In 2023 I purchased a Scan Ferret with the intent of adding capabilities to my fabrication shop, as I’d recently upgraded my 3D printer.
I have never produced a single working scan, no matter what I’ve attempted to scan. I had started with my then-new Pixel 8 phone (a handheld solution was my goal), and on reading post after post on technique and tricks led me to buy a turntable, a tripod, a can of dry shampoo as a duster, adhesive marker dots…
I wasted so much time on how-to vids - as still not a single good scan. Always would start to scan, then odd artifacts, if not the whole image “sliding” upwards, no matter how slow I scanned, or what I scanned - I’m talking even 1 frame a second or less.
To be fair, there was one time where I successfully scanned a hot wheels car, but it wasn’t great.
In the storage tote it went. Not forgotten, but I needed a break from the futility and frustration. I was getting nothing out of an expensive tool.
…until today when I pulled it out hoping to scan a car A pillar to 3D print something I wish to mate to the surface.
My thought was “I’ll use my laptop. Maybe that hardware will be better.”, which is a small Lenovo, but it has two USB ports designated SS and one of them with the battery logo - I’m not sure if that’s a true PD but indicates power use.
I installed Creality Scan and when I first plugged the scanner in, it prompted me to update the firmware - so I did.
Then, it wouldn’t detect the scanner. I did a Windows update, rebooted, restarted the software…
The camera is showing in Windows Device Manager (3 cameras), but Creality Scan won’t see it.
Camera privacy settings are fine, and even show one “desktop software” access by Creality Scan back in 2023. I don’t even remember trying it on this laptop, but there’s evidence.
Frustrated, I figured I’d go back to the tripod phone holder and Creality power handle/supply that at least allowed my phone’s Creality Scan to work - at least before I had been getting further than THIS - only to find now that the phone won’t recognize the scanner either!
Did Creality firmware update brick my scanner? What do I do about this?
I have now gone from frustrated to horrified that this has 100% been a waste, a product that never worked effectively, wasted SO many hours trying to learn - assuming it was a shortcoming on my end - to one that Creality’s own firmware has turned into a brick?