Scan Spray Showdown: What is the Best Coating for 3D Scanning?

Structured light 3D scanning is an amazing tool for inspection and reverse engineering, but it does have its limits. One of the biggest hurdles you can encounter during a scan is the part's surface. If it's too reflective, transparent, or dark, your scan data probably won't look so good. In these cases, it's best to apply a coating to improve your results. But which coating should you use? It today's video, we're going to put a few commonly-used coatings to the test in a not-so-epic showdown to see which one works best.
Website: sentinel3d.com
Introduction: 00:00
Contenders: 36:04
Evaluation Method: 02:20
Testing: 03:14
Analysis: 06:32
Results: 07:08
Testing (Part 2): 07:47
Results (Part 2): 08:43
Conclusion: 09:09

[@darkshadow31415]

This is the most over engineered video on foot powder ever and I love it.

[@MetalGearSortof]

I've tried generic foot powder spray, talc powder mixed in isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle, and just dabbing on baby powder with a foam brush. They all worked great for laser scans, tho I was more surprised how much it helped a photogrammetry scan I was working on. HUGE increase in quality. It's one of those things I've only recently learned about and wish I knew years ago, when I first started messing with 3D scanning, lol. Great video, pleased to see this info spreading around.

[@jason19920816ify]

Man this channel is so underrated

[@justinkase1360]

Thank you for doing all of this work. Amazing.

[@tabletopscanman]

Thanks for putting this video together. It's really going to help me going forwards.

[@Guardian_Arias]

Apparently, per the SDS, Dr Scholls foot power is butane, ethanol and talcum power. Talcum Powder has a refraction index of approximately 1.5 and Titanium Dioxide is approximately 2.5 considering talc is almost exactly half the cost kg per kg and I have talc on hand I will have to experiment with some denatured alcohol solutions and some photogrammetry projects i have going on. Thank you this has been informative. FYI denatured alcohol is primarily ethanol alcohol with methanol as a poison to eliminate alcohol taxes.

[@que_dijo]

How you apply this solition intou your objects?

[@Guardian_Arias]

@@que_dijo just buy the foot powder spray or talc per the pound and use a rapidly evaporating solvent like isopropyl, acetone, or denatured alcohol so it could be used in a spray bottle or paint gun. The uneven texture gives scanners something to reference and give cleaner scans or photogamatry.

[@pintokitkat]

crikey, you want a bit mad with the aesub blue. the temptation is to spray until it looks white, but actually a quick, light spray and leave it a few seconds , it goes white.

[@sentinel3dscanning]

Yes, I certainly applied way too much on the first trial, and the error of my ways is made painfully obvious by the outlier data point visible at 7:14! I made sure to apply less on subsequent trials. Thank you for the tip, Andy!

[@davidawaters]

I was thinking the same thing

[@christopher8116]

This was an extensive video, measuring even the surface of the spray. Although as mentioned Foot Spray is great if you don't mind the clean up otherwise the spray is the best solution.

[@3DMEK]

ATTBLIME coats a very thin layer between 3 microns to 6 microns depending on the spray. Recommended for highly accurate 3D scans.

[@ericc7167]

What is the ratio of Titanium Dioxide powder to denatured alcohol that you used?

[@forcenine1510]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge of these products. It would be interesting to see how they compare to Aesub yellow, which is supposed to be their ultra fine vanishing spray.

[@sentinel3dscanning]

I'll have to look into that one. Looks promising!

[@projectLSaudiA4]

Excellent, thank you. Now to go buy some foot spray 😅

[@GeorgeJouflas]

Magnaflux spot check developer works pretty well

[@guyvishnu]

I use a Teflon Dry release agent from Miller Stephenson. Dries almost instantly and cleans off easily.

[@sentinel3dscanning]

I had not heard of that option. Thanks for sharing it!

[@MSPalazzuoli]

Thank you, great and useful work.

[@JorisKofman]

thanks for the video, I learned a lot

[@3DJapan]

I usually use dry shampoo spray but I was sent a couple cans of AESub (blue and orange) and really like it. Unfortunately it's very expensive.

