GROUP TEST
Create assets for your visualisations, videos and games with no-stress workflows and incredible results
T here’s no getting away from it. Asset creation is easier than it has ever been. That is, assuming you have access to a physical version of the asset that you want to replicate in 3D. If you don’t, then this group review won’t help you in those circumstances. Sorry.
If, on the other hand, you have access to the object or room that you want a 3D model of, then the rise of 3D scanning apps will save you countless hours and make the modelling of complex objects something no longer restricted to more advanced artists. What was initially possible with expensive laser scanners has increasingly found application within the mobile market. The rise of LiDAR in some of the most recent mobile phones and tablets has only further extended the capabilities of small devices to deliver incredibly accurate scans.
I first came across the creation of 3D models from photos when Bertrand Benoit posted some images on his blog. It opened my eyes up to the possibilities, and to the required attention to each step of the process. Over the years, mobile apps have gone from strength to strength and bigger players in the market, such as Epic Games, have entered the fray.
In this review we’ll take a look at some of the biggest apps out there. Each targets itself towards specific areas of the market, but the same rules always apply: have even lighting, minimise reflective surfaces, and capture the best quality photos that you can.
RealityScan 1.1
PRICE 10 free scans per month / Pro £19/$25 monthly /£145/$180 annual | COMPANY Epic Games | WEBSITE unrealengine.com/realityscan
Epic Games marked a defining year in 2021. Through the introduction of MetaHuman alongside the acquisition of Capturing Reality, Epic Games displayed its intention to make it as easy as possible to create assets for Unreal Engine.
MetaHuman has gone from strength to strength and now enables artists to deliver not only realistic-looking humans, but ones that are animatable. The acquisition of Capturing Reality and its associated 3D scanning technology has also delivered incredible results. RealityScan is free to use and the resulting models are not limited to use only in Unreal Engine, unlike MetaHuman.
The first thing I was impressed by was the visual feedback in the camera view. As I took photos, the 3D location of those photos was being overlaid live onto the camera view. This made it incredibly easy to see where gaps were in the photo coverage, and whether I was maintaining an even gap between my photos.
Alongside this, the AR guidance
