Glossary

The following terms related to Artec Studio and 3D scanning appear regularly in this manual.

accuracy

How closely a measurement matches the actual value of the quantity being measured.

Autopilot

An advanced smart mode that guides the user through postprocessing in a few steps, automatically selecting the most effective settings and producing a 3D model.

bundle

Capture of an object through simultaneous use of multiple scanners, whose numbers and relative positions are specified in the application.

CAD object

A feature-based, parametric solid model used in design engineering and manufacturing. It can be created in a CAD system, reverse-engineering software package or Artec Studio since version 15.

CAD primitive

A simple CAD model created in Artec Studio and either fitted to a polygon model or positioned independently.

collection

A set of scans (or models) for alignment. An alignment session may only have one collection of registered scans and several collections of unregistered ones.

fine registration

A thorough frame alignment using an algorithm for relative positioning of sequential frame pairs.

frames

3D surfaces captured during a scanning session, collectively constituting a scan. The scan rate varies with scanner type and can reach a maximum of 15 frames per second using Eva.

fusion

Process that creates a polygonal 3D model. It effectively melts and solidifies the captured and processed frames or point cloud surfaces. Fusion can be run as a separate algorithm or throughout the scanning (Real-time fusion).

global registration

Algorithm that optimizes the relative positions of all frames using a single coordinate system.

group

A method of organizing objects in the Workspace panel hierarchy.

HD scan

A scan that contains some frames of the high-definition (HD) resolution.

key frames

Frames used by the global registration algorithm. The algorithm selects them automatically to fully cover the surface of the captured object using as few as possible.

mesh

The surface geometry of a 3D model; it comprises a series of linked polygons.

model

The 3D object that results from the fusion operation (in Artec Studio) or another modeling process in a different software package.

near and far cutting planes

Planes that limit the space in which the scanner is capturing 3D frames. The device will ignore everything that is closer than the near cutting plane or more distant than the far cutting plane.

object

A distinct entity in the scanned scene, or a generic term for all 3D data in Artec Studio: scans, point clouds, polygon and CAD models, and primitives.

origin

The center of the coordinate system.

project

A method of managing the scanned material, processed data and user operation history, either in memory or on disk. Artec Studio project files use the A3D extension.

resolution

The ability of a scanning system to capture detail in an object. See also 3D resolution.

rough registration

Preliminary frame alignment performed during capture.

scan

A sequence of frames captured in a single continuous movement of the scanner around an object or scene.

SD scan

A scan that contains only frames of the standard-definition (SD) resolution.

section; in a point cloud scan

Corresponds to the region selected in the Ray preview area. The application may save these sections in the export files differently (Merging Sections).

section; in measurements

Short for cross-section. Section is the plane that splits model or scan into two parts (Sections and Volume).

sparse reconstruction object

A point cloud generated by the Sparse Reconstruction algorithm from photos positioned in 3D space.

supporting surface

A surface on which the object is resting (e.g., a table or the floor).

target cloud

An OBC file with a set of reference targets created in a photogrammetry solution, which can be imported to Artec Studio. It is possible to import multiple targets clouds and switch between them in a particular scanning session. During scanning, each target from the original set of reference targets is captured multiple times on different frames, resulting into a number of instances. The instances representing one particular target are grouped into clusters. Information about captured targets and their deviation from the reference ones is available in the Features panel. See also Inspecting Quality Of Targets Clouds Registration. Alternatively, a target cloud can be created by scanning targets on the object with Artec Point.

targets

Stickers placed on the object being scanned to ease identification of the various regions. There are two types of targets: non-coded and coded. Unless the type is explicitly specified, the target is considered non-coded. Typically, a non-coded target is a round sticker that has a black ring with a white circle in the center; a coded target has a unique code ring that photogrammetry software can automatically recognize.

tracking

Calculation of the scanner’s position in a coordinate system relative to the scene.

transformation

Any change in the position of a scan and/or its frames, for example, translation and rotation.

You can also find these terms along with some algorithm parameters in Index.