So, I bought a 3D-scanner. I needed one that works without a PC, and the only ones currently on the market seem to be the Revopoint Miraco Pro and the Shining3D Einstar Vega. There have been mixed reviews about the Miraco, and Revopoint apparently had a history of abandoning older models. Shining3D also makes professional-level scanners that cost as much as a car, so I banked on them putting some of that expertise into their consumer models and went with the Einstar.

Well, it works fantastic and so far does everything I bought it for…

BUT This thing is so closed off it makes Apple seem like a posterboy of the open-source movement. You cant even get any data off the device, unless you connect it to their proprietary “StarVision” PC-Software. It doesnt have a SD-Card and doesnt register as a mass storage device like most cameras do. When you connect with StarVision to the Vega, it asks you on device to login to your Shining3D account (and to connect to your WIFI beforehand). If you click “cancel”, it simply disconnects from your PC.

So, without an account and WIFI, the Vega is just a brick. At least all processing is offline, and it doesnt force my data into their cloud (so far).

  • IMALlama@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    12 hours ago

    Did you happen to look into Open Scan? It’s reasonably open and is PI based. I don’t know a ton about them, but it seems like a viable alternative at first glance.

  • TootSweet@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    14 hours ago

    Yeah, that’s fucked. With some serious reverse engineering and reimplementing, it sounds like it could be a pretty great product, but even if something like a FOSS implementation of the protocol StarVision uses or something like Valetudo but for the Vega existed, I wouldn’t feel right about patronizing a company that does that kind of shit.

  • TheYang@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    13 hours ago

    Shining3D also makes professional-level scanners that cost as much as a car, so I banked on them putting some of that expertise into their consumer models and went with the Einstar.

    Seems like you were correct.

  • Remy Rose@piefed.socialEnglish
    3·
    12 hours ago

    Oh yeah, we have an old Shining3D scanner in our makerspace, and the amount of trouble that company has been…