[@sentinel3dscanning]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@shanel104]

Delivered well 👏

[@JoeKind1958]

After trying many products I found a brand of chalk spray that works perfectly. Its called “Heidi Swapp” . It covers fast so no need to build up a thick layer, and the final finish is nothing less than perfect ! Other brand chalk sprays leave small chalk clumps on the surface. Not this brand. I buy whatever color spray is on sale, usually around $9.00 a can and one can goes a long way. I have a David SLS 3 pro and other structured light scanners and I have not found any difference in my scans using different colors. On the chalk spray, it does wash off with soap and water but its dye can stain untreated white plastic. I just got a can of Magnaflux developer spray but have yet to try it. 😁

[@sentinel3dscanning]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I've never tried chalk spray before. I tried Magnaflux developer once, but it went on too thick and the texture was quite rough - maybe because it was an old can.

[@JoeKind1958]

@@sentinel3dscanning If the Magnaflux spray is going to go on thick then I will stick with the Heidi Swapp brand chalk spray. I buy whatever color is on sale on Amazon or Ebay. The different colors are all bright like Magenta and Teal for example, and do not affect the scan. I would bet they have white but when not on sale prices are around $30.00 a can vs about $10.00 a can when offered on sale. I have tried many different dulling sprays over the years so I can confidently say that I highly recommend trying this chalk spray. Keep up the great videos 😁

[@GCEXTREMEMN]

All i see for this Heidi Swapp spray is blue and teal and its like $19 a can on Amazon

[@goldgeologist5320]

I need to place reflective dots on the black plastic object I am trying to scan. I find the foot powder comes off to easy in handling.

[@AlfredoGonzalez-sr6sl]

Great information....

[@rsilvers129]

I use Zinc Oxide from Amazon mixed with 99 percent IPA. It is very white. But perhaps Titanium Dioxide is even better.

[@slapcitykustomz1658]

Have you tried plasti dip paint that you can peel off afterwards

[@raymondchan6212]

for plastidip (any rubberized coating) to "peel" off you would have to apply it heavily, which will significantly alter the actual surface of the object being scanned, if it's something that remotely requires any sort of accuracy, it's not going to work.

[@GCEXTREMEMN]

So i have a plastic model jetski i am trying to scan and its too shiny. I tried foot powder, and i even sprayed it with grey plasti-dip. I have to of these models, one is yellow top and yellow bottom, the other is white top and yellow bottom. I really dont want to damage these as they are rare but i want to male 3d printed replicas. I am using a Creality Ferret Pro scanner. Any suggestions? That AEsub spray is spendy, should i try that?

[@sentinel3dscanning]

Aesub Orange is probably the best way to go if you want to reduce damage. In my experience, Aesub Blue evaporates too quickly and goes on rougher. It will be pricy, but it will be safe. On something as big as a jetski, you will probably need several cans.

[@GCEXTREMEMN]

​@@sentinel3dscanningi sent you an email from your website

[@GCEXTREMEMN]

@sentinel3dscanning its a toy model its only about 10inches long.

[@Todestelzer]

I got a tip to try out ATTBLIME AB2. It’s like Aesub blue but it’s a thinner surface coating. I ordered 2 cans for now and will test it out. But I don’t think i can do the same test showed here….

[@sentinel3dscanning]

Let us know what you think once you've tried it out!

[@christopher8116]

How is it, as well as the smell and sublimation time compared to AESUB ?

[@Todestelzer]

I had used it now couple of times and it's ok but if you coat the part too thick it will not disolve. Coat it once, wait a minute and do a second coating. The smell, compared to Aesub, is better.

[@christopher8116]

@@Todestelzer I guess the smell is very light almost non-existent ? Compared to AESUB which you can coat thicker it still dissolves ?

[@Todestelzer]

@@christopher8116 buy booth and test it. I would recommend the orange Aesub. It stays longer on the part.

[@que_dijo]

bro yopur content is dope. Thanks for all this information ypu are sahring with us. Learning from the best! Thanks again!

[@Mazafaka77]

4:32 Whaaat

[@gordon6029]

Just go to an NDT supply house and buy some dye developer. 5 year supply for like 20 bucks.

[@judd_s5643]

Just be more specific!

[@rsilvers129]

I wish. A single can of that is $18 to $30. That will last for a few objects as long as it is not large like a car. Also virtually doesn’t exist. I see some on eBay.