CadGaragePro 3D scans of trucks and 4x4s · 1:1 · mm

Designing a DIY Bumper from a 3D Scan: Scan to Cut List

Updated · CadGaragePro

Start with a scan that shows the frame tips, the body panels and the tires, measure the mounting points on the mesh with section cuts, and model the brackets before the bumper shell. Then unfold the parts into DXF flat patterns for laser or plasma cutting, and fit-check the design against the scan and a 1:1 template on the truck before any steel is cut.

Which scan coverage do you need for a front bumper?

The mesh has to show three things: the frame tips or crash-carrier mounts the bumper bolts to, the body panels it must clear, and the tires so you can set a ground plane and check approach angle. Read the coverage description for each scan on its vehicle page before you buy.

CoverageCatalog exampleUseful forWatch for
Front sectionToyota Hilux N80 front scan: STL, 16,060,104 triangles, 803 MB, extent 2,062 × 1,895 × 1,718 mm (81.2 × 74.6 × 67.7 in), $40Bumper shape around the grille, headlights and fenders; engine bay with the hood openThe factory bumper is in place, so the mounts behind it are hidden
Front end, bumper removedHilux N80 engine compartment scan: STL, 8,035,626 triangles, 402 MB, $45Scanned with the front bumper and crash carrier removed, so the radiator and cooling pack behind them are in the meshCheck the listing for how far down and back it reaches
Full vehicle with underbodyHilux N80 full vehicle (39,157,546 triangles, 1,958 MB, $80), Isuzu D-Max 3rd gen (4,418,118 triangles, 221 MB, $80), Mitsubishi L200 5th gen ($80)Frame, suspension and wheels in one file, so mounts and approach angle are checked togetherThe Hilux N80 and L200 files are over 1 GB; the Hilux N80 full scan has the hood closed
Bare frameToyota Tacoma 3rd gen bundle: OBJ and STL, frame extent 4,937 × 1,534 × 585 mm (194.4 × 60.4 × 23.0 in), $95Full-length frame rails, every crossmember, front suspension crossmemberRead the listing for the other files in the bundle
STEP filesFord Ranger Next Gen front and chassis STEP, $90 eachOpens as CAD geometry instead of a triangle mesh518 MB (front) and 248 MB (chassis)

Other full-vehicle scans that include the frame in the underbody: Ford F-150 14th gen, Jeep Wrangler JK, Jeep Gladiator JT, Toyota Tundra and Toyota Hilux N70 facelift. For a rear bumper, the Jeep Cherokee XJ rear bundle covers the rear crossmember and bumper mounting face. To start from drawings instead, the Jeep Cherokee KJ front plan ($29.99) and the Ranger Next Gen rear plan ($49.99) come as DXF, PDF and STEP (the Ranger plan also includes an IGES file).

How do you set up the scan before measuring?

  1. Import at the right scale. In Fusion, Design workspace > Mesh tab > Create > Insert Mesh asks for a Unit Type (Millimeter, Centimeter, Meter, Inch or Foot). Check one overall dimension against the scan extent on the product page: the Hilux N80 full-vehicle scan should measure 5,321 mm (209.5 in) long. If it is off by a factor such as 10 or 25.4, insert it again with the right unit.
  2. Crop to the work area. Mesh tab > Modify > Plane Cut with Type set to Trim removes one side of the mesh. Keep the front axle, the tires and everything ahead of them.
  3. Set a vehicle coordinate system. Put the ground plane through the tire contact patches, the X axis on the frame centerline and the origin at the front axle, so every number can be checked with a tape.

How do you measure mounting points on the mesh?

Fusion’s Create Mesh Section Sketch (Mesh tab > Create) cuts a plane through the mesh and draws the section line; Fit Curves To Mesh Section then turns it into sketch profiles you can dimension. Run one section horizontally through the bolt-hole centers of each frame tip and one vertically along each rail. In Blender, the Measure tool does the same job: Ctrl snaps to edges and vertices, Shift measures between parallel faces, and clicking a ruler’s midpoint makes it a protractor.

Record these before you draw anything:

  • Outside width across the frame tips or crash-carrier mounting faces
  • Height of each mounting face above the ground plane
  • Bolt-hole centers relative to the centerline and the front axle
  • Angle of each mounting face in plan and side view
  • Parts close by: tow hooks, horn, intercooler pipes, wiring

A scan shows where a hole is, not its thread, and small holes often look rounded or partly filled. Fit a circle to the section to find the center, then confirm diameter, thread and bolt length on the vehicle or in the service manual. Check two or three key dimensions on your own truck too: a scan is one vehicle (the Hilux N80 full-vehicle scan is a 2020 facelift double cab), and trims differ.

