Solidify: an GPL tool for align 3D scans

One more time Werner Almesberger, member of Qi-hardware Community, surprise us with a new and amazing tool, Solidify, based on a very simple concept.

If anyone still doubt about the motivation on create an Open Projects, just read the phrase used by Werner to present the tool in the list:

Ok, back to work:

Solidify is a tool that allow us to obtain a solid representation of an object adjusting the orientation of opposing faces from 3d scanned parts. A very important contribution to the Open Hardware project toolbox like Schhist.

Solidify use the comma-separated point clouds generated by Dr.Picza3 to define the piece in POV-Ray.

Scanning separate parts of an object can generate unexpected problems when we think in Re-mount the object "virtually" because one of the scanned pieces could be inclined, rotated, or shifted. Solidify provide a way to solve this issues implementing:
*** (this part is so well explained in the readme, so I'll use it here)

- Align the two faces by rotating them around the z axis and by shifting them in the x and y direction.

- Set the distance between the z0 plane of the top face and the z0 plane of the bottom face. This defines the thickness at some point of the part.

- Change the inclination of the part along the x and y axis (i.e., the part's z plane is tilted). The general assumption is that the part is
scanned with its main surfaces parallel to the z plane and that only small adjustments are necessary.

- Change the part's height above the z plane. There is a conceptual z0 plane, parallel to the z plane, that is coplanar with a reference surface in the face. The height of the z0 plane above the z plane
can be adjusted.

Except for setting the distance between z0 planes, all these operations are interactive. Solidify furthermore provides visual clues that help to minimize anomalies.

By now Solidify only generates a POV-Ray output, but is quite promissing to go further implementing other format exportation possibilities. It could be very interesting to develop a STL output to use this tool in rapid prototyping or computer-aided manufacturing processes and dispose other 3d software output formats will be very useful, so any contribution to this project will be wellcome.

Project url
http://projects.qi-hardware.com/index.php/p/cae-tools/

Use Notes
http://projects.qi-hardware.com/index.php/p/cae-tools/source/tree/master...

Thanks a lot Werner ;) ... Again