Cost Effective 3D Scanning

PhotoModeler Scanner provides the tools for you to create accurate, high quality 3D models and measurements from photographs. The process is called photo-based 3d scanning.

PhotoModeler Scanner is a 3d scanner that provides results similar to a 3d laser scanner. This 3d scanning process produces a dense point cloud from photographs of textured surfaces of virtually any size. To compare PhotoModeler Scanner and other 3d scanning technologies read our white paper: "A New Way to 3D Scan."

The PhotoModeler Scanner software has all the capabilities of the base PhotoModeler product plus the capability to do Dense Surface Modeling (DSM) or 3d scanning. PhotoModeler Scanner also includes, as part of the packaged price, the Coded Target and Idealize modules. See the Products page for a comparison of the two products. PhotoModeler Scanner is a software-only product - there is no hardware scanner - only your camera is used!

Learn more about what cameras work best with PhotoModeler Scanner.

The lion statue project is an good example of a project that combines scanning with PhotoModeler's base geometric capabilities - the best of both worlds in one product!

Dense Surface Modeling is used in any application where a large number of 3D points are needed.  The surfaces being modeled need a natural or random texture (or that texture can be applied or projected).  Most applications where a 3d laser scanner works, DSM will work also.

Some DSM applications are:

• Archaeology: get a dense cloud of points of stratified dig surfaces; non-contact scans of artifacts.
• Architecture and Preservation: obtain a dense surface cloud of a stone wall or structure; capture the detail in a building facade.
• Art / Museum / Curatorial: non-contact surface scans of bas-reliefs, masks, and some statues.
• Civil Engineering: models of cuts and fills in road work; models, surfaces and measurements of stock piles; sand dune surveys for erosion monitoring.
• Film and animation: scan sets and objects for modeling; help produce highly accurate bump maps of real surfaces.
• Forensics: 3D scans of bite marks; 3d surface scans of tire marks and foot imprints in soil and wet sand.
• Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Measurement:  surface shape of manufactured parts (using a projected random pattern); modeling deformation of fabrics and gossamer materials.
• Medicine: 3D scans of skin surface for body morphological measurements; point clouds and surfaces of a child’s back with scoliosis.
• Mining, Excavation and Geotechnical: surface models of open pit mine faces, cliffs, exposed rock characteristics; models of slag heaps and stockpiles; volcano monitoring.

See the Applications and Examples page to view projects completed with PhotoModeler Scanner. View the Introductory Tutorial Video to see how a simple DSM project is run.

PhotoModeler Scanner contains the powerful VRMesh Reverse Library so no separate point cloud, meshing, filtering, clean up tool is required. PhotoModeler Scanner contains everything you need to go from photographs to completed triangulated meshes ready for export.

PhotoModeler Scanner exports 3d point clouds and triangulated meshes in these formats: .stl, .ply, .txt, .byu, .iv, .facet. See the exports page for more detail.

Click here to order PhotoModeler Scanner.