Texel Studio 3: User Manual

Overview

Texel Studio 3 is a software for Texel 3D scanners that supports all Texel Portal models, such as Texel Portal BX/MX/RX/FX. Texel Studio 3 can perform 3D scanning, display results, organize 3D scans, supports basic editing and export to all popular 3D file formats. Additional features, such as human body measurements, may be available if a corresponding addon is installed.

This manual describes the basic functionality of Texel Studio 3 and key aspects for effective use of the software with Texel Portal 3D scanners. It is assumed that Texel Studio 3 is already installed on your computer or laptop, the license is registered, a supported 3D scanner is assembled and connected, and the preset for this 3D scanner has been imported into Texel Studio 3. If the software is not yet installed, please refer to the Texel Studio 3 Installation and Initial Setup Instructions.

This manual contains information about the current version of Texel Studio 3 and is being updated as new versions are released and functionality is expanded.

Key Concepts

• 3D Scan is a digital three-dimensional representation of a physical object obtained using a special device (3D scanner). It contains information about the geometry (surface) and may additionally contain color information and various metadata. Texel Studio 3 stores 3D scans in a special internal compressed format (a 3D scan file has the ".scan" extension).

• 3D Scanning is a process of creating a 3D scan. It usually consists of two stages: recording (capturing) the data and building (fusing) a 3D scan from the obtained data (depth and color frames) taking into account the configuration of the 3D scanner and other settings. Texel Studio 3 supports saving original recorded video sequences (video sequence files have the ".dat" extension) so that you can rebuild the 3D scan later (for example, with different settings).

• 3D Scanner is a device for recording (capturing) the information about the scanned object. It consists of various electronic and mechanical components that provide a 360-degree view of the scanned object (3D scanning rig), as well as several depth and color sensors (RGB-D cameras). 3D scanner obtains video sequences of depth and color frames, which are then processed in Texel Studio 3 to create the final 3D scan. Texel producrs several models of Texel Portal 3D scanners, that allow both the object (usually a person) to rotate and the sensors to rotate around the object being scanned (in this case, the person remains stationary).

• Scan Preset (or 3D Scanner Preset) is a configuration of a specific 3D scanner (sensor positions and settings, scan volume size, calibration data, and other information). Each Texel 3D scanner comes with a customized preset in XML format, which must be imported into Texel Studio 3 before you can start scanning.

• 3D Scan Fusion (or 3D Scan Building) is a process of constructing a 3D scan from individual depth and color frames. Building a 3D scan is a resource-intensive optimization process, so Texel Studio 3 uses NVIDIA CUDA technology for fast parallel computations using a graphics processing unit (GPU). The result of the fusion process is a 3D scan file with the ".scan" extension.

• Project is a way to group multiple 3D scans. For example, a single project can contain 3D scans of one person to simplify search and organize structured data storage. Project name can be anything except for special characters that are not allowed in the file or folder name of the operating system used. Physically, a project is a directory on the disk that contains subdirectories for 3D scans.

• Workspace is a directory on your computer that stores projects (which, in turn, contain 3D scans). Texel Studio 3 user interface includes the Workspace Explorer panel for quick navigation between projects and 3D scans.

• 3D Model (or Polygonal Model) is a classic representation of 3D data in computer graphics in the form of a polygonal mesh - a set of points connected by polygons (usually triangles). This representation is standard for applications in the field of 3D graphics and modeling. Popular file formats for storing 3D models include OBJ, PLY, STL, FBX, glTF, and others. Texel Studio 3 supports exporting 3D scans to many formats, ensuring compatibility with third-party software.

• Export is the process of creating a polygonal model with the required characteristics based on a 3D scan and saving this 3D model in one of the supported formats.

User Interface

The main window of Texel Studio 3 consists of the following elements:

• Menu bar containing the File, View, Tools, and Help items.

• Toolbar containing buttons with icons for the most common tasks.

• A set of panels with main functionality (e.g., Workspace Explorer, Export, Color Correction, etc.). These panels are implemented as dock widgets, meaning they can be placed anywhere within the main window and can also be detached from it. If desired, unused panels can be hidden (panel visibility can be controlled via the View menu or using the toolbar buttons). To reset the window layout to its original state, use the View > Reset Window Layout menu item.

