3D inspection and metrology software that turns scan data into professional dimensional inspection. Align a scanned part to its CAD reference, run 2D and 3D comparisons, apply GD&T and CAD-aware dimensioning, and issue a report your quality team, your customer and your supplier can all read.
Send us a part, or a scan and a drawing, and we will run the inspection and show you the report.
What is Geomagic Control X?
Geomagic Control X is professional 3D metrology software from Hexagon that inspects parts using 3D scan data instead of point-by-point probing. You scan the part, align the resulting mesh to a CAD reference or to a golden sample, and Control X reports where the real part differs from the intended one: as color maps, cross-sections, dimensioned callouts and GD&T evaluations.
The difference from probe-based inspection is coverage. A CMM measures the points you program it to measure; a scan measures the whole surface. Warpage between the features you thought to check, sink in a molded rib, wear across a blade face: those show up in scan-based inspection because nothing was left unmeasured. Control X exists to make that volume of data usable rather than overwhelming.
Typical work it is bought for: first article inspection, incoming and supplier quality, tool and mold validation, warpage and shrinkage analysis after molding or casting, wear and damage assessment for maintenance and overhaul, and building a digital record of part geometry that can be re-measured months later without the part in hand.
Artec’s step-by-step walkthrough of validating manufactured parts in Control X: 3D scan data compared to a reference CAD model (about 12 minutes).
From physical part to signed-off inspection report
Control X sits between the scanner and your quality system. Artec scanners are contact-free and target-free, so parts that would need fixturing, tactile probing or hours of CMM programming are digitized in minutes. Then Control X does the analysis.
Digitize
Capture with one or more Artec scanners: Micro II for small precision parts, Spider II for fine detail and sharp edges, Point II for difficult surfaces, Leo wirelessly on the shop floor, Ray II for large objects and whole facilities.
Process
Align, fuse and optimize the mesh in Artec Studio, then send it straight to Control X. A custom macro even lets you run inspection tasks from inside the Artec Studio interface you already know.
Analyze
Align the mesh to CAD or a reference scan using adaptive pairs or homing alignment, then use 2D, 3D and point comparison to find and diagnose variation: dents, twist, warp, wear, out-of-tolerance features.
Report & act
Publish branded, customizable reports that compare multiple results, so findings reach the people who adjust the process rather than sitting in an engineer's session file.
Artec reports customers capturing parts up to seven times faster than with CMM machines and cutting inspection cost by up to 80%, largely through automating data processing. Your own result depends on part size, tolerance, batch volume and how much of the routine you automate. Ask us for an application review before you build a business case on it.
What Geomagic Control X actually does
Comparison, GD&T, alignment, automation and reporting in one complete application, with no cut-down edition to outgrow.
2D and 3D comparison
Compare scan data to CAD, to a reference scan, or to another production part. Whole-surface color maps show deviation at a glance; cross-sections and point comparisons give you the numbers to act on.
CAD-aware dimensioning and GD&T
Smart Dimensioning creates dimensions between CAD features automatically, making flatness, symmetry and profile tolerances quick to apply. PMI support and GD&T callouts carry design intent into the inspection.
Alignment that survives real parts
Adaptive pairs and homing alignment, where points align repeatedly until deviation settles. Multi-alignment inspection evaluates a part in several alignment environments, the practical answer to large deformations.
Deviation location
Pick an area of interest, scan it, and analyze it for surface defects and variation. Useful precisely where original CAD does not exist: wear on a wing skin, erosion on a casting, damage on a weldment.
Visual scripting and automation
Build a template from a reference scan, then rerun the same program across similar parts for repeatable batch inspection. The Automation Server distributes inspection jobs across machines to keep throughput up.
Advanced airfoil analysis
Automatically gather profile measurements to identify damage, warpage and twist in turbine blades and similar geometry, built for maintenance, repair and overhaul work.
Trend analysis
Track how geometry changes across successive inspections of the same part or tool, so you can act while drift is still correctable and anticipate when something is heading out of tolerance.
Customizable reporting
Compare multiple results in a single report and save templates carrying your own branding. Reports are readable by managers, customers and buyers, not only by metrologists.
Fix, not just find
Control X integrates with Geomagic Design X and CAD, so a model can be updated to compensate for a measured problem, closing the loop between finding a deviation and correcting its cause.
Three ways to buy Control X
Control X is a single, complete application. There is no separate purchase for CAD import, airfoil tools or mesh editing. What varies is whether you are adding software to scanners you already own, buying the two together, or pairing inspection with reverse engineering.
Control X software only
Already scanning? Add a Control X license and start inspecting the data you are already collecting.
- Virtual dongle license
- First year of maintenance included
- Perpetual licensing
- Commercial or educational terms
Artec scanner + Control X
Artec offers bundles built around Micro II, Leo and Ray II, or pair Control X with any Artec scanner to build your own.
