What is the purpose of the Scribe-iT software?

Scribe-iT is an advanced real-time interactive 3D input, digitizing, manipulation, measurement and reverse engineering solution for supported 3D Digitizers / Portable CMMs and mainstream 3D Software applications.
Scribe-iT provides an advanced and powerfully flexible 3D digitizing solution for FaroArm CMMs and MicroScribe digitizers. Scribe-iT is fully integrated with host applications and Windows platform combining various methods to view and interact with 3D objects, to sample, measure and create datums, including Splines, Polygons, Splines to NURBS, geometric Solids and Shapes. Scribe-iT is offers interactive data capture, manipulation, creation, editing, visualization, navigation, camera and animation control for CMMs in the world's most popular 3D modeling, CAD and animation packages.
Scribe-iT is one of the most widely used CMM integration solutions of its kind...
Global Industry leaders such as Boeing, Disney, Electronic Arts, Honda, Intel, Lockheed Martin, IBM, Sony, VW, the U.S Military, and even the world's most prestigious Universities and Schools have all benefitted from the powerful 3D input solutions Scribe-iT offers.
Scribe-iT's range of professional applications include: Reverse Engineering, 3D Digitizing and Modeling, Manufacturing R&D, Interactive Product Demonstration, Metrology, Architectural and Forensic Animation, Character Animation, 3D-Visualization, Quality Control, Real Time 3D Part Inspection, Part-to-CAD, Product Design, and more.

Learn more about Scribe-iT solutions at the Scribe-iT product site.

Which 3D Digitizers, CMMs, and software are supported?

Scribe-iT supports various 3D Digitizers and CMMs, including FaroArm CMMs (including the latest Quantum, Platinum, Advantage, Titanium, etc, as well as older Bronze, Silver, Gold Series FaroArms) and MicroScribe 3D Digitizers, including the MicroScribe 3D series, G2 series, and MX series, as well as the 6-DOF devices.
Scribe-iT also supports such a wide variety of mainstream 3D applications (such as Autodesk 3D modeling, animation, and CAD software products), Solidworks, Maya, and others. Since the list of supported Host Applications is cnotinuously being updated, please contact us directly for more information on which Host Application products and release versions are being supported by Scribe-iT currently.

What are the differences between Scribe-iT DCC and Scribe-iT CAD?

Features and applications!
There's to much to write here, but please follow the links to the main feature overviews for Scribe-iT DCC and Scribe-iT CAD. Below we offer a brief description of some differences...

Scribe-iT DCC (base package) offers a powerful set of DCC features (digital content creation and organic modeling features) for quickly and accurately digitizing 3D models and visualizing complex surfaces that you can capture and manipulate with the supported 3D devices.
Learn more about Scribe-iT DCC here.

Scribe-iT CAD (feature rich) offers all of the features of Scribe-iT DCC plus much, much more. Some of the extras include interactive capture of parametric geometric Solids and Spline shapes, Measurement tools, super robust helper tools for 3D Planar capture, snaps and edits, Data Reporting to spreadsheets, Point Editing, enhanced User Interface, and more. Scribe-iT CAD is great for Designers and Engineers, but also applicable to Research, Simulation, Animation, Quality Control, Design, Re-design, and all sorts of digital capture applications using the supported 3D Digitizers and CMM devices.
Learn more about Scribe-iT CAD here.

How accurate is Scribe-iT?

Data capture is precisely as accurate as the digitizer device you are using with Scribe-iT. Please refer to the supported device specifications for this information.
However, depending on whether or not you edit your model during a digitizing session, by using Scribe-iT's proprietary snapping features you can place points with an even higher degree of accuracy.

Does Scribe-iT come with documentation, a manual, or tutorials?

Scribe-iT comes with extensive reference information and tutorials in the form of a searchable and menu driven help file. There is no printed manual as the product is distributed electronically in an easy-to-install setup executable. However, the help file contains full color illustrations and many photographs and diagrams in the tutorials which are step-by-step detailed instructions on how to accomplish simple to more advanced digitizing techniques.

Can I upgrade my existing version of Scribe-iT or MicroScribe-MAX to a newer version?

Yes, you can. Scribe-iT DCC and CAD can be upgraded to the latest release under an active Software Maintenance term or extended Software Maintenance plan. Please contact Support if you need further assitance.
You can also upgrade Scribe-iT DCC to Scribe-iT CAD by contacting our Sales department.
Additionally, MicroScribe-MAX can be upgraded to Scribe-iT DCC by filling out the Upgrade MicroScribe-MAX to Scribe-iT Approval form. When you have supplied the necessary information for approval, and you have received your approval you can go to the GHOST 3D Product Order form to review the current upgrade pricing. When you place your order you will be prompted to enter the Upgrade Approval password you received in the Upgrade Approval e-mail. This will allow you to proceed with upgrade order, payment, and download.

Does Scribe-iT come with Surf-iT modeling tools?

Yes. Scribe-iT includes built-in versions of the Surf-iT 3D modeling modules incorporated as part of the Scribe-iT product (it is not separate).

Is there a tryout or trial opportunity for Scribe-iT?