• The main working area of the window is used to view 3D scans (viewport).

You can change the user interface language and theme in Settings (File > Settings... menu, User Interface section).

3D Scanning

Follow these steps to perform your first 3D scan:

• Assemble, turn on, and connect the 3D scanner to your PC (according to the assembly guide for your 3D scanner model). Your 3D scanner preset must be imported into Texel Studio 3.

• Some Texel Portal 3D scanner models require initialization to determine the starting position. To initialize, press the button on the 3D scanner control panel. Texel Portal FX is ready to use immediately and does not require initialization.

• Launch Texel Studio 3 and click the New Scan... button (on the toolbar, on the start screen, in the File menu, or using the Ctrl+N keyboard shortcut), which will open the New Scan window:

  

• At the top part of the window there are controls for selecting the current 3D scanner and its settings:

  • The Scanning Rig drop-down list contains devices recognized by Texel Studio 3 that are connected to the PC. If the list is empty, make sure that your 3D scanner is turned on and the USB cable from the 3D scanner controller is connected to the PC, then click the Refresh button to search for compatible devices again.

  • The Rig Motion Profile drop-down list contains motion profiles (speed, acceleration, and other settings) supported by the 3D scanner. On some Texel 3D scanner models (such as BX, MX, and RX), motion profile settings are not available and in that case this parameter will not be displayed.

  • The Scan Preset drop-down list contains the active 3D scanner preset imported into Texel Studio 3. Texel Studio 3 supports the use of multiple presets (for example, if two scanners are connected to the PC, or if you need to create a separate customized preset with modified parameters).

• The New Scan section in the center of the window contains text fields for entering the name of the project and the 3D scan:

  • The Project Name field lets you specify the name of a new or existing project (start typing the project name, and a pop-up hint will show you existing projects that match your input).

  • The Scan Name field lets you specify the name of the 3D scan. By default, it is generated from the current date and time, but you can specify any custom name.

• The Start Capture button starts the 3D scanning process. After clicking it, a countdown will begin (the countdown duration can be changed in the settings - File > Settings... menu). After the countdown the 3D scanner will start moving, and sensors will capture incoming video sequences. You can also load previously captured data using the Load Capture... button - select the folder containing the "scan.xml" file and files with the ".dat" extension.

• For best results, remain completely still during 3D scanning (the start and end of data capture are accompanied by sound notifications). It is best to stand with your back to the sensors initially, and while moving, look straight ahead. There is no need to hold your breath. Capture progress and remaining time are displayed in the progress bar (depending on the 3D scanner model and the selected motion profile):

  

• Pressing the Stop Capture button immediately stops the 3D scanner motion and interrupts the recording process.

• 3D scan fusion will start automatically once data capture is complete:

  

• Once fusion is complete, the 3D scan will be available for viewing, exporting, and other actions.

Viewing a 3D Scan

Once the 3D scan has been created (or when opening a previously created 3D scan), you can view it, zoom in, rotate it, and pan the virtual camera.

• Move the mouse with the left button pressed to rotate the 3D scan. If you are using a laptop touchpad, move your finger across the touchpad while pressing it.

• Use the mouse wheel to zoom in or out. On a touchpad, you can use a pinch gesture (touch the touchpad with your thumb and index finger and move them apart to zoom in; to zoom out, do the opposite and move them closer together).

• Move the mouse with the wheel (middle mouse button) pressed to pan the virtual camera. On a laptop touchpad, you can move your finger across the touchpad while pressing it and holding down the Shift key with your other hand.

• To reset the camera position, double-click on the 3D scan view window, or use the Reset Camera button on the toolbar, in the View menu, in the context menu when right-clicking in the viewport, or press the Home key on your keyboard.

• To enable or disable color display, use the Show Color button on the toolbar, in the View menu, in the context menu when right-clicking in the viewport, or press the C key on your keyboard.

Workspace Explorer

Workspace helps to conveniently store and search for 3D scans and projects. A project is a way to organize 3D scans together (for example, 3D scans of the same person taken at different times). The Texel Studio 3 user interface provides a Workspace Explorer panel for navigating the workspace:

If the Workspace Explorer panel is not visible, you can enable it on the toolbar, in the View > Workspace Explorer menu, or by using the Ctrl+Shift+W keyboard shortcut.

