Adam Marsh was kind enough to provide a copy of the protocol he developed while at Petrified Forest National Park. 

PEFO_laser_scanner_protocol.pdf

Some NPL specific additions:

Getting the Specimen Ready

The laser scanner is very picky about reflective surfaces. Shy of breaking the laws of physics, there is not much we can do about that. The option left open to us then is to change something about the specimen. There are a few ways to make a fossil less reflective- which method to use is up to the user. If you have any questions, or want help deciding, please ask Ann or Angie. 

Something to keep in mind is specimens will have to be re-positioned and scanned from different angles to capture all the data. Any smoke or powder that gets put on will have to be cleaned off and reapplied at each scan. Consolidating a specimen with a thin layer of Paraloid B-72 in Acetone before using a method may help prevent damage from repeated rinsing or scrubbing with a dry brush. As always, permission from the Collection Manager and updating the Specimen Prep form in Specify are required before doing anything.

Method 1: Smoking

This method is discussed in detail in the Photography section of this wiki. Follow the link on the right to be directed straight to the how-to. You MUST obtain permission from the collection manager before smoking a specimen. You must also be familiar with ammonium chloride removal methods, and have a method selected prior to staring this process.

Method 2: Casting

Time permitting, a cast can be made of a specimen. This is not ideal, as is tends to be very time consuming, using materials that the lab does not always have on hand. It may be possible to scan latex peels and 'invert' the scan using a CAD program. 

Method 3: (To be announced)

Other methods suggested in the NextEngine manual are not acceptable for use in a museum. Nobody will be using white hairspray, Spotcheck SKD-S2, Athletes Foot spray powder or any other such nonsense on NPL's fossils. In the 60's and 70's painting fossil grey was popular. Do not do this. Nobody. Under any circumstances.

Saving and file naming conventions

Before each step, from the 'File' menu select Save As. Navigate to the folder in the DocLib called '3D scans'. Select (or create new folder) for the catalog number of your specimen. Name your files before you preform an action (there is an undo button, but it's nearly always greyed out and unusable) or else you may find yourself having to go back to the start!

Here's the format:

{Specimen_Number}_{pre-(action)}

Files will end up looking like this:

Recording the point cloud as a preparation:

Yes, you have to update the Specify database

Lessons from the trenches:

• For the MACRO setting, the front of the specimen should be 9.5" away from the emitters. This is VITAL with small specimens. The camera, and even the lasers, are fixed focus. By moving them too far outside of the focal range, you end up with 'blurry' scans, and a lot of wasted time.
• 'Wide' setting should be at 22"
• The On-call 'Engineers' that will help you though the problems always ask you to check the ratio. This setting is located under the Edit' menu, then preferences. There will be a pop up window that has a button for 'Align Settings'. Make sure the ratio is 1.
• If you are getting jittery images, try these steps:

1. 1. Double click to expand Family A
   2. Go to top menu Edit, Detach All
   3. Place A1 only in the green
   4. Enter Align mode and place 1 pin between A1 and A2
   5. Press button to Align

in the 'align' mode, using the refine button does help reduce the 'fuzz' on the scans. If scanning a specimen as a stand in for a physical loan, check with Ann or Angie before trying this.