3D scanners for wooden paintings and statues: what to watch out for

There are many kinds of 3D scanners. In Vietnam, the EinScan Pro Plus 3D scanner is widely used for 3D scanning wood pieces and gives consistent quality. Still, you need to pay attention to a few points while working to get better scan results.

• 3D scanning service locations across districts in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

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Using a 3D scanner for paintings and statues:

The EinScan Pro and EinScan Pro Plus 3D scanners are widely used in the wood industry. Many businesses using the EinScan Pro and EinScan Pro Plus earn much more than with traditional pattern drawing. Lower costs and more opportunities: that is what the EinScan Pro and EinScan Pro Plus bring to their users.

What to focus on when using a 3D scanner:

• Focus on the requirements:

Fine woodwork products must be very sharp and detailed to meet customers’ wood CNC carving needs. Sharpness always matters more than accuracy here. Wood products don’t need the high accuracy of mechanical parts, but the detail must be good enough to produce a high-quality result.

• Focus on the computer:

The computer needs plenty of RAM, a good graphics card and a powerful processor to handle the data quickly and reliably. The computer is essential for processing 3D data. Large data sets can sometimes take hours of waiting for the computer to finish. So a “strong” computer will definitely make your work more efficient.

• Focus on the product:

Very small pieces need careful scanning, while large pieces need to be scanned in several sections and then merged.  

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Contact CT3D Group

CT3D Group – professional 3D printing, 3D scanning, design and rapid prototyping services nationwide.

• CT3D Thu Duc – Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong: in3d.edu.vn – Hotline 0975 008 728 (Mr. Thai)
• CT3D District 6 – Ho Chi Minh City: 3dmaker.vn – Hotline 038 7798308 (Mr. Phuc)

The workflow for 3D scanning wooden paintings and statues for CNC

In the fine woodwork industry, the goal of 3D scanning is a file sharp enough for CNC toolpath programming, or for editing and scaling the design. A lean workflow usually includes these steps:

• Prepare the piece: clean off dust and wood chips; for glossy painted pieces, apply a thin coat of powder to reduce reflections.
• Choose the scan mode: small, detailed pieces should be scanned on a stand and turntable; large pieces like tall statues, columns and wide panels should be scanned handheld with reference markers.
• Scan from many angles: make sure deep recesses, undersides and edges are covered; for pierced carvings, scan the back as well.
• Merge and clean the data: remove noise, fill small holes and export an STL/OBJ file.
• Post-processing: edit in digital sculpting software, scale, and trim the base plane before moving to CAM software.

Sharpness or accuracy: which matters more for wood pieces?

As mentioned above, fine woodwork needs high sharpness more than absolute accuracy. The table below shows the difference between the two:

Criterion	Sharpness (resolution)	Accuracy
Meaning	The ability to capture fine details: grain, carving strokes, petals, folds of clothing.	How far dimensions deviate from the real object.
Matters when	Making paintings, statues, reliefs and decorative patterns.	Making fitted parts, molds and mechanical parts.
Affected by	Camera resolution, point distance, scan mode.	Scanner calibration, alignment method, reference markers.

In practice, the sharper the scan file, the bigger it is, which calls for a powerful computer and longer processing. So choose a resolution that is just right for the CNC cutter you will use; a CNC machine can’t reproduce details smaller than the cutter diameter anyway.

If your workshop hasn’t invested in equipment yet, you can hire a 3D scanning service for wood pieces, paintings and statues to get files ready for CNC programming, and assess your needs before deciding to buy a scanner.

Frequently asked questions

Can a 3D scan file of a wood piece be used for CNC right away?

Usually not. It first needs cleaning, background trimming and sometimes detail editing. The STL/OBJ file then goes into CAM software to create toolpaths suited to the CNC machine and the cutters being used.

What computer specs are needed to process 3D scan data?

Use a machine with plenty of RAM, a dedicated graphics card and a multi-core CPU, because scan data for wood pieces can reach tens of millions of points. For exact specs, check the recommendations from the maker of your scanner.

How do you scan a large wooden statue with enough detail?

Scan large pieces handheld, area by area, with reference markers for accurate alignment, then rescan deep recesses at a higher resolution. This balances scanning time and detail.

Can a wooden panel design be enlarged after 3D scanning?

Yes. Once you have the 3D file, the design can be scaled up or down to any ratio. However, when it is enlarged many times, small details are enlarged too, so some editing may be needed to keep it balanced.

Related services at CT3D Group

• 3D scanning services – high-accuracy 3D scanning
• Composite statue production
• CNC cutting for wood and reliefs
• CT3D Group network: ct3dgroup.com · in3d.edu.vn – Hotline/Zalo 0975 008 728