HP Sprout Just Got Better at 3D Capture With New Software and Stage Accessory

HP’s ambitious all-in-one desktop Sprout is an unusual PC. From the start HP talked up its ‘blended reality” power! It sports an overheard projector/camera, and a touch mat that could act as a second screen. This PC was aimed both at consumers and creative business clients since it could handling gaming, visual projects, teleconferencing and 3D modeling.

Sadly with the included hardware and software, 3D modeling wasn’t as user-friendly as many of the other functions. Even at launch HP said it was working on an app that would make the 3d modeling workflow easier. This morning the company showed us some improvements. HP just unveiled the software, called 3D Snapshot, as well as an optional $299 “stage” accessory that should make 360-degree capture easier in the first place.

From the demos we have seen so far the new the stage is worth every penny for the 3D users, even causal ones. Plug in the turntable via USB 3.0, set an object on top of it (note: it doesn’t support objects heavier than 4.4 pounds or taller than 7.5 inches). Press a button and the stage will start to rotate, tilting up to 15 degrees to ensure there are no blank spots in the final image. The result: a 360-degree scan you can use inside HP’s new modeling software.

Without the stage, you’d have to manually position objects under the camera to get a clean image that covers every surface. This seems easy to mess up and end up with less than pro scans.This is a proto-typers dream come true. And since many of use do not have the cash for a 3D printer, The Sprout eco-system make it easy to send out your scans to a 3D printing service bureau.

Once you have your 360-degree scan, 3D Snapshot is where you edit, play with, share and print your creations. That’s HP winning move! Unlike the existing workflow, this gives users a one-stop shop where they can do everything they need to do without having to open another program, or export any of the data. Now if you want to use the data in another apps you can since it is stored in the industry standard Dot OBJ file format.

As far as editing goes, the program will clean up artifacts, as well as let you export and also save as a 2D image. From there, you can share over social media or email. If you send through email, your friend will see an auto-generated gif preview, as well as a link that allows them to view the scan full-size in their browser. For printing, you can print locally or send to a print-to-service provider.

The software arrives in July, both on new machines and as an software update for people who already own a Sprout.