The main features for managing the workspace include:

• The Filter Projects field is designed to quickly search for projects. Start typing part of the project name to find it. Clearing the field resets the filter.

• To sort by name or creation date, click on the corresponding column header. Clicking it again reverses the sort order.

• To view 3D scans within a project, click on the arrow icon to the left of the folder icon. Clicking again collapses the list of 3D scans.

• To open a 3D scan, double-click on the 3D scan with the left mouse button, or select it and press the Space key on your keyboard.

• To create a new project, right-click on the empty space and select New Project (or use the Ctrl+Shift+N keyboard shortcut). In addition, the name of the project (new or existing) can be specified directly in the New Scan dialog when creating a new 3D scan.

• To rename a project or 3D scan, first select it, then left-click again. You can also use the F2 key or the Rename item in the context menu (opened by right-clicking on the project or 3D scan).

• To delete a project or 3D scan, select it and press the Del key, or use the Delete option in the context menu.

• To move a 3D scan between projects, you can drag and drop it with the left mouse button held down, or use the Move... option in the 3D scan context menu.

• To star a 3D scan or project, select Mark As Starred from the context menu of a 3D scan or a project, or use the S key on the keyboard to mark the selected item: marking with a star helps you quickly find the scan you are interested in later. You can also mark items by simply left-clicking in the column with the star icon.

• To import a file with the ".scan" extension into a project, select Import scan... from the project context menu or press Ctrl+I. This feature is useful if you need to import a downloaded (e.g., from the cloud) 3D scan or a 3D scan made with other Texel software (e.g., Texel AutoScan).

• The Scan Preview panel, paired with the Workspace Explorer panel, lets you quickly see a thumbnail for the selected 3D scan, which makes it easier and faster to find the 3D scan you need. For this feature to work, preview image generation must be enabled in Settings (File > Settings... menu).

Color Correction

The color correction tools built into Texel Studio 3 help to adjust the optimal color representation under various lighting conditions. Color correction in Texel Studio 3 is based on the Lift-Gamma-Gain (LGG) scheme, which is often used for color correction in video editors. Texel Studio 3 also supports saving a color correction preset for future use (and set it as a preset that will be applied automatically to all new 3D scans).

If the Color Correction panel is not visible, you can enable it on the toolbar, in the View > Color Correction menu, or by using the Ctrl+Shift+C keyboard shortcut.

The main color correction controls include:

• The Preset section contains a list of saved color correction presets (a preset contains a set of particular parameter values). The preset refers to the color correction parameters saved in the 3D scan itself, while the preset leaves the colors as they were captured by the color cameras during 3D scanning without modification. Texel Studio 3 installation contains a number of presets with common settings, and the first step in tuning color correction values can be to quickly iterate through built-in presets and then fine-tune the most suitable one. To the right of the Preset drop-down list are the Save and Delete buttons for saving and deleting the selected preset.

• The Dark (Lift) section contains 3 parameters (for red, green, and blue channels) that allow you to adjust the hue and intensity of dark areas (shadows).

• The Middle (Gamma) section contains parameters that allow you to adjust the hue and intensity of midtones.

• The Light (Gain) section contains parameters that allow you to adjust the hue and intensity of highlights.

• The Saturation parameter is used to adjust the overall color saturation. Minimum saturation gives a black and white result.

To save changes to the 3D scan color correction parameters, use the File > Save menu item or the Ctrl+S key combination. To apply the color correction preset to all new 3D scans automatically, select it in Settings: File > Settings... menu, then 3D Scanner Configuration > Color Correction.

Exporting a 3D Model

The process of exporting a 3D model includes data processing (removing the stand, aligning, filling holes in the surface, etc.), constructing a polygonal mesh with the specified parameters, and saving the resulting mesh in one of the supported file formats for storing 3D data. Texel Studio 3 supports the following formats: OBJ, GLB, glTF, COLLADA (DAE), FBX, X3D, STL, 3MF, PLY, OFF. An important difference between formats is the ability and supported methods of storing color information: some formats do not support color at all (e.g., STL), some support storing the colors of each vertex (e.g., PLY), while others allow storing color in a texture (e.g., OBJ, FBX, GLB, glTF, and others). The assumed units and the default orientation of the coordinate axes also differ among formats and software.

