3D Scanning on iPhone 12 Pro (LiDAR sensor)

Groups 3D Scanning and Photogrammetry
#1

So, Apple’s 2020 iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max will be equipped with a LiDAR sensor. I wonder whether it will be identical to the one found in the 2020 iPad Pro? Regardless, it will see this sensor in the hands of a great many more people, and hopefully will drive a bit more innovation in this space.

I’m sure it won’t take long for the existing 3D scanning apps for the 2020 iPad Pro to make their way onto the iPhone 12 Pro. The apps I’m aware of are:

I will keep updating this thread as new apps become available or the ones above are updated. And of course, please post examples of LiDAR scans from the iPhone 12 Pro as they become available. Do state the app used and any post-processing tips.

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#2

Definitely looking forward to seeing how consumer LiDAR changes the 3D landscape!

@alban has been making some scans with the iPhone 12 LiDAR - you can see them here:

iPhone 12 lidar captures by alban on Sketchfab

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#3

thanks @abbyec!

Nice list @tomgoskar, I’dd add record3d.app for volumetric video, example below. And A few others are coming soon :slight_smile: I plan to write a blog post about them all.

#4

Thanks @abbyec. Nice examples, @alban . I’ve long seen point clouds as a nascent art form, as well as their obvious metric function. Love the idea of ‘volumetric video’!

I’ve added https://record3d.app to the list.

Great to get this thread going :slight_smile:

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#5

We released an app for the iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro:

This is an early version. Expect major improvements in the coming weeks as we dive more into everything the sensor and camera on the iPhone 12 Pro can do.

#6

Nice - are there any LiDAR examples on your Sketchfab profile that you can share yet?

#7

No - I’m waiting until tomorrow to preorder a 12 Pro Max. When it arrives, I will put it through its paces and feed back here.

#8

op sorry - my reply was meant for @everypoint

looking forward to see your scans when they arrive too though, Tom :smiley:

#9

You can probably tell I’ve not had coffee yet either :slight_smile:

#10

Just stumbled upon this thread (I have no idea why I wasn’t already a Sketchfab user).

Did you get a chance to put the apps through their paces yet? I’m wanting to do a few comparison runs on my Pro Max also to see if one outputs a bit better than the rest or have more reproducible outcomes.

#11

Hello!
I was wondering how can someone access point cloud generated. Which specific app to use in case I want to benefit from point cloud for image processing? Your help is appreciated

#12

Welcome to the forum, Ahmad!

You can display point clouds directly on Sketchfab. If you need to edit them, try CloudCompare. There are also some creative ways to display and edit point clouds in Blender.

#13

Welcome to the forums, zaf9670!

I haven’t tried them all out yet. Bare in mind that I’m an archaeologist with a critical approach to data!

I’ve used SiteScape, as I’m mainly interested in point clouds at the moment. It produced impressive results for a pocket 3D scanner, but for my use case as an archaeologist the density of data collection isn’t particularly useful to me yet. I think that we’re a couple of iterations of the LiDAR sensor (i.e. a more dense grid) and iPhone/iPad (i.e. more RAM) before it gets ‘serious’. For me anyway.

For more visual purposes, it’s definitely worth checking it out.

#14

These scans are cool - can you share what app(s) you used? and any workflow / tips?

Just about to embark on my first iPhone12Pro scanning projects , trying to capture a small ruined church and graveyard

#15

Here’s a rundown on some of the apps (both with and without direct Sketchfab upload integration): Sketchfab Community Blog - » 3D Scanning with the iPhone 12 Pro LiDAR

#16

Tomgoskar and everyone else,

I not as interested in photogrammetry iPhone apps. I already use 3DF Zephyr (paid version) with good results. I’m wondering if anyone knows whether the Lidar improves or enhances the data for a program such as Zephyr. Will the Lidar improve the resulting mesh?

My uses are mostly for close to medium range objects not sites or rooms. I did a large project “scanning” fossilized bones using photogrammetry and reassembling the skeleton. I’m about to embark on a similar project and wondering if the iPhone 12 with Lidar will be an improvement over my old DSLR (Sony Alpha 350).

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

#17

As far as I know (and I am willing to be corrected) no commonly used photogrammetry software (metashape, realitycapure, 3DF Zephyr, etc.) makes use of the iphone12 lidar data during processing .

However, I believe the regular camera on the device is of such a quality that - depending on your needs - you may find it convenient to use in your photogrammetry workflow with good results.

#18

Nebulousflynn, thank you for your input!
I was hoping to use the LiDar on the 12pro as an excuse to buy a new phone but it doesn’t look very impressive. I can’t find any evidence that it will help photogrammetry and it’s too low-res to be of much use on it’s own.
I’m not very knowledgeable about the tech side of this stuff so I was hoping to pick the brains of those that know more than me. Thanks again.

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#19

I’m a modeler and do 3D resin printing. I’m ready to go from my iPhone 7 to the 12 (pro?). I need a good rationale to spend the extra $300 for the Pro. My daughter just got the 12 and my wife insists that I don’t need the extra stuff. Then I discovered the LIDAR and am thinking that it’s a really important feature. I need some ammunition to make the case. In looking at the scans, they could be useful to generate 3D models for printing, but they’d need a lot of work. Like Mach2ad, I feel the resolution is not really useful as is. Could there be new 3D scanning apps for this phone that could improve it? Any input would be appreciated. While I like the separate telephoto lens, that alone doesn’t justify the extra cost.

#20

Hi Myles - currently I don’t think that the output meshes from iOS LiDAR apps are any use for anything but the most ‘artistic’ 3D prints. You should be able to get infinitely more printable results using your iphone 7 and a desktop photogrammetry workflow (e.g. Metashape / 3DF Zephyr / Reality Capture).