Transforming ideas into innovative products is a life-changing experience. It creates a strong sense of accomplishment when you build something you invented. I still get a rush of ecstatic emotion just thinking about my first execution: turning my 3D modeling ideas into an automated 3D Python app. I managed to do this with my little hands, my computer, and a curated set of methods and tools.
By the same token, nothing is more frustrating than having a life-changing idea, and no clue how to make it a reality. Or perhaps worse, getting stuck when it comes to laying down the necessary components and tools to make it happen. I have been there, and it is painful. If I learned anything, it is that first-principles thinking is key, especially in the early stages of 3D product development.
In this chapter, you will build your very own 3D data science lab using Python. Think of it as setting up a workshop, but instead of hammers and saws, we wield Python and a tiny selection of robust yet powerful libraries. You will learn how to load, manipulate, analyze, visualize, and export point cloud data, setting the stage for developing innovative 3D products and solutions. This process will include four steps, as illustrated in Figure 3-1.
Figure 3-1. The full workflow to establish a coherent 3D data science solution
Our first stage is to create a solid foundation ...
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