Yes. Since there are various Scribe-iT solution packages that support a variety of different CMM / Digitizer devices, Platforms and Host Applications, we recommend you contact us or simply order and download the latest version of the appropriate Scribe-iT package. When you are prompted to submit your Software installation setup and registration information, you may either request a Full License, or a "Trial License" for a 14-Day Evaluation Period to try out Scribe-iT. If you decide Scribe-iT is not right for you, you may return it for refund within the 14-day evaluation period. We also invite you to e-mail us any questions you may have about the Software and the products it supports. The Scribe-iT family of solutions offers a variety of packages, integrations, and features for a diverse array of applications, and we aim to ensure your complete satisfaction. Our staff is happy to explain product options, details and support at anytime before, during, or after your evaluation.

How do I authorize my installation of Scribe-iT?

After you have obtained your Setup authorization and the Authorization Key(s) from GHOST 3D, you can activate Scribe-iT by navigating seprately to the Authorization Panel of each of the Scribe-iT and Surf-iT User Interfaces in the Host Application. You will need to enter the Authorization Key for Scribe-iT and Surf-iT separately in their respective UI panels. If you are having trouble finding the Scribe-iT and Surf-iT plug-in module interfaces, refer to the Installation notes in the help files found in the \help sub-folder.

How do I animate a 3D object in the scene using the CMM or 3D digitizer device?

Use Scribe-iT CAM features to manipulate and animated linked objects. You can link any object or object hierarchy to the Scribe-iT camera as a dummy, and then use the digitizer (FaroArm or MicroScribe) to manipulate them, and use Scribe-iT CAM's set key features to animated them. You can also make hierarchies, and then link any other MAX object to each Scribe-iT CAM object in the hierarchy to maintain control of each object in the hierarchy.

Can I digitize NURBS models with Scribe-iT?

Yes. Actually you can digitize Spline Curves with Scribe-iT (that are completely NURBS compatible, but draw more quickly with the digitizer). You can control the accuracy and start/end of curves by using different knot types. You can then convert the whole object and all its Splines to NURBS with one click. The curves can be surfaced using all the available NURBS surface tools. Scribe-iT has the flexibility of being able to create and change between Corner and Smooth points on the fly as you digitize. This enables you to control where the start and end points of NURBS curves occur, when you convert the ScribeItSpline object to NURBS. The resulting model is NURBS curves with Point-Curve-Points at the exact locations captured by the digitizer.
Power Digitizer Pack also allows you to convert digitized Mesh-to-Splines-to-NURBS.

How do I get a smooth seamless surfaces with complex models?

This depends on your creation method, and your preferred technique. If you digitize Splines, you can surface them instantly with the Surf-iT Patch or Surf-iT Mesh modifiers that come with Scribe-iT. Scribe-iT is the most flexible solution to providing digitized surfaces with a probe digitizer, because not only does Scribe-iT offer the world's premiere polygon data capturing tools, it also lets you create Splines and gridworks of intersecting quad (or tri) shape Splines, or you can create Spline parallel sections, to be automatically connected into a gridwork of intersecting Splines. Splines can be used as straight segmented shapes, Bezier Splines, or converted to NURBS curves for editing with NURBS tools. Or, you can digitize individual polygon mesh faces very quickly and powerfully. Additionally, you can use the proprietary Mesh Strips operations to create rows of mesh faces by digitizing parallel lines very quickly. Depending on which of these creation modes or methods you use, you can determine the best method for tracing the contours of the physical object in order to provide the smoothest or most accurate surface reproduction of the physical object. The techniques most professionals use with Scribe-iT vary widely because of the variety of tools Scribe-iT provides. Many DCC (Digital Contect Creations professionals such as Product Designers, Architectural and Engineering professionals, Film and Video Game modelers, etc.) utilize the Spline to Surf-iT Patch methodology for the flexibility in editing. Some use Scribe-iT's superior polygon/mesh creation tools to generate data and surface with high precision accuracy. Some use these operations combined with post-process smoothing to generate additional resolution from the accurately sampled data. The choices are abundant with Scribe-iT, and each have their own advantages.

Can I move or rotate the 3D object I am digitizing without losing the relationship between the digitizer device, the physical object, and the 3D object?

Yes. Scribe-iT has a proprietary advanced Reference Point System(tm) (RPS), which actually allows you to move or rotate the object you are digitizing in the scene and still re-establish the relationship between 3d object, digitizer device, and physical object. This is usually done after you have finished digitizing, but can be done anytime. Be sure not to manipulate or reset the pivot point, nor scale or reset the transform (transformation matrix). If you move or rotate the object, simply activate one of the standard digitizing operations and input Reference Points.

Can Scribe-iT digitize objects (capture data from objects) larger than the volumetric range of the device?

Yes it can. All versions of Scribe-iT's advanced Reference Point System(tm) (RPS) support the ability to change the referencing system at any time in any session. This means you can move the digitizer to get to regions of large physical objects that are not within the initial reach of the digitizer. You can simply move from area to area of the physical object by easily changing the RPS. This is sometimes referred to as "leap-frogging", but Scribe-iT's RPS makes this easier, quicker, and more accurate than other digitizing or scanning solutions that are limited by the range of the device itself.