When it comes to 3D scanning automotive parts, precision is everything. Recently, Max took you behind the scenes of scanning the dash of a 1996-2000 Honda Civic, focusing on everything from initial setup to refining the final scan for reverse engineering in a longer YouTube video. If you’ve ever wondered how to achieve the perfect scan, this we'll show you exactly how it’s done and offer tips for dealing with the common challenges of 3D scanning.

The Setup: Preparing the Gauge Cluster for Scanning

Before we dive into the technical details, let’s talk about the setup.

 

• Matte the surface: The surface finish plays a crucial role in how well a part is captured by the scanner. Bright white, black, and shiny finishes can make it difficult on the scanner, so we start off by hitting the cluster with AESUB Blue spray. This mattes the surface, reducing reflections and allows the scanner to pick up geometry more accurately. The best part is, it evaporates after about 30 minutes, so clean up isn't even a factor!

• Positioning: After a quick spray, we toss it on our turntable. It might seem strange at first but since we covered the turntable in positioning markers, it means we don't have to apply any on our part, and the turning ability allows for all sides to be scanned with ease! Lastly, a quick scanner calibration and we're off!

Tip: The color of the part determines what mode you should start in, light mode for white and lighter colors, dark mode for black and darker colors. These two modes have the best chance of reduced noise. If you have trouble capturing specific parts, auto mode can help, though it may create more noise that requires cleanup later.

 

Start your Merging Scans for a Complete Model

A key part of the scanning process is creating a merging scan, which combines multiple scans into one complete model. Here are the essentials to make sure your merging scan comes out good every time!

• Stick it down: When creating a merging scan, its important that the part doesn't move or shift around, relative to the scanning markers. This is especially important when using a turn table like us, since the part may shift while we are rotating the table. A little bit of sticky tack goes a long way to keep the part secured!

• Capture the geometry: Start off by getting the major shapes and geometry of the part, like the front and back. Once those are scanned, we can grab the finer details later.

• Merging Scans: Once the major geometry is scanned, Peel.OS can auto-merge the scans based on the overlapping geometry. All you have to do is select three points to reference and it can do the rest!

 

Fine Tuning & Picking up the Details

After scanning the main parts of the gauge cluster, it's time to focus on capturing smaller details.

• Clean Up the Scan: In the post-processing stage, you’ll need to clean up the scan to remove any unwanted background noise. This might include eliminating reflections or unwanted elements like the turn table or sticky tack.

• Selecting the Right Background: When setting the background for your scan, aim to include as much of the part as possible without cutting through essential geometry. You want to avoid cutting into the part itself, as this can affect the accuracy of the merge.

Tip: Use the lasso tool to select and delete unwanted background elements. Be mindful of the orientation of your selection to avoid mistakenly deleting parts of the part you want to keep.

 

Finalizing and Adding Missing Details

Once you've completed the basic scans, you can examine the model for any gaps or missing details.

• Merge Additional Scans: If you notice that some areas are incomplete, you can add additional scans and merge them into the final model. This is a great way to fill in minor gaps without starting over.

• Fixing Light Reflection Issues: If the scanner has difficulty picking up certain parts due to reflections, try adjusting the angle of the part or scanner to find a better angle that captures the geometry clearly. Sometimes, changing light modes on the scanner or adjusting the lighting in the room can help pick up a better scan.

Tip: Don’t rush to do multiple scans at once—start with the basics, and add scans only if you notice something is missing. This helps keep your file sizes manageable and your workflow efficient.

 

Aligning & Improving

Once you’ve completed all scans and merged the data, you’ll need to refine the model further.

• Post-Processing in Peel.OS: Take you time and review your scan in Peel.OS. The more time you spend here cleaning up artifacts, filling holes, and generally improving the quality of your scan, the more time you'll save once you get into your CAD software and begin modeling. The goal of a 3D scan is to quickly grab all the essential measurements of whatever it is you are scanning, so make sure all of those details are captured correctly. 

• Remove Isolated Patches: Peel.OS does a great job of automatically noise and markers, but there may be a few spots that require manual clean up. Make sure to not remove anything you need

Tip: Peel.OS has a variety of powerful tools, such as Lasso and Fill Hole that when combined, make for really effective and highly refined scans. We encourage you to explore them all and see find what works best for your project!

Once we have the initial scans, the real work begins: cleaning them up. A good scan doesn’t just happen; it requires careful editing and noise removal. After completing the scan, the next step is eliminating unwanted artifacts. For this, we use tools like the paintbrush and selection tools to carefully isolate and delete noise from the edges of the scan, ensuring that only the relevant part of the dash is kept.

It’s important to be meticulous here; you don’t want to delete pieces of the actual part you’re scanning. The key is precision—making sure you're selecting only what you need to remove and leaving the good data intact.

 

Conclusion: A Perfect Scan for Reverse Engineering

With the final scan cleaned up and refined, we now have a detailed, accurate model of the 1996-2000 Honda Civic dash. This model will serve as the foundation for reverse engineering, enabling us to design custom parts with precision. While some additional refinements might be needed depending on the complexity of the project, the scan is now solid enough to work from.

The techniques we used, like paying attention to light angles, carefully cleaning up the scan, and using the right tools for merging and refining, are essential for achieving a high-quality result. With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to take your 3D scanning to the next level and create scans that are both accurate and easy to work with.

If you’re interested in learning more about 3D scanning, check out our full detailed video where you can follow along the entire process! Feel free to contact us with any questions or inquires you may have!