Epic Games has just launched RealityScan application, which can help create 3D models from ordinary photos taken with smartphones. Epic’s idea is to make it easy for users to scan real-world objects, using just their smartphones, and then be able to incorporate these 3D models into games or other projects.
You can see how this RealityScan app works in the short video below. In the video, we can see how to create a 3D model of a chair from smartphone photos. This app is currently being tested and released through Apple’s TestFlight platform.
Epic Games’ RealityScan app.
RealityScan will require about 20 snapshots of the object. Users can hold down the shutter button or take individual photos, while moving around the subject. The process of creating a 3D model only takes a few minutes, once completed users can submit the model to Sketchfab and view their build on the website.
However, this application is still in the testing process and is not yet complete. According to the trial results of The Verge, the scanned models still have many errors, loss of detail and incompleteness.
3D model scanned by The Verge.
Even so, this is still an interesting idea, promising to change the design and production of new games. Epic said it will launch an Android version later this year.
Reference: theverge