A new app promises to enable generation of instant 3D models right from your iPhone. iScan3D by Digiteyezer works using a combination of images and a cloud service. Here’s how it works: your subject remains still while you move about taking between 5 and 30 images. Presumably it would help if there wasn’t much in the background. Then the app uploads these images to their cloud service where, through the magic of software algorithms, your images are transformed into a 3D model. You then log in to their website to pick up the models in any of several downloadable formats.
Sounds good, but then we looked a bit further. The first thing you’ll notice is that the app is priced at USD$19.99, a pretty hefty price for any app. But then it gets worse: this purchase permits you to produce only 20 models. After that you have to pay a subscription fee to do more.
The app description contains some unusual statements:
This app requires good skills and knowledge on 3D scanning processes. You are already a scanner users or are aware of scanning requirements and constraints, you are our target customer. In this case, just follow our guidelines (including a training period with 5 hands-on examples) and iScan3D will drive you to get amazing results. You are a new users of 3D scanning or you expect iScan3D to work with any object, in any lighting conditions without any constraints or knowledge? iScan3D might not be appropriate for you.
Well then. We consider ourselves to be knowledgable 3D scanning users, so we looked further.
We were really tempted to try it out until we read this intriguing app store review by user cgbeige:
criminally bad software (one star)do not buy this. You pay way too much for it, then you upload some images and it sends yoga report that it tossed some away and then makes a mesh puke that takes away your limited model credits so soon you can’t make any more mesh pukes. If Satan existed and he made software, he would make this software.
Ok, cgbeige, we understand that, but how do you *really* feel about this app?
Via Digiteyezer (Hat tip to John)
