Practical 3D Scanning: 3D Scanning Apps
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3D Scanning Apps
03.48
| 00:00 | Smartphones have made 3D scanning more accessible than ever, and while it's often argued that the results are nothing like that achievable with professional equipment, they can still provide us with some very useful scans. |
| 00:12 | The list of apps for 3D scanning is getting longer every day, so while there are plenty to choose from, we've found there are only generally a few worth seriously considering. |
| 00:23 | This somewhat depends on what phone you have, Android, Apple or something else. |
| 00:28 | And also if the phone is LiDAR capable or will need to rely on photogrammetry alone. |
| 00:33 | We covered the difference between LiDAR and photogrammetry in the fundamental knowledge section, so feel free to check back if you need a refresher. |
| 00:41 | As you'd expect, one of the main differences between apps is the cost. |
| 00:45 | In almost every case, they tend to be free for basic access or trials, but you'll very quickly find yourself needing paid features, at least at the time of shooting this course anyway. |
| 00:56 | Many apps will function only using the user facing camera to make use of the depth sensor that's used for face recognition, for example Apple's TrueDepth sensor. |
| 01:09 | Despite this making the scanning process much more difficult, many app developers think the results outweigh the usability issues. |
| 01:16 | My personal experience is the opposite, with this being so difficult to take the scan because we're unable to see the screen, it's unlikely we'll be getting good results. |
| 01:27 | With this in mind, I tend to use apps that are primarily using the forward facing camera. |
| 01:33 | Some products like the 3D scanner app allow the user to choose between the benefit of the depth sensor of the user facing camera or regular photogrammetry from the main camera. |
| 01:43 | Regardless, the apps generally provide the same functionality and the process is similar. |
| 01:50 | Before starting any scan, there'll be a range of settings we can adjust to tailor the scan to our preferences and application. |
| 01:57 | For example the units we want to work in, like metres or feet, and if we want to save the raw scan data or optimise the mesh refinement as we go. |
| 02:07 | Similar to 3D scanning software, we can also adjust the resolution. |
| 02:11 | This typically isn't so technically specific in practice though. |
| 02:15 | What I mean by this is rather than giving us a clear value we can enter for the resolution, the app will ask us what size object or environment we want to scan and then choose a suitable resolution value from there. |
| 02:28 | For example the Scandi Pro app suggests a resolution of 0.5mm for small objects, about the size of a hand, whereas large objects should use a resolution of 2.5mm, but it's possible to increase this up to 4mm with the custom setting. |
| 02:47 | In the coming modules we'll be looking at the process of actually taking a 3D scan using a smartphone and also exporting it for use in CAD software. |
| 02:57 | While we won't discuss all the possible apps, this course does include access to our members forum and it's here that we've created a post listing the apps and details around each one to help you choose what will work best for you. |
| 03:10 | So, let's summarise the key points of this module. |
| 03:13 | Many smartphone apps are available depending on your operating system and whether or not your phone is capable of LiDAR. |
| 03:20 | The user facing camera is often prioritised for use due to the inbuilt depth sensor. |
| 03:26 | But generally the forward facing cameras provide the best experience using photogrammetry. |
| 03:31 | Most apps will provide a range of different settings to set up the scan for your application, with a key consideration being around the required resolution, which is typically based on the size of the object you're scanning. |
