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 CMMs. Scribe-iT is currently available as extensions to the latest versions of 3ds max, Autodesk VIZ, and older versions of Autodesk's 3D Studio MAX. 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 Splines, Meshes, Mesh Strips and to convert Splines to NURBS. Scribe-iT also is the first software to offer interactive visualization, navigation, camera and animation control for CMMs in the world's most popular 3D modeling and animation packages. You can find out more about Scribe-iT on the Scribe-iT product page.

Which software is supported, and which digitizers are supported?

Currently, Scribe-iT supports FaroArm Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium, and Advantage Series FaroArms, as well as all Immersion's MicroScribe 3D, G2, M, and X models of digitizers (further hardware support is in the works). Scribe-iT supports a variety of mainstream 3D applications including Maya, 3ds max, Autodesk VIZ, CAD and other 3D CAM and modeling applications. Please contact us for more information on which Host Application software products Scribe-iT supports.

How accurate is Scribe-iT?

Scribe-iT is precisely as accurate as the digitizer you are using with Scribe-iT. Please refer to the digitizer's 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 MicroScribe-MAX plugin to Scribe-iT?

Yes. 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.
Note: You can also upgrade Scribe-iT DCC to Scribe-iT CAD.

Does Scribe-iT come with all the Surf-iT modeling tools, even if I upgrade?

Yes. Scribe-iT includes the full Surf-iT modeling kit built into the Scribe-iT installation, whether you upgrade from MicroScribe-MAX or purchase Scribe-iT for the first time.

If I have Scribe-iT now, will I need to pay an upgrade fee to be compatible with the next release of MAX?

No. If the upgrade is just a compatibility upgrade to the next release of MAX, there will be no additional fee. Compatibility upgrades will be announced when they are released or projected for release.

Is there a trial version of Scribe-iT?

You can order the product and request a 14 day trial if you are unsure if Scribe-iT is suited to your needs.

I didn't have my authorization key when I installed Scribe-iT. Do I need to reinstall Scribe-iT to authorize it?

No, you do not need to re-install Scribe-iT. After you have obtained your Authorization Key from GHOST 3D, you can authorize Scribe-iT by navigating to the Scribe-iT and Surf-iT UIs in the Host Application. You will need to enter the authorization keys for Scribe-iT and Surf-iT separately in their respective UI panels. To find the plugin modules, refer to the Installation notes in the help files found in the \help sub-directory of your 3DS MAX or VIZ root directory.

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 digitize objects (capture data from objects) larger than the volumetric range of the device?

Yes you 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 any other alignment system.