The E46 scan was long overdue. The design has been ready even longer. But it's built on a reference model, and our car has different geometry. With 3D printing this shows up: parts don't sit.

Evening, FL backyard. Three days of rain, mosquitos out on the third. I stand with the scanner, dodging a cloud that finds the soft spots. Quick pass, 3mm accuracy.

Why 3 and not finer. The model is already done, the scan is just to fit it. Hand-fitting will happen anyway. The project is one-off. Parts from this scan probably won't go into production. 3 millimeters is enough.

Processing, cleaning. The model isn't perfect, but good enough. We can start.