- Artec scanner of your choice
- Control X license with first-year maintenance
- Artec Studio Professional license
- Better value than buying the pieces separately
Design Inspection Suite
Inspection and reverse engineering together, for teams that need to fix what they find rather than only document it.
- Geomagic Control X license
- Geomagic Design X license
- First-year software maintenance
- One workflow from measurement to corrected CAD
Control X is sold as a perpetual license with maintenance programs, on separate commercial and educational terms. The Geomagic Maintenance Program keeps you on current versions with priority access to technical support; enterprise configurations are also available. Tell us the parts you inspect and the tolerances you hold, and we will recommend a configuration and quote it.
Technical specifications
Artec scanner pairing
| Artec scanner | Type | 3D accuracy, up to | Typical inspection work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artec Micro II | Desktop, automated | 0.005 mm (5 µm / 0.0002 in) | Small machined and molded parts, dental, jewelry, medical devices |
| Artec Point II | Handheld laser | 0.02 mm (0.0008 in) | Shiny, dark and otherwise difficult surfaces; industrial metrology |
| Artec Spider II | Handheld | 0.05 mm (0.002 in) | Fine detail, sharp edges, tooling inserts, first article inspection |
| Artec Leo | Handheld, wireless | 0.1 mm (0.004 in) | Medium and large parts, weldments and fixtures inspected in place |
| Artec Eva | Handheld | 0.1 mm (0.004 in) | Medium to large parts where capture speed matters most |
| Artec Ray II | Long-range LiDAR | Quoted by range, not accuracy | Large objects, rooms and industrial facilities captured from up to 130 m |
Accuracy figures are Artec's published specifications for the scanner alone. Achievable inspection uncertainty depends on part size, surface finish, environment, alignment strategy and operator technique, and should be established against your own tolerances before the method is relied on. Leo and Ray II data can be combined to build one model using the best resolution available for each region.
Devices & file formats
| Artec scanners | Scanner-agnostic across the Artec range: Eva, Leo, Micro II, Point II, Ray II and Spider II |
| Other devices | Interfaces with most 3D scanners and portable CMMs on the market; scanners and arms can be driven directly inside Control X, or you can work with raw scan data from any device |
| From Artec Studio | Direct handoff of the optimized mesh, plus macros that run inspection tasks inside the Artec Studio interface |
| CAD import | Imports most current CAD formats as inspection references; no separate CAD importer purchase required |
| Additive manufacturing | Imports, inspects and optimizes builds saved as 3D Sprint files |
| Reporting | Customizable, branded report templates comparing multiple inspection results |
| Units | Metric and imperial |
| Interface languages | English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Turkish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese |
System requirements
| Component | Published minimum | 3DMakerWorld recommendation for Artec scan data |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 8.1 (64-bit) | Windows 11 Pro (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel or AMD, 2.0 GHz minimum | Intel Core i7 / Ryzen 7 class or better, high single-core clock |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM or more |
| Storage | 30 GB free (additional space for cache) | NVMe SSD with 500 GB+ free for project and cache data |
| Graphics | OpenGL 3.0+ card with 4 GB RAM or more | NVIDIA RTX professional card, 8 GB VRAM or more |
| Display | 32-bit true color, 1280 × 960 | 1920 × 1080 or higher |
The published minimum is a floor, not a working configuration. Whole-part inspection meshes, particularly Ray II facility scans and dense Micro II or Spider II data, push memory and GPU considerably harder than the minimum anticipates. We also spec and supply workstations known to run Artec Studio and Control X together properly.
Why buy Geomagic Control X from 3DMakerWorld?
As a Gold-Certified Artec 3D reseller, we sell the scanner, the inspection software and the training as one package, and we use the same workflow in our own service bureau.
🥇 Gold-Certified Artec 3D Partner
Scanner, metrology software and training from one vendor, with one point of contact when something goes wrong.
🛠️ We run this workflow ourselves
Our service bureau scans and inspects parts with this toolchain. Application advice comes from production experience, not a spec sheet.
💬 Honest scoping
If Artec Studio already covers your checks, or a scanner you own is not accurate enough for the tolerance you hold, we will say so before you buy.
🧪 Demos on your own parts
Send a part or a scan and a drawing. We run the real inspection on it and show you the report that comes out, not a canned demo.
🎓 Training & workflow guidance
Onboarding that covers the full scan-to-report path, from Artec Studio data preparation through alignment, GD&T and reporting.
📞 US-based support
Hexagon support with your maintenance plan, plus application support from our team in Naperville, Illinois and Lenexa, Kansas.
