Smartphone / Web Apps

The advanced features of portable devices make them excellent tools for scanning / presenting 3D data; on both Android and Apple platforms.

Many of these apps have web versions too – so you can upload images or video via their web page and process them online.

Don’t forget: rubbish in = rubbish out! If you run around quickly and grab a video it just will not work out as well as a slow, considered, pre-thought out session with good, even lighting. Extra time and effort really will pay off and avoid post-fixing meshes.

Types of Scans

Apple Pro devices are equipped with a LiDAR chip – this is a sensor used for depth mapping that uses pulses of laser light to measure distances and create 3D representations of the environment. It was originally developed to assist with photography but can be used directly as a scanner with some apps. Although the results are immediate, the resolution is not very high – plus the range is only around 5 meters. For purposes of capturing shapes for use in 3d software / 3d printing the other techniques are better.

Photogrammetry recreates a mesh from a series of photographs (or image stills extracted from a video) that have all sides of the subject captured. Assuming the photos are sharp, clear and capture all sides and angles then this processing techniques result in a mesh model of the object or space that can be used in 3d modelling packages like Rhino, Blender, 3d Studio Max, etc. or for 3d printing.

Gaussian Splat scans also use image coverage of an object to recreate it – this type of scan captures visual features better than photogrammetry like water, reflections, light variance, so making the final model look more visually convincing. Any underlying mesh from a Gaussian splat is likely to be less useful for standard CAD / 3d modelling apps though; they may look better but the underlying real mesh will be more ragged. Use this for reproducing realistic scenes rather than a basis for a CAD model.

Scanning Apps

Polycam

This app has all three modes of operation; utilising the Lidar feature of the Apple Pro range to capture the scan in real time, or Guassian splat or photogrammetry scan whereby photos taken with the phone around an object are uploaded and processed on Polycam’s servers to be downloaded back as 3d models. It also has a room scanning feature where it will generate scaled floor plans – including named layers for common items – which can be exported as DWG files for Autocad (and put each elements into layers)

  • Not free but good
  • Free version allows export of glTF file only which isn’t native to Rhino.
  • Updated and enhanced frequently
  • https://polycam.ai

Luma Labs

This is still the best app for creating Gaussian Splats; very high quality. The web app itself has a quite precise tool that guides you around the object with virtual rails. It is a little fiddly to complete the scan 100% this way, but it also offers the option to upload a pre-recorded video of the subject instead (which can be done via the app or on their online version)

The online page also has additional options for reprocessing / exporting and a decent animation / keyframing tool to make videos flythroughs.

Luma AI (lumalabs.ai)

Scaniverse

User-friendly and capable of capturing both Gaussian splats and regular photogrammetry, it has now been integrated into Niantic’s geomapped spatial platform project which aims to gather geo-located, user-generated spaces worldwide.

Scaniverse website

KIRI Engine – Android and iOS (and via Web)

This is a very good Android and iOS photogrammetry and Gaussian ap. It also has a very good room scanning feature that will generate a scale floor plan (with walls, doors, windows, furniture)

  • You can scan as many models as you like but the free version just lets you have 3 exports per month
  • Does not include many editing tools
  • Exports as a OBJ file + material
  • KIRI engine

As with most of these Apps there is a corresponding website that you can upload images directly too – without going via the mobile device at all.

Note: the Kiri Engine Instagram account frequently has really good examples / tutorials for working on scanned models so is worth following.

PhotoCatch

This is Apple iOS only but it is surprisingly good even with poor images. It also has an option to process just on the handset and not upload to remote servers which is usually the case. The desktop app for Apple is better; currently the free version is perfectly adequate for processing a video or folder of images.

Record3D

This is an interesting app if you want an animated point cloud that can be replayed and manoeuvred around. Less useful as a regular scanning tool but could be a route to other forms of interrogation of objects and structures. The route to get usable scans out so they can be processed on the computer is a little involved.

Augmented Reality

Where a 3d object is superimposed onto or into a real space so you have a live view via the device’s screen

Reality composer by Apple

Adobe Aero

Presenting

Sketchfab

  • an essential tool for showing off your 3d work.
  • free for uploads below 50mb
  • features a VR mode to support the phone being loaded into a headset for an immersive view
  • Sketchfab.com
  • Has recently been taken over by Epic Games who will rework it into a new “Fab” platform soon.

Motion Capture

RoKoko

This is a free, entry level product that first uploads and analyses your movie clip of an actor (ideally against a plain background) and generates the rig that can be edited and then exported as an FBX or BVH file for import to the 3d modelling software. Does not have to be an iPhone, it will take any movie as an input. Runs on Mac or PC.

Moves by Maxon

Free motion capture app – but will only export to Cinema4d (with quite a convoluted transfer procedure)

Introducing Moves by Maxon

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