Mesh2Surface

Reverse Engineering Plugin for SOLIDWORKS or Rhino 3D

Plugin options that work natively inside your CAD software tend to be less expensive compared to standalone Scan to CAD software. If you are already a SOLIDWORKS or a Rhino user, Mesh2Surface is made for you. As a bonus, it empowers you to work in a CAD environment you are already familiar with, so it’s easy to pick up and learn as you go. It’s essentially an extension of the CAD software you are already using with dedicated reverse engineering toolsets.

Mesh2Surface’s Approach to Reverse Engineering

Mesh2Surface is created for anyone who wants the accessibility of using 3D scanner data for CAD modeling but doesn’t have the time to learn traditional CAD systems that are often complex and challenging to use. It even excels at reverse engineering freeform and complicated surfaces.

From 3D Scanning To CAD: The workflow from capturing 3D scans using the Artec Space Spider (Top photo). The scanned data was imported into SOLIDWORKS. Then, we used Mesh2Surface for SOLIDWORKS to access the comprehensive scan to CAD toolsets inside SOLIDWORKS to design this bike frame. (Please see the photos below comparing the original scan data to the created CAD model.) Using scan data as a guide for design is much easier and faster than designing from a blank slate.

Every reverse engineering project is unique and the process can be time-consuming in order to achieve the right and accurate results. This inspired Mesh2Surface developers to create a universal tool that can be applied to different reverse engineering challenges while simplifying the process.

Mesh2Surface focuses on finding the fastest, most accurate, and easiest way to convert 3D scan meshes into professional CAD models. It is straightforward to use and delivers similar performance to high-end reverse engineering software.

What We Love About Mesh2Surface

• Works seamlessly with SOLIDWORKS or Rhino
• Affordable Scan to CAD plugin option
• Speed up the time for manufacturing
• Reduce costs for design
• Edit and repair CAD data for broken tools and molds
• Use existing assets to reverse engineer new parts
• Design custom products
• Export remodeled data for 3D printing
• Create complementary products or new parts to fit with existing parts

How It Works

Mesh2Surface is an affordable yet sophisticated Scan to CAD tool that extends beyond basic arcs and curves. You can take works STL, OBJ, or PLY mesh as well as PTX point cloud to create professional CAD/CAM models.

What’s special about Mesh2Surface:

• You can use simple and powerful tools to create 2D sketches, extruded 3D sketches, and revolved surfaces.
• Tolerance surfacing shows instant color map deviation from scan data and gives you full control to fix it to get the best accuracy out of your CAD model.
• It can create complex hybrid 3D models (prismatic and organic).
• Redesign your object with the best accuracy and design intent.
• Extract shapes by selecting what type of features need to be fit.

Since each CAD software works differently, here are some of the main features for Mesh2Surface for Rhino and SOLIDWORKS with video demonstrations:

	Mesh2Surface for Rhino	Mesh2Surface for SOLIDWORKS
Create 2D line sketches that can revolve or extrude surfaces
3D sketching on scan data
Freeform reverse engineering
Automatic surfacing for converting freeform organic shapes just with a click of a button.
Deviation Analysis (comparing scan data to CAD)

Video Demonstrations

Our team created videos to show what Mesh2Surface can do.

Mesh2Surface For Rhino: Reverse Engineering Basics

Mesh2Surface For Rhino: Reverse Engineer Complex Organic Surfaces

Mesh2Surface For SOLIDWORKS: Reverse Engineering An Oil Pump Series

Mesh2Surface Review

Mesh2Surface has been reviewed by its users on Trustpilot. You can read all the reviews here.

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Recommended Reading

Can A 3D Scanner Directly Output A CAD Model?

QUICKSURFACE

Standalone Scan to CAD Software

QUICKSURFACE guides you through every step of the way to help you make the best decisions in creating accurate CAD models—with user control accuracy you can trust. Intuitive to use, QUICKSURFACE helps you create designs faster and more effectively in an often labor-intensive process.

QUICKSURFACE’S Approach To Reverse Engineering

While 3D scanners are coming down in price making the technology more accessible than ever before, 3D reverse engineering software can be expensive relative to its hardware counterpart—until now.

With plenty of scan to CAD tools at your disposal, QUICKSURFACE helps spread the use of the technology at a more affordable price point so more people can benefit from using scan data from a 3D scanner as a basis for design. QUICKSURFACE simplifies the path of converting 3D scans into usable CAD while giving users access to powerful tools.

It’s great for anyone looking for an affordable and well-rounded scan to CAD software. QUICKSURFACE has the power to work with prismatic or freeform shapes (and even hybrid), making it a very versatile reverse engineering software.

What We Love About QUICKSURFACE

• QUICKSURFACE is an affordable Scan to CAD plugin option.
• It works similar to other CAD software so the learning curve is not steep.
• You don’t have to be a CAD specialist to use it.
• It’s simple yet powerful.
• Even if you haven’t used QUICKSURFACE in a while, you just pick up where you left off.
• It offers standard CAD operations like trim, revolve, booleans, loft, sweep, extend, mirrors and patterns. Finish your work by adding fillets and chamfers.

How QUICKSURFACE Works

QUICKSURFACE helps you make the best decision in creating accurate CAD models using its proprietary best-fit algorithms. It gets the accuracy and design intent you need when building CAD models.