Frequently asked questions
What is Geomagic Control X used for?▾
Control X is professional 3D metrology software for dimensional inspection and quality control using scan data. It is bought for first article inspection, incoming and supplier quality, tool and mold validation, warpage and shrinkage analysis, wear and damage assessment in maintenance and overhaul, and for building a digital record of part geometry that can be re-measured later without the physical part.
How much does Geomagic Control X cost?▾
Control X is sold as a perpetual license with a maintenance program, on separate commercial and educational terms, and is also available bundled with an Artec scanner and Artec Studio, or paired with Geomagic Design X as the Design Inspection Suite. Because the configuration, the maintenance term and any scanner bundle all move the number, we quote rather than publish: send us your application through the form below and we will return a written quote.
Does Geomagic Control X work with Artec 3D scanners?▾
Yes. Control X is scanner-agnostic and works with data from every scanner in the Artec range: Eva, Leo, Micro II, Point II, Ray II and Spider II. The normal workflow is to capture and process in Artec Studio, then send the optimized mesh directly to Control X. Artec also supplies macros that let you run inspection tasks from inside the Artec Studio interface.
Can I use it with a CMM or a non-Artec scanner?▾
Yes. Control X interfaces with most 3D scanners and portable CMMs on the market. Supported devices can be driven directly inside Control X, and raw scan data from effectively any source can be imported and inspected. That matters if you already run mixed hardware, or if you want scan-based inspection to sit alongside an existing arm rather than replace it.
How is this different from inspection in Artec Studio?▾
Artec Studio captures, aligns, fuses and optimizes scan data, and can do straightforward comparisons. What it does not do is full metrology: GD&T evaluation, PMI, CAD-aware dimensioning, multi-alignment routines, airfoil analysis, scripted batch inspection, and customizable reports intended to be issued to a customer or auditor. If you need a quick visual check, Artec Studio may already be enough, and we would rather say so than sell a second license.
Can I buy Design X and Control X together?▾
Yes. That package is the Design Inspection Suite, which combines Geomagic Design X and Control X licenses with first-year software maintenance. It is the right shape when you need to act on what inspection finds: measure the deviation in Control X, then correct or rebuild the model in Design X rather than handing the problem to someone else.
Is there a trial version of Geomagic Control X?▾
Yes. Evaluation licenses are available. Contact us through the form below and we will arrange the trial along with a walkthrough on your own data, which is a far better test than a blank workspace. Sending us a scan and a drawing of a part you actually need to sign off is the fastest way to know whether the software solves your problem.
Do you offer educational pricing?▾
Yes. Hexagon maintains separate educational licensing and maintenance terms for Control X, and Artec offers educational packages that bundle scanners with Geomagic software for teaching and research. We quote educational, multi-seat, lab and consortium configurations regularly. Tell us the institution and the seat count and we will put it together.
What are the system requirements?▾
The published minimum is 64-bit Windows 8.1, a 2.0 GHz Intel or AMD processor, 8 GB RAM, 30 GB of free disk space, a 1280 × 960 32-bit true-color display, and an OpenGL 3.0 or newer graphics card with at least 4 GB of memory. For real inspection work on dense Artec scan data we recommend Windows 11 Pro, an i7-class or better CPU, 32 GB RAM or more, an NVMe SSD, and an NVIDIA RTX professional card with 8 GB or more of VRAM.
Which languages does the interface support?▾
Twelve: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Turkish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
How do I renew or maintain a license?▾
Through the Geomagic Maintenance Program, which keeps you on current software versions and gives priority access to technical support. If your maintenance has expired or is about to, contact us with your license details and we will lay out the renewal options, including whether a lapsed license needs reinstatement rather than a straight renewal, which is worth knowing before it becomes urgent.
Do you provide training and support?▾
Yes. Every license carries Hexagon support, and 3DMakerWorld provides U.S.-based application support on top of that. We run Artec scanners and inspection work in our own service bureau, so you are calling people who use this workflow rather than a switchboard. Offices in Naperville, Illinois and Lenexa, Kansas.
Can you just do the inspection for us?▾
Yes. 3DMakerWorld runs an Artec-based 3D scanning and inspection service bureau. For a one-off first article, a warranty dispute or a supplier problem, we can scan the part and deliver the inspection report without you buying any software. It is also the cheapest way to find out whether the workflow is worth bringing in-house.
Is 3DMakerWorld an official Artec 3D reseller?▾
Yes. 3DMakerWorld is an official Gold-Certified Artec 3D Reseller and supplies the Geomagic software family alongside Artec scanners. You get pre-sale consultation, hands-on demos, technical onboarding and ongoing U.S.-based support.
Get a quote, or a demo on your own part
Tell us the parts you inspect, the tolerances you hold and what the report has to show. We will recommend a configuration, quote it, and run the workflow on your data.
We also scan parts and deliver inspection reports as a service, with no software purchase. Learn more about our dimensional inspection service.