3DMakerPro Toucan: How to Not Throw it Through the Nearest Window

The top anvil is a 150+ year old anvil that has been passed down in my family. On the bottom is a sub-millimeter accurate 3D printed copy of said anvil. The 3D file used for printing was generated using the 3DMakerPro Toucan structured light 3D scanner.

The 3DMakerPro Toucan is a standalone handheld 3D scanner running around $2,000 (I got it for 50% off in what seems to be a commonly occurring promotion). It promises 0.03mm accuracy, has 32GB + 256GB of onboard storage, and can operate without a PC for basic scanning.

The device is surprisingly heavy at nearly 2kg and really well built. All metal case. External controls include a brightness dial, power button, and shutter button. There’s a large widescreen touch panel on the back and the device can fully process multiple scans—including point cloud alignment and mesh generation—entirely on device.

The fan, though, is questionable. Out of the box it was loud and made odd noises when moving the device around. After a software update, fan speed is now controlled in settings and is reasonably quiet. No indication as to how fan speed might impact performance.

The Toucan uses blue laser structured light for scanning with Class 1 and Class 3R modes.¹ I don’t trust Class 1 mode and always wear 450nm safety goggles. When I asked 3DMakerPro which glasses to buy, their helpful response: “Our equipment uses a laser wavelength of 450nm; you can use this parameter to select your glasses”.

Once you get the hang of it, the Toucan produces exceptionally detailed scans. Getting there, however, involves navigating some frustrating software and non-obvious workflows.

Hopefully, this tutorial will help others to avoid the frustrating learning curve I experienced (while no windows were damaged in figuring this out, there were some close calls).

For the step-by-step workflow, see: Toucan 3D Scanner: Object to Printable STL

I’m also keeping a Notes & Gotchas page as a living document of things I’ve learned, workarounds, and other observations as I continue to use the Toucan.

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Texturing

In scanning settings, there are options for texture or geometry. I always scan geometry since my goal is 3D printing. No idea how well the Toucan captures surface textures.

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