrude off the rear but don't look too difficult to resolve. The bigger problem areas for clearance I've seen are the turbo compressor housing as well as the intake manifold (probably only if using the Mustang 2.3L manifold).

My plan for the turbo is to clock the comp housing 90 deg (pictured above) and cut off the inlet. To clear the manifold I will cut off some unnecessary tabs, rotate the entire powertrain slightly, and cut out a bit of sheet metal around that area. There's a trade off for clearance space between these two areas, the front crossmember, the steering shaft, as well as the hood.

Feel free to shoot me a message about the scans!

I've long been considering a swap that mates a Honda L15B7 to a BMW Getrag 5 speed.
The Getrag uses an integral bellhousing, so an adaptor plate is the most  practical approach.
Lacking detailed patterns for either component, I've considered doing scans to CAD, then 'clocking'
the two to identify and mitigate bolt and alignment dowel collisions.
Got some quotes from local scanning shops, but would be great to have the in-house capability
if accuracy and fidelity of these newer solutions were good enough for the task.