Autodesks’s 123D Catch 3D scanning app, perhaps the most popular 3D scanner around, is now available on Android devices.
Previously the software was only available for desktops and iOS.
If you’re not familiar with 123D Catch, it’s a very handy application that uses optical photogrammetry to convert a series of 2D images of an object into a usable 3D model. Usually 50-80 images are taken of the subject, from all available angles. These are examined in Autodesk’s cloud to use background patterns to determine the location of the imager and develop a 3D model. These 3D models can be shared or even downloaded for personal 3D printing.
We’ve made heavy use of 123D Catch – and not only because it’s free. It provides a relatively painless method of capturing a 3D model. Without such a tool, you’d have to bring along expensive 3D scanning equipment, which most people don’t have access to.
They say the best camera is “the one you have with you” and the same can be said about 3D scanning. By having a 3D scanner in your pocket all the time, you can opportunistically capture 3D models where ever you happen to be. Now you can do this with an Android phone by simply downloading 123D Catch from the Google Play store.
A word of caution, though: 3D scanning is vastly different from simply taking a picture. You must ensure equal lighting from all sides, prevent passers-by from appearing in your images and ensure an irregular background is present. If you can manage that, then 123D Catch might be the ticket to get your own amazing 3D scans.
Via Google Play
