Epic Games unveiled RealityScan, a new free 3D scanning application that converts smartphone photographs into high-fidelity 3D models, on Monday, April 4. The product was created in collaboration with Capturing Reality and Quixel, the creator of RealityCapture and Megascans, respectively.
RealityScan is now in limited beta.
What Is RealityScan?
According to Epic, RealityCapture is cutting-edge photogrammetric software that can recreate objects and sceneries of any scale from pictures or laser scans, resulting in 3D scans with unparalleled accuracy and mesh quality at speeds that exceed competing technologies.
"The RealityScan app takes what people love about RealityCapture-fast and easy 3D scanning-and puts it in the palm of your hand," the company said. It added that, traditionally, capturing real-world materials for digital experiences has been difficult, complex, and time-consuming-but now it will be as simple as unlocking a phone.
Using an iPhone camera, users can turn real-life objects into digital assets with RealityScan. Without the use of any additional technical equipment, the app employs sophisticated photogrammetry software to produce realistic 3D models from smartphone photos.
As pointed out by Michal Jancosek, co-founder of Capturing Reality, the new program will help consumers better comprehend basic scanning principles, bridging the gap between novices and professionals.
Jancosek noted, as reported by Gizmodo, that the team behind RealityScan will continue to improve the app based on community feedback and provide new features as Epic nears its complete release.
The application is now in a first-come, first-served beta on Apple's TestFlight program, with 10,000 people allowed to participate. Epic has announced that the game would be available in early access on iOS in the spring, with an Android version following later this year.
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How Does RealityScan Work?
RealityScan, according to Gizmodo, creates a lifelike model almost instantly once it scanned a photo. The app will ask users to take at least 20 photos and they would want to carefully move around the object to get a variety of shots. You can either take a succession of images by holding the capture button down or taking them one at a time. After that, you can send your finished assets to Sketchfab, an Epic Games-owned platform for publishing, sharing, and selling 3D, VR, and AR material.
To see how RealityScan works, watch this video showing someone scanning a brown chair and creating a 3D model that seems handcrafted.
Unfortunately, as The Verge reported, the two separate scans of a desk chair that they took weren't quite as appealing as the chair Epic featured in its promotion. However, it said that there could be a range of factors for the poor performance of the app, such as the camera quality of the phone, possibly poor-lit environment, and insufficient scans or wrong angles of the subject. Another factor to consider is the fact that the app is launching in a limited beta, hence, Epic will most likely continue to improve it until it is officially released.
To download the limited beta, head to the this link.
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