Align Scans to Axis

• BH

  Brian Hyland

  9/4/25, 1:06 AM

  Is there a way to repostion scan to align with axis?

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  Vaclav Zdrazil

  10/21/25, 9:34 AM

  @Brian Hyland

  Hi Brian,

  The scanner itself doesn't have built-in functions to align scans to the Cartesian coordinate system, so you'll need to do this manually in your post-processing software (like CloudCompare, MeshLab, Blender, Fusion 360, or similar programs).

  The most common approach is to create reference points, lines, and planes for alignment. Here's how it typically works:

  For Organic Models

  The process involves identifying key features on your scan and using them as reference points to establish your coordinate system. You can see a good demonstration of aligning an organic model HERE 

  For Mechanical Parts

  Mechanical components with flat surfaces are significantly easier to align since you can use those planes directly. You can reference:

  • General mechanical part alignment

  • Fusion 360 basic alignment tutorial

  • Fusion 360 mechanical part alignment

  The basic workflow is to select flat surfaces or features on your scan and align them to the X, Y, or Z axes. Most CAD and mesh editing software have tools specifically for this purpose, often called "Align," "Orient," or "Move to Origin" functions. 
  
  For most editing tasks and quick scan alignment, my favorite is this quick workflow in CloudCompare
  
  

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