What clearances does the bumper need?

US federal rules define approach angle as the smallest side-view angle between the ground and a line tangent to the front tire’s static loaded radius arc that touches the underside ahead of the tire. An approach angle of at least 28 degrees is one of the off-highway criteria 49 CFR 523.5 uses to classify light trucks: a reference figure, not a bumper rule. Draw that tangent line in a side-view sketch on the scan: if the bumper’s lowest point is 480 mm (18.9 in) above the ground and the line reaches the ground 700 mm (27.6 in) further back, the angle is atan(480/700) = 34.4 degrees.

ItemCheck on the scanDesign input
Approach angleLowest point of the bumper and brackets against the tangent to the front tireYour target angle; larger tires change the result
WinchA box model of the winch in front of the radiator and cooling packMaker’s dimensions: the WARN ZEON XC 10-S is 559 mm (22 in) long, 198 mm (7.8 in) high and 170 mm (6.7 in) wide, with a 4-hole 254 x 114.3 mm (10 x 4.5 in) bolt pattern
LightsHeadlight lenses and the space for auxiliary light mountsLenses uncovered; room for brackets and wiring
Sensors and camerasRadar, camera and parking sensors visible in the grille and bumperKeep their view clear; check the owner’s manual for what must stay uncovered
Tires at full lockTire outer surface on the scanSteering lock and suspension travel measured on the truck

The winch plate and shackle mounts carry recovery loads (the example winch is rated at 10,000 lb, or 4,536 kg, of line pull), so size plates, gussets and welds by calculation for those loads.

Why model the brackets before the bumper?

The brackets are the only parts that touch the frame, so they decide where everything else goes. Build them on the section sketches: plate on the measured face, holes on the measured centers, and a socket-sized cylinder on each bolt to prove a tool fits. Add the winch plate and main beam next, and the outer skin last, so a bracket change carries through the whole design.

How do you make flat patterns for laser or plasma cutting?

Model the parts as sheet metal with your cutter’s bend radius and K-factor. SendCutSend, for example, sets both per material thickness and does not offer custom radii, so get your shop’s table first or the flat part will not fold to the scanned dimensions.

In Fusion, Sheet Metal tab > Create > Create Flat Pattern unfolds the part from a stationary face. To export the DXF, right-click the flat pattern in the Browser, choose Activate, then click Export DXF; tick Convert Splines to Polylines if your laser cutter does not support splines. Outer profiles, interior profiles, bend lines and text land on separate layers. For laser parts SendCutSend asks for holes and cuts at least 50% of material thickness; plasma shops publish their own minimums, so ask before drawing small holes.

A cut list template for a front bumper:

PartMaterialQtyProcessNotes
Frame bracketPlate, thickness from your load calculation1 left, 1 right (mirrored)Laser or plasma, then press brakeBend lines on their own layer
Winch platePlate1Laser or plasmaHole pattern from the winch maker
Main beam or shell panelsPlate or tubeAs designedLaser, plasma or sawTube: length and both end angles
Shackle mountsPlate2Laser or plasmaHole size to suit the shackle pin
HardwareBolts, nuts, washersPer mountBought inSize, grade and length from the vehicle check

How do you fit-check before cutting steel?

  1. Place the folded design back in the file with the cropped scan, at the measured coordinates.
  2. Cut section sketches through the bumper and the scan together and measure the smallest gap to the grille, headlights, bodywork and sensor faces. Fusion’s Inspect > Interference reports overlaps between selected bodies or components, so use it to check your own parts against each other.
  3. Print each bracket DXF at 1:1 or cut it from cardboard, hold it against the frame tips and push the bolts through. It catches mirrored parts and misplaced holes.
  4. After cutting, tack the parts together, test-fit on the truck, and only then weld fully.

The frame tips and crash carrier are part of the crash structure, and Ford’s 2021 F-150 owner’s guide warns that modifying or adding equipment to the front end, including the bumper system and frame, may affect airbag performance, so keep the factory crash sensors in place and check what your country or state allows before the truck goes back on the road.

Sources

Scans mentioned in this guide