The easiest way to export a 3D model from Texel Studio 3 is to use the Quick Export (File > Quick Export... menu, or the button on the toolbar, or the Ctrl+E keyboard shortcut). Quick export mode lets you select one of the supported formats and uses the optimal export settings for it, such as units, model orientation, color representation, and other parameters. For quick export to supported CAD systems, you can use the File > Export for CAD menu.

For advanced export, you can use the Export panel. If the Export panel is not visible, you can enable it on the toolbar, in the View > Export menu, or by using the Ctrl+Shift+E keyboard shortcut.

Let's take a closer look at the export settings:

• The Color Mode drop-down list allows you to choose one of the color representation methods: No Color, Vertex Colors, and Texture. Exporting without color is useful, for example, for printing on an FDM 3D printer, vertex colors can be useful when working in some 3D packages (such as ZBrush), while texture is the most optimal way to represent color in terms of both detail and the size of the final files.

• The Texture Size drop-down list lets you select the size of the texture image (in pixels). A size of 4096x4096 is usually optimal.

• The Texture Format drop-down list allows you to select the compression method for the texture file - the JPEG format takes up less disk space but compresses with (visually imperceptible) losses, while PNG compresses without losses, but the resulting texture file will take up more space.

• The Embed Texture checkbox lets you embed a texture file into a 3D model file, if the format supports that (e.g., FBX, glTF, and GLB).

• The Output Units drop-down list is used to select the desired units of measurement in the resulting file. The coordinates of the 3D model points will be scaled during export according to the selected units.

• The Target Triangle Count parameter specifies the target number of polygons (triangles) in the final 3D model. The number of triangles affects the detail and smoothness of the model's surface. The optimal value for most applications (without color or with texture) is in the range of 50,000-500,000 triangles. For vertex colors, a larger number may be required, for example, from 1 to 8 million, to ensure the desired color detail.

• The Mesh Details drop-down list allows you to add additional details to the geometry for better visual perception, but for applications where accuracy and stability are required (e.g., body measurements), it is better to use the Default mesh details to avoid introducing any additional error.

• The Mesh Type drop-down list determines whether the polygonal mesh will consist of more or less identical equilateral triangles (Uniform), or whether the size and shape of triangles will vary to better represent surface curvature, taking into account the target number of triangles (Adaptive).

  

• The Align And Reorient checkbox is used to align the model using the plane of the stand, compensating for possible deviations from the vertical position of the 3D scanner setup, and also rotates the 3D model facing the Z-axis (if the Y-axis is pointing upwards), regardless of how the person was positioned on the stand during 3D scanning.

  

• The Trim Stand checkbox allows you to trim the stand during export and fill the resulting holes in the surface.

• The Vertical Axis drop-down list lets you select the "up" direction. For most 3D packages, the Y axis is usually the "up" direction, but for some 3D printing and CAD programs, the default "up" direction may be the Z axis.

• After configuring the export settings, click the Export button. Only formats that support the selected settings will be offered (for example, texture is not supported in the STL format, so when texture color mode is selected, STL format will not be offered for export).

• If you need to return the export parameters to their default values, use the Reset Export Options button to the right of the Export button.

Changing Settings

Use the File > Settings... menu item to open the configuration window:

Let's take a look at the main configuration options:

• In the User Interface section, you can change the current user interface language and theme.

• In the Data Storage section, you can specify a directory for storing 3D scans (Workspace Path) - for example, you can store data on a separate disk.

• The Data Capture section allows you to enable and disable the recording of source video frames to disk (for the ability to later rebuild the 3D scan with different parameters), change the capture countdown duration, and enable and disable sound notifications during 3D scanning.

• In the Data Processing section you can enable and disable image generation for quick preview of 3D scans (in the Scan Preview panel), as well as select the GPU device used for computations if there are several present in your system.

• The 3D Scanner Configuration section lets you manage 3D scanner presets if you are using multiple devices with your computer or if you need different configurations. The Edit... button allows you to edit the 3D scanner preset in XML format (for advanced use). It is recommended that you always make a backup copy of the 3D scanner preset before making any changes. The Color Correction parameter allows you to set a color correction preset that will be applied to all new 3D scans (it takes precedence over the color correction parameters specified in the 3D scanner preset).

To apply the new settings, click the OK button. The Cancel button discards all changes made.