With 3-D printing technology coming such a long way in just a handful of years it’s amazing to see how quickly 3-D scanning technology has advanced as well.
Certainly, the most popular way to save a tremendous amount of time when looking to capture 3-D objects, the right 3-D scanner – like the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner – allows individuals and operations/organizations to rapidly prototype, effortlessly integrate, and produce high death models in a lot less time than they ever would have been able to with standard modeling software.
That being said, there are a lot of options on the market today promising the moon in the stars when it comes to the capabilities of the 3-D scanning technology they showcase. Unfortunately, most of these aren’t worth investing in – they are long on promises but short on delivery.
The Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner doesn’t have that problem!
Designed to be one of the most effective 3-D scanners available in a desktop format you are going to be able to effortlessly scan objects and then immediately produce them with your 3-D printer, really cutting down your production time considerably while increasing the output as well.
Yes, this is a desktop scanner as opposed to a handheld scanner (and the distinction is critical as well as something we will cover more in-depth in the rest of this quick review), but that design choice is nowhere near a dealbreaker.
Let’s dig a little bit deeper into everything the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner has to offer!
Overview
Easily one of the most successful 3-D scanner projects ever crowd-funded, this particular scanner was able to raise almost $500,000 from more than 1000 backers before a single Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner was even produced – and now it is considered to be one of the “must-have” accessories for anyone serious about getting the most of their 3-D printer.
Combining a tremendous amount of performance with effortless usability, this scanner is affordable, compact, portable, and ready to go right out of the box.
Utilizing a turntable and a solid-mounted camera, this particular unit isn’t a handheld device that you have to wave around your object to be scanned (hoping that you didn’t miss anything along the way and that you maintained the perfect distance from the 3-D object you are scanning) which makes the finished product far more accurate and available in a much higher definition.
Though the turntable itself is compact and isn’t able to fully accommodate all of the objects that you may want to scan (a drawback that we will touch on in just a moment) this shortcoming is more than made up for with the high-definition scans it is capable of and the speed at which makes these scans.
Usability is also top-notch with this device, something that cannot be said about a lot of the other competing 3-D scanners out there.
As highlighted just a moment ago, the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner is ready to go right out of the box – literally, plug-and-play ready so that you can start scanning objects just shortly after you connected to your computer or workstation.
Smart technology makes for an even smarter scanner
The people behind the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner tried to conceptualize the “ultimate” desktop scanner and that’s exactly what they have produced with the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner.
Because it utilizes that motion turntable we mentioned above and the Adaptive Scanning 3-D render multi-lens camera that moves up and down to capture every element of the 3-D object you are scanning you can much more effectively replicate the objects that you scan.
Out-of-the-box you are going to be able to make high-definition color scans that could only ever be reproduced by much more expensive and much larger 3-D scanners not available to those without a bottomless budget.
You’re also going to be able to move these 3-D scans over to almost any 3-D production software you like – including the software provided with the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner – which allows you to modify, adjust, and iterate as much as you like without any real restriction.
The multi-lens setup of this Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner is the real “secret sauce” that allows you to produce high-definition scans with lightning-like speed.
The turntable deck itself is about 21” x 11.5” x 4.5”, allowing for you to put reasonably sized objects on the printer to be scanned, but you’ll also be able to modify these object rendering in the software of your choice to reproduce much larger components if you have a large-format 3-D printer available.
Pros
The thing that helps to separate the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner from all other contenders is its ability for it to produce so many high-definition renders so quickly without losing any resolution whatsoever.
Unlike wand options that are available and popular right now, you don’t have to worry about maintaining a very specific distance from the object that you want to scan – and you don’t have to worry about missing out on any areas of that scan that would render the entire process moot immediately.
Instead, the object is held stationary on the turntable base and then moved around a multi-lens high-resolution camera that is capable of going up and down to make sure that every single angle of your skin is covered.
This alone is a big enough benefit to make the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner worth owning over almost any other scanner available.
Combine that with the ability to plug and play with any 3-D printer out there as well as Mac and PC devices and you are talking about something really special here. The price point is very attractive as well, as a scanner like the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner could cost hundreds of dollars more.
Cons
You will not be able to scan gigantic-sized objects with the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner due to the size limitations of the turntable base you have to use. Some people have found ways to kind of manipulate the desktop unit and use it as a handheld scanner, but the resolution produced here isn’t as accurate or as reliable.
The price may make some people blanch a little bit, and the fact that the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner was produced by a company that crowd-funded the entire production without an established track record in this field may make some people a little nervous.
That being said, these drawbacks are nowhere near deal breakers and you should be able to confidently move forward with the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner without any concern.
Final verdict
At the end of the day, there aren’t too many 3-D scanners that can go toe to toe with the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner.
This is a quality unit through and through, one capable of incredible high-definition images and scans, and a must-have unit if you’re looking to quickly replicate smaller format objects in a production-like process.
