3D Scanning with the iPhone 12 Pro LiDAR

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

About the author

Alban Denoyel

Co-founder and CEO of Sketchfab.



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