Choosing the right 3D Scanning Services for Virtual Reality

January 3, 2020
3D scanning services

A great way to build your VR model library

So what 3D scanning services available today that are great for developing the VR projects that you’re dreaming of? The simplest answer is the kind of service that will capture all the necessary details without capturing too much information. This may sound obvious but as you compare different names you’ll find that quality in this respect is what separates amateurs from those that do want to mean business. What you have to eliminate from the running are the results that are too heavy or lose realism when viewed up up close.

This is often the whole point of virtual reality, namely being able to approach digital objects as you would if you were to encounter them in real life. And to this with a considerable degree of competence you require a 3D scanning service that scanner that lends itself to VR-friendly 3D models. There will probably come a time when you will be in a position where you can just browse for VR-specific 3D scanning services, but for the time being you just have to do your best with what’s available on the market today.

What are the challenges that are faced when looking to apply 3D scanning services for VR purposes?

Well, 3D scanning services actually vary quite a bit depending on the scanning method that is used. Photogrammetry, which uses a series of 2D images, has to work with what’s called Pure 3D Creation where you need specialized and powerful software that scan the intricacies of spatial relations. When you’re starting with point clouds, they can look quite rough and thusly require turning tons of data points into light-weighted meshes that can then result in semantic parts that therefore don’t look artificial but rather quite natural. And you may be thinking that CAD models are ideal and close to being ready for VR, however in the vast majority of cases they actually require a lot of optimization so that they don’t end up looking poor or cartoony.

There are even certain file formats that are favored by those who have VR in mind. These usually are obj. and .wrl, the latter of which has been the standard for decades. As a matter of fact, before 1995 it was called the Virtual Reality Markup Language and was meant to represent 3D interactive vector graphics on the world wide web.

So with so much history behind VR formatting you might expect that the kind of scanner that you choose should try to maintain a fluidity between the 3D scanning services and formatting that will allow people to work with it for specific purposes.

If quality results really do matter to you, you can’t just pick any old model and expect a fine finish that will satisfy what you’re keeping in mind. After all, oftentimes, those experiencing the VR production itself will likely see the things that have been scanned up close and personal, perhaps even interacting with them. So ideally you wouldn’t want to see pixels or blurred images. This is especially important when you would like the texture of whatever it is that you scan to really shines through.

Artec 3D scanners, for example, are worth looking into for these interests. A major reason why many VR enthusiasts are choosing it is that it is able to scan both objects big and small with high resolution and capturing nuance. This is very important when your aim is to construct complete environments where users can really explore by walking around. In this way, it may be appreciated by whomever is checking it out for the very first time. More often than not the goal is to leave things looking truly life-like and recognizable to an immersive degree so that all manner of natural associations may be made by the VR user.

The bottom line is that VR is appealing many new groups, but they all want the same thing, high-quality content that allows them to look forward and relish in the reality that modern technology is approaching. These accomplishments are being referred to as rich environments as the dazzle and encourage users to explore and bask in what they’re experiencing.

The problem is that despite the fact that interest in immersive virtual experiences keeps going up, there isn’t nearly enough content around, especially when you take into account the wide assortment of interested parties that would like to become heavily invested in it. Indeed it is capturing our imaginations but not nearly enough people are stepping up to the plate for 3D scanning services.

It’s for this reason that the 3D scanning service industry should make efforts to take the lead and focus on the market by opening dialogues and introducing people from all corners of society how they can get involved.

Virtual reality is being described as an ever growing part of the grander lives that we are forging here on earth. This rings especially true if movies set in the future are anything to go by, and in this sense we should explore the role that 3D scanning services are set to play with respect to it.