Converting PICZA scanned artwork for RHINO
Rhino3D does not natively support the .PIX format that Roland Dr Picza outputs. There are a number of ways to take a .PIX pointcloud file and convert it into a surface or a mesh for use in Rhino.
After scanning your artwork as XYZ data in Dr Picza, we recommend you use the 'stereolithography' .STL format between applications.
![](pixrhino-pix.png)
Extracting mesh data from Dr Picza:
- Open your .PIX scan file in Dr Picza
- Choose FILE > EXPORT > STL
- Use the BINARY file format, and choose an appropriate filename.
![](pixrhino-rhino.png)
Importing mesh data into Rhino3D:
- Start Rhino3D and create a blank file in "millimeters".
- Choose FILE > IMPORT, and select 'stereolithography' .STL format.
- Select the .STL file you exported from Dr Picza.
Handling mesh data in Rhino3D:
Some users may find MeshCAD for Rhino a useful plugin for working with meshes in what is predominantly a NURBS environment.
See MeshCAD for Rhino on the Sycode site. A 10-day / 100-use evaluation version is available. It may be valuable in your particular workflow.
Download the trial: meshcad_rh.exe (~2.9MB) from Sycode.
Working PIX surface data into NURBS for Rhino3D:
If users may prefer to work with their scan as a NURBS surface, a conversion is possible.
We recommend the free plugin "Pix Importer" from the Roland DG America site: import_pix.zip (~1MB) from Roland DG, which offers extraction of the pointcloud into Rhino as points, lines, polylines, NURBS curves, faces, polygon meshes, or as a NURBS surface.
![](pixrhino-drape.png)
Alternate conversion from Picza mesh to NURBS:
Another technique is to use the DRAPE operation to conform a NURBS surface over the top of a mesh.
- In Rhino, after importing the .STL file, use the DRAPE command.
- Ajdust the "Spacing" parameter to your desired resolution.
- In the XY plane, click-and-drag to create a surface completely covering the mesh.
Note, if one desires to have 'empty space' at what would be the 'bottom' of the scan file, a plane can be created some distance underneath the mesh so that the 'draped' surface falls away further. Turn off 'AutoMaxDepthDetect' when doing this.