I use scanned images to modify them in Rhino 3D, and Rhino works in Nurbs. I can convert STL to nurbs but it is a very difficult path, and not always successful. Would it be possible to add rhino file format to the export list and possibly the ability to add “point cloud” as a format? That would truly make it wonderful !
Now, I don’t work for revopoint, but I spent a lot of years modeling with polygons and nurbs in one program or another.
What you’re asking for–automatically turning a polygon-dense model into a nice, clean NURBS model–is basically impossible.
As far as exporting a point cloud, you already can do that, but I’ve found that they don’t necessarily have enough density for my purposes. Export the PLY or OBJ mesh, load it up in a (free) software called Cloud Compare, and then do a mesh sample on it. You can spit out however many millions of points you want, evenly distributed across the mesh surface.
Thanks for that. I remain ever hopeful {smile}
Hi @Walraven
We will discuss with product team and see if it is possible, thank you for your proposal.
Best Regards
Revopoint Team
I have been using scanners and Rhino for roughly 20 years. The best you can do is take your raw scan ( Mesh stl ) into Meshmixer ( free ) and smooth the point cloud to an acceptable level to use as construction geometry. Import your modified mesh into Rhino and do an intersect surfaces command ( or section command ) to create the curves you will use to loft, sweep or network curve into nurbs surfaces. That is not simple but it really works and is as good as you are going to do unless you have the budget to get Geomagic. Even then the process is similar, just internalized with automated macros.
I have seen a lot of similar posts with folks disappointed in some aspect or another of the Revopoint POP scanner. In the last month I have scanned a life size steer and multiple footballs to make molds for them both. In both cases the final product was a physical model to make aluminum molds from for production. The models are checked by a third party inspection and have held very demanding tolerances faithfully.
For the price, I cannot imagine a better investment anywhere other than possibly training to better understand how these different geometries actually create surfaces and why they do not mix well at all.
I DO think the promotional videos tend to create the false illusion of "push button " scan to print functionality giving many the hope of getting a scanner and not having to do much post processing at all to have models that will work with any software.
I only scan from a laptop and do not even hope to get the same funtionality from a phone for several reasons. I may give it a try just for kicks, but I do this all day at work and when I do finally go home my kayak or my redhead need my undivided attention.
Best of luck , Phill
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Hi Phil, thanks for that. In the past I have used the project lines over an stl model and then loft the results, and yes that does work. The reason I keep being hopeful is that rhino does interface to about three scanners directly. Alas I don’t have any of those. So far the best one I have is the David/HP one with dual cameras. So I can make it work, but I will try your method even if just for fun {smile}
Thanks Walraven, I was not aware that any scanners interfaced directly into Rhino. I did a quick search and did not find the references. Could you possibly post a link to one. That has my curiosity piqued. I may have been wasting a lot of my own time since I have quite a few scanners available to me.
PS I started with a FARO phase shift scanner doing very large scale work and then went to a David that I put together myself for smaller work in my shop and had a WAY lot more fun with the David ! 
Hi Carver,
My latest version of Rhino is 5
Look under the “tools/3-D Digitizer” tab.
There you will find:
Faro Digitizer.
MicroScribe Digitizer.
Romer Digitizer.
Faro USB Digitizer.
Hope that helps
Hey Walraven,Sorry for the slow reply I have been off-grid for a good long while. The digitizers referenced in Rhino are not scanners at all.
I own 2 ( Microscribe and Faro ) of them and have used them all. Release 7 of Rhino only has 3, Microscribe, Faro and Romer as available digitizers.
They collect single points or at best a string of points when you drag a stylus along a surface. This is way different from the 1 million points per second even an older scanner like mine collects. I know that Revopoint does not collect anywhere near this volume, but each individual point is still a stand-alone 3d object demanding transfer bandwidth and storage space. This is a real limiter for start-ups like Revopoint that probably have no hope of licensing the algorithms that handle the data that fast. Those sequencing/presentation algorithms were developed by gaming developers to allow desktop computers to deal with more data than seems possible. It is really just based on anticipated need and seem obvious after it is developed by someone else, but when they own the patents, the price to use their work is plain nasty.
Hello Carver, thanks for the reply. Yes paying for use of patented material is a real killer. As I said I remain hopeful. I have been hoping for a good solution since the early days of David. I too made one Myself but eventually went to a full twin camera setup. I printed the slider for the second camera, after drawing it up in rhino. It can be a pain when the latest software every now and then requires re-calibration even though the setup hasn’t been changed.
Thanks again, Wal.