Skanect

Skanect is a desktop 3D scanning program for Windows and macOS that turns the depth stream from a consumer sensor (Structure Sensor, Structure Core and, in earlier years, Kinect or Asus Xtion) into a coloured 3D mesh you can export as STL, OBJ, PLY or VRML. Most people searching for “Skanect free” or “Skanect download” want the free mode: it works fully for capture and editing, but saved models are limited to 5,000 polygons and it is for non-commercial use only.

Skanect is a commercial product from Occipital, now sold under the Structure brand, so we list it as shareware (conditionally free). It is also being retired: Structure says it is phasing out maintenance and support for Skanect Pro on Mac and Windows as it moves to its Apple app, Structure Capture. For dentistry its role is modest – scanning plaster casts, faces or objects for teaching and demonstration, not clinical-grade models.

Skanect at a glance

What it does

• Captures live 3D scans from a depth sensor with presets for body, object and room scanning.
• Shows live feedback while you scan, with CPU or NVIDIA CUDA GPU reconstruction.
• Offers an offline, non-realtime reconstruction mode for better quality on slower computers.
• Processes the mesh: simplification, hole filling and watertight mesh generation, plane cropping, small-parts removal, scaling and rotation.
• Colourises the model from the sensor’s colour camera, with optional inpainting of unseen areas.
• Exports STL, OBJ, PLY and VRML (per-vertex colour in OBJ, PLY and VRML).
• Hands models to external editors such as MeshLab or Meshmixer for further work.

How dental teams use it

Scan a plaster cast for a teaching collection

1. In the Prepare step, choose the Object preset and set a bounding box just larger than the cast; place the cast on a turntable or a small box.
2. Rotate the cast slowly (or walk the sensor around it) until the preview is complete, then stop recording.
3. After reconstruction, use the Process step to make the mesh watertight, crop away the table with a plane and remove small parts.
4. Export STL or OBJ. In free mode the saved model is reduced to 5,000 polygons – enough for a visual reference, not for measuring teeth.

Capture a face scan for patient education or a smile-design demo

1. Use the Body preset, seat the subject still, and move the sensor slowly around the face.
2. Colourise the model and export OBJ with colour for presentations.

Accuracy from consumer depth sensors is far below that of intraoral or lab scanners. Treat these scans as illustrations only.

Hand the scan to a mesh editor

For clean-up beyond Skanect’s own tools, open the exported STL in Meshmixer to trim, fill holes, add a base and prepare it for printing.

Install and first run

• Get the installer: Structure’s support article “Where can I find Skanect download link” lists version 1.11.0 for macOS and Windows 64-bit. The old skanect.occipital.com site no longer serves the download page.
• Windows: 64-bit Windows only; the last 32-bit build was version 1.7. Occipital recommended Windows 7 or later (64-bit), Intel i7, 4 GB RAM and an NVIDIA GTX 560 or better. GPU reconstruction needs a CUDA-capable NVIDIA card; otherwise Skanect falls back to CPU reconstruction (2 GB RAM, quad-core CPU minimum).
• macOS: Occipital recommended macOS 10.13 or later. GPU reconstruction on a Mac required an NVIDIA GT 650M or better with Mac CUDA drivers, so most Macs will use CPU reconstruction.
• Sensor drivers: Structure Core and Structure Sensor (Mark II) need their driver/firmware package on Windows; the original Structure Sensor used OpenNI 2 on Windows. On macOS no extra driver was needed for Structure Sensor.
• Wireless: Structure Sensor (Mark II) owners could scan wirelessly from an iPad through the Structure Uplink app.

Gotchas: outdated NVIDIA drivers are the most common cause of GPU reconstruction failing. Shiny or very dark surfaces scan poorly, so matte plaster works best.

Limitations

• Being phased out: Structure is ending maintenance and support; no updates since 1.11.0.
• Free mode saves models at only 5,000 polygons and is limited to non-commercial use.
• Needs a compatible depth sensor; it does not scan from photos.
• Consumer-sensor accuracy is not suitable for crowns, aligners, guides or any clinical measurement.
• No Android, iPad or Linux desktop version of Skanect itself.

Skanect vs alternatives

Structure’s own successor is Structure Capture, an Apple app for its sensors. For a photo-based route, insight3d reconstructs 3D from photographs, but it is dormant and aimed at scenes rather than small objects. Whatever you capture, Meshmixer remains the usual free tool for cleaning and preparing the mesh. For clinical-grade dental models, the realistic option is an intraoral or desktop lab scanner with its own software.

FAQ

Is Skanect free?

Skanect has a free mode for non-commercial use that exports models limited to 5,000 polygons. Unlimited export and commercial use require Skanect Pro, so it is shareware (conditionally free).

Where is the Skanect download now?

Structure’s support site has an article titled “Where can I find Skanect download link” listing version 1.11.0 for macOS and Windows 64-bit. The old Occipital download page is gone.

Is there Skanect for Mac?

Yes. Version 1.11.0 exists for macOS as well as Windows 64-bit; GPU reconstruction on Mac required an NVIDIA GPU, so most Macs reconstruct on the CPU.

Does Skanect work on Windows 10 and Windows 11?

Occipital’s requirement was “Windows 7 or later (64 bits)”; it never published a separate Windows 11 statement, and no update will add one now that Skanect is being phased out.

Does Skanect work with Kinect v1 or Kinect v2?

Occipital’s 2016 compatibility list named “Microsoft Kinect (Windows & Xbox)” alongside Asus Xtion and PrimeSense Carmine, without naming Kinect v2. Later download pages list only Structure Core and Structure Sensor.

What is the best Skanect alternative?

Structure recommends its Structure Capture app. For photo-based capture, insight3d is a free but dormant option; for dental accuracy, use a dedicated dental scanner.

Last checked against official sources: 28 September 2026 (developer website: support.structure.io). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in a clinic.