This Scan to CAD software has various tool kits to take on a wide range of reverse engineering projects to perform the job. You can create parametric models, hybrid parametric modeling for both organic and prismatic shapes. Export as industry-standard STEP or IGES file format to other CAD/ CAM packages or use your results for manufacturing (3D printing, CNC machining, etc.). QUICKSURFACE offers a full parametric tree into SOLIDWORKS.

Here are some of the main features of QUICKSURFACE with video demonstrations:

• 

  Parametric Modeling

  It’s a key feature of QUICKSURFACE. Parametric modeling makes it easy to modify and make changes to the parameters from solid bodies even at a later date.

• 

  Freeform Modeling

  With Quad Surface tool, reconstruct freeform surfaces for organic 3D mesh data not normally possible with the standard surfacing methods. Snap-to-mesh technology and real-time deviation analyzer empower you to create shapes accurately representing the scan data in no time.

• 

  Automatic Surfacing

  Load the mesh, press a button, and get desired results. Independent of the size and complexity of the object, the surface follows the natural shape of the object. You still have the ability to modify the automatic surface, if the design intent requires it.

• 

  Hybrid Modeling

  Reconstruct parts with both organic and prismatic shapes. Starting with freeform and basic primitives, you can build a complex CAD model by trimming them and can later change the surfaces based on the design intent.

Video Demonstration

QUICKSURFACE: How To Reverse Engineer Less Than Desirable Scan Data

Reverse Engineering from Scan Data to CAD with Artec Space Spider

QUICKSURFACE Review

“…QUICKSURFACE is about taking your mesh-based data out of your scanning process and achieving the geometry you want. Whether that’s a complete part, skinned and surfaced up, or a select set of reference surfaces from which you will begin to design another part, QUICKSURFACE handles these tasks in a very efficient, clearly defined and well-executed manner.”

Al Dean Co-founder, Develop3D

QUICKSURFACE landed on Develop3D Top 30 New Technologies that give product development work a major boost. There is also an extensive QUICKSURFACE review from Al Dean, Co-founder of Develop3D you can read it here: Read the full review.

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Recommended Reading

How Do I Reverse Engineer A Part Using Low-Quality 3D Scan Data?

Autodesk Fusion 360

Cloud-based 3D modeling with scan to CAD capabilities

Fusion 360 is not just a CAD/CAM software. You can also use 3D scanner data as a visual reference for sketching CAD models at an unbelievably low price.

Fusion 360’s Approach To Reverse Engineering

There is a growing popularity for designers, engineers, and machinists to use real-world data as the starting point for design. Fusion 360 is a powerful software at a price of just under $500 per year. With it being at the forefront and center as a CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB software platform for product design and manufacturing, you can also edit and repair imported scans or mesh models files (STL, OBJ, and now 3MF) as well as using them for creating CAD models.

With Fusion 360, you can create custom products like eyewear, apparel, or prosthetics based on a person’s unique curvatures and measurements using 3D scan data.

While this article focuses on using 3D scanner data as a basis for design, it is worth noting that many users (especially hobbyists, home users, students, and educators as there is a free version of Fusion 360 available) are using the software to add their own customization for downloaded STL mesh files from websites like Thingiverse and converting them into CAD models before 3D printing them.

What We Love About Autodesk Fusion 360

• Great value for the price.
• It’s at a good price point for people who are using a low-cost 3D scanner and need complementary software for converting scan data to CAD.
• Fusion 360 is great for a full manufacturing process. It’s not just offering reverse engineering capabilities but also CAM which covers the design of a product as well as manufacturing.

How it Works

If you want to test the waters and see if CAD modeling with basic scan to CAD features is for you, give Fusion 360 a try. Fusion 360 is better at handling less complicated scan data, typically mechanical parts (as opposed to organic freeform surfaces).

Here are some videos to give you a better idea of how Fusion 360 handles the scan to CAD process.

Reverse Engineering A Scanned Part in Autodesk Fusion 360 (STL to CAD)

QUICK TIP: Mesh to Solid Reboot

Fusion 360 Review

While it’s difficult to find reviews dedicated to Fusion 360’s scan to CAD capabilities, it has favorable reviews on G2 from users as a CAD/CAM software.

Which Scan to CAD Software is Right for Me?

A quick way to determine the most suitable for your needs

If price is a major factor…

Plugins are typically the best affordable solution with dedicated reverse engineering tools. Therefore, either Mesh2Surface for SOLIDWORKS or Rhino would be great options. If you aren’t using any CAD software and want dedicated reverse engineering tools, the best value we offer is Rhino with Mesh2Surface for Rhino. The combined purchase price of this package is just under $1,800 USD. Learn more >

If you are looking for a well-rounded standalone reverse engineering software…

QUICKSURFACE is a good choice.

If you already have SOLIDWORKS…

Mesh2Surface for SOLIDWORKS is the best option as you don’t need to learn another software.

If you already have Rhino3D…

Mesh2Surface for Rhino is the best option as it’s a plugin for Rhino software.

If you want to try CAD modeling and also want to test out basic reverse engineering tools…

Fusion 360 is a good choice as it’s the cheapest option that you can also do scan to CAD operations.

If budget is not an issue…

Geomagic Design X or Geomagic for SOLIDWORKS would be other options you should consider. They are considered high-end reverse engineering tools with comprehensive feature sets.

Affordable Scan to CAD Software Comparison

Here is a side-by-side comparison chart