As you’ve probably heard, the latest generation of iPhones has a built-in front-facing LiDAR sensor. I’ve been waiting for this day to happen ever since Apple acquired PrimeSense (makers of the Kinect) in 2013. LiDAR allows point-and-shoot 3D capture, and bringing it to the iPhone means that literally anyone can have a 3D scanner in their pocket.
Here we are, finally: back-facing Lidar scanner in the new iPhone. The evolution of capture coming to life, 4 years later. https://t.co/ajzfBB4O7f pic.twitter.com/1q97UGQS59
— alban denoyel (@albn) October 13, 2020
The feature first arrived in the back facing camera last year, and then in the iPad Pro. We’ve seen a number of apps taking advantage of the new capabilities, and I’ve been playing with pretty much all of them.
Here is an overview of the ones that already feature direct share to Sketchfab.
3D Scanner App
3D Scanner App was—I think—one of the first to release an iPhone version, and with direct share to Sketchfab. The app has a lot of settings you can play with, like range, resolution, masking, etc. The editor is pretty robust as well. I find it great for smaller or more detailed things. Check out the tag page and download the 3D Scanner App.
Recording memories will never be the same.
Captured in 5 seconds with #iPhone12Pro lidar
Processed in 20 seconds with https://t.co/md5CBwvTYnDirect export to @Sketchfab: https://t.co/sZNMJHoJGi
Happy birthday Olivia! pic.twitter.com/SG9JqZBaQe
— alban denoyel (@albn) October 31, 2020
Polycam
Polycam recently added direct share to Sketchfab. The default mode works pretty well out of the box, and I find it great for rooms, spaces, and scenes. Check out the tag page and download Polycam.
Here is a quick video of the full workflow in action pic.twitter.com/gfoEOuDazQ
— alban denoyel (@albn) November 18, 2020
Scaniverse
Scaniverse works well out of the box, lets you crop your models and publish straight to Sketchfab. I like how the app manages to close some of the holes coming from missing parts. Check out the tag page and download Scaniverse.
Record3D
Record3D lets you record volumetric videos, aka 4D content. It generates one point cloud per frame, and the result is quite magical! Check out the tag page and download Record3D.
Volumetric video is so fascinating… Here is a view showing one point cloud per frame, captured with #iPhone12Pro lidar + @record3d and exported to @Sketchfab https://t.co/RlqcAqzsMM pic.twitter.com/HCNwESwx4Q
— alban denoyel (@albn) November 2, 2020
Scandy
Scandy was one of the first apps to leverage the back-facing LiDAR camera of the previous generation of iPhones, using it for things like 3D selfies. They even made a 3D printed extension to let users leverage the back-facing LiDAR as a front-facing camera. Check out the tag page and download Scandy.
SiteScape
SiteScape is great for capturing large point clouds of anything, and I typically use it to scan complex geometry that would not work out too well with a mesh approach. Check out the tag page and download the app.
EveryPoint
EveryPoint is also great for capturing large point clouds of anything, and I typically use it to scan complex geometry that would not work out too well with a mesh approach. Check out the tag page and download the app
For tips on how to get the most out of your LiDAR captures, check out my Twitter thread.