3D Scanning & Photogrammetry
A Bench-Ready Guide to Capture Workflow and Mesh Processing for Restoration and Fabrication
★★★★★4.0 · 5 reviewsby Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Move from messy scans to accurate, printable meshes. A bench-ready guide to capture planning and mesh processing for restoration and fabrication.
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About this book
If you've tried photogrammetry and ended up with holes, noise, and misaligned scans, this book is for you. It's not a beginner's overview—it's a field manual for the serious hobbyist who needs to capture existing objects accurately for restoration, replication, or reverse engineering. You'll learn how to plan a capture session, set up your camera and lighting for different materials, and execute a capture pattern that guarantees good alignment. Then you'll move into the mesh processing pipeline, with step-by-step procedures for cleaning, decimating, and creating watertight models that are ready for 3D printing or CAD import.
Every chapter is structured for bench use: tables of camera settings by material, capture checklists, and troubleshooting guides for common alignment and mesh errors. You'll find exact values for overlap percentages, lighting angles, and processing thresholds—no vague 'as needed' advice. The book also includes a complete worked project, from capture planning to final mesh, so you can see the entire workflow in action.
Whether you're restoring a vintage motorcycle part, replicating a missing knob, or fabricating a custom bracket, this book gives you the repeatable workflow to get it right the first time. No more wasted hours in front of the computer trying to fix a bad capture—learn to plan for success from the start.
Reader Reviews
David Martin
★★★★★I've been doing photogrammetry for a year and always struggled with getting clean meshes. This book finally explained why my alignment was failing and gave me exact settings for my camera and software. The capture planning sheets are a game-changer—I used one for a small brass fitting and got a perfect scan on the first try. The troubleshooting chapter saved me hours of forum searching. Highly recommend for anyone serious about getting accurate models.
Donald Anderson
★★★★★It's a solid reference, but I expected more on the processing side for different software. The book focuses on generic concepts, which is fine, but I had to adapt a lot for my specific program. The capture planning sheets are useful, but I wish there were more examples for larger objects. Still, it's better than the YouTube rabbit hole I was stuck in.
Elizabeth Green
★★★★★Decent book, but some sections felt repetitive, especially the camera settings talk. I also found the troubleshooting table a bit too generic—I wanted more specific fixes for common issues like reflective surfaces. That said, the worked project was helpful, and it gave me a clear workflow to follow. It's a good addition to my library, but not the only book you'll need.
Timothy Garcia
★★★★★As a restorer, I need accurate models of old parts, and this book has been a lifesaver. The material-specific lighting guide helped me capture a shiny chrome piece without any glare, and the mesh cleanup steps gave me a watertight model that printed perfectly. The project chapter on the carburetor float bowl walked me through every step, and I got a model within tolerance. This is the book I keep on my bench.
Margaret Torres
★★★★★I've read a lot about photogrammetry online, but this book organizes everything into a practical workflow that actually works. The tables for camera settings by material are worth the price alone. I do wish there were more on using drones for larger objects, but the hand-held section covered what I needed. The FAQ chapter answered my question about using a phone for scanning—it's not recommended for precision work, and now I know why.