Find your
3D scanner
Choose an output. Build a shortlist for your next task.
What should your scan become?
What to enter
The selector asks for the facts that change a scanner decision, in four steps.
- Output - visualization mesh, printable mesh, mesh reference for reverse engineering, editable CAD after reconstruction or a dimensional inspection result. The output sets the minimum evidence: inspection needs calibration and traceability, editable CAD needs a reconstruction path, and a printable mesh needs repair and scale checks.
- Object - start with an approximate size choice or enter exact dimensions. The smallest important detail and how close it needs to be are optional. A large object can still hold a small feature. Choose Not sure instead of guessing.
- Conditions - surface, allowed preparation, environment and whether a computer can stay connected while scanning.
- Budget - an optional device ceiling and an optional first-year total. Leave both blank for an open budget.
Choose Unknown when you do not have a dimension yet. The selector will leave it out of the comparison and show what to measure next.
Your results show the next useful check, dated package prices and questions to ask each vendor. Open Your full brief and next checks for the complete list, or download it for a demonstration.
If you choose editable CAD, name the actual task in the demo brief: direct editing of an imported solid or changing a native parameter and rebuilding dependent features. A mesh reference is a third, different deliverable. The CAD handoff checks keep those tests separate; choose the exact file and edit you need in your demo.
How the selector decides
The selector compares your capture setup, task and scanner budget with published model information. Missing specifications become questions to confirm with the seller.
- Models with a documented conflict, such as needing a capture computer when you cannot use one, appear in a separate group with the reason. Budget checks use current named US packages in USD; the selected variant and source date stay visible.
- For an indoor mesh job with a 50-500 mm part and a stated feature, the tool can prepare a vendor demo plan when capture and software requirements are documented. Smaller parts, longer spans, outdoor work, transparent surfaces, CAD reconstruction and inspection need additional checks.
- With a scanner budget, US packages shown here within it appear first. Models with missing prices or above-budget packages remain available in separate groups and in the complete export. Compare the requirements as well as the price.
- Apart from the budget check, price and stock never change a model's status. They are shown beside it with a check date.
Use the open questions to make the demo specific: ask the vendor to show the difficult feature, original surface and final file your work requires.
What each result shows
Each card shows the capture setup, a test task for your part, specifications to confirm and a dated seller listing. Test on your own object means the next step is a vendor demo; Confirm missing specifications means you need an answer from the vendor first.
A price is only shown with its seller, region and check date. Sold out, quote required and unknown prices stay labeled as such, so you can check the package with the seller.
Take the shortlist to a demo
Use the accuracy demonstration sheet and surface test record to turn the shortlist into repeatable checks. The methodology explains the sources and comparison method.
Copy the shortlist as text or export it as a CSV table with the reasons, open questions, offers and sources. Send it to each vendor, test a representative object, keep the raw scan and open the final file in your downstream application. No account or email is needed.
The budget screen compares the selected US package price with your ceiling; it does not confirm the cost of software, a computer, accessories, taxes or labor. A scanner within budget can still need expensive software or a new computer. Enter a complete quote in the first-year cost worksheet before making that decision.
When the shortlist needs more information
- A required field is missing - the selector tells you which answer it needs before moving on. You can enter Unknown where a value is not known yet.
- No model passes - the conflicting constraints are listed and nothing is relaxed silently. Change one input, or consider a scanning service.
- Too many open questions - add the most decision-critical missing fact, usually the output, the smallest feature, the surface or whether a computer can stay connected.
- A price or stock state is old - the candidate stays on the list with its check date. Confirm the current offer with the seller.
Your data
Your dimensions, budget amounts, files and written answers stay in this browser. Download your brief before leaving if you have not saved it. Save answers keeps a copy here; Restore answers loads a copy saved within 30 days and recalculates the shortlist. Older or invalid saved copies can still be downloaded. Delete saved answers removes the saved copy without clearing your current entries.
Anyone using this browser profile can read saved answers, so leave out confidential details. If you allow optional usage counts, they include actions and broad categories, such as output type or result count, but no project text, exact amounts or file contents. Downloads stay on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Does the selector recommend the best scanner?
It builds a shortlist for your job and shows what to confirm before buying. Use it to arrange comparable demos with your part and final-file task. Working distance is the gap from scanner to surface, rather than the object size.
Why do many candidates need more evidence?
Manufacturers rarely publish enough to confirm a fit for a specific object, surface and environment. The selector marks those gaps instead of assuming a pass, so each one becomes a question for the demo.
Can I sort by accuracy?
No. Manufacturers measure accuracy under different conditions, and some publish no accuracy figure at all. The cards show each claim with its source so you can ask how it was measured.
How current are the prices?
Each offer shows the date it was checked on the seller's page. Prices and stock change often, so confirm them before buying.