In recent years, developers have been creating 3D scanning apps for smart phones and tablets. Some will work only on Android systems, and others will work only on Apple’s iOS systems. Some apps will work on both Android and iOS systems as well as Windows systems. At present I am unable to test the apps that are iOS only because I don’t have an iOS devise at my disposal. What I will cover here is the information I have learned about the iOS apps and two of the devices needed to use them.

Shapematic is available from the App Store for $0.99. It can be used with iPhone, iPad or iTouch devices. It requires iOS 7.0 or higher. According to the promo, a series of pictures is taken of an object from different angles. The software then creates a three dimensional image of the object. There is some editing functionality in the software which facilitates cleanup of an image. Once the image is complete it can be shared or printed. There is also a function which allows a printed model to be sent by mail. I haven’t been able to find anything on the cost of having a model sent.

Trimensional is also a $0.99 app from the App Store. It is for iPhone, iPad or iTouch with iOS 5.1 or higher. (It is always a good idea to check to make sure your devise is supported.) There is also an advanced version of this app that costs $4.99. The advanced version has editing features and allows for 3D printing. The app, whether basic or advanced, appears to be mostly for fun since the scan is somewhat distorted. The scan is taken in a dark room with the screen providing the light for the scan. There does not appear to be a way to do a 360 degree scan or the ability to stitch scans together. With the advanced version the image can be smoothed and a solid model can be produced. The solid model can be saved as a .STL file for 3D printing.

Trnio is for iPhone and iPad with iOS 8.0 or higher. This app is free. Like the other apps it uses the camera on the phone or tablet to take a series of pictures. Those pictures are then uploaded to the Trnio cloud to be processed. The processing is too data intensive to be done on the device being used. The 3D model can then be viewed or downloaded as a .STL file for printing. Trnio can also arrange to have the object 3D printed. The Trnio software presents a series of dots to help in aligning the camera for taking the required pictures. The dots change color when the picture is taken. This is to ensure that enough pictures are taken to get a good model. This app should be good for creating files for virtual reality and gaming purposes.

itSeez3D is for the iPad with iOS 8 or higher. It also requires the use of the Structure Sensor by Occipital described below. The software is available by subscription with the basic individual subscription being free. The professional subscription is $12.00 per month paid yearly or $15.00 paid monthly. The business subscription $80.00 per month paid yearly or $100.00 paid monthly. There is also an enterprise subscription that is tailored to the needs of each business. Once the subject is scanned, the model needs to be uploaded to the cloud for processing. There is a $7.00 fee for each upload with the basic subscription. The fee is less with the paid subscriptions and there are extra features that are only available with the paid subscriptions. itSeez3D is also working on software to create 3D avatars using an iPhone. It is in beta testing at the writing of this post.

Scandy comes in two versions. Scandy Sphere will print a panoramic photo on a spherical object. Scandy Object is for 3D scanning of objects and is the version that will be discussed here. Scandy Object is for iPad with iOS 8 or higher and requires the use of the Structure Sensor discussed below or the iSense 3D scanner from 3D Systems. The Scandy Object software is free to download. Scans made with the Scandy Object software need to be uploaded to Scandy for processing. From there it can be downloaded for sharing or a 3D print can be purchased.

The Structure Sensor by Occipital is a device that attaches to an iPad. The device normally sells for $379.00 for most iPads. The version of the device for the 12.9 inch iPad Pro normally sells for $399.00. For an extra $70.00 the device is bundled with a power adapter and scanning software. The Power Adapter Pro is sold separately for $49.00 and the software is sold for $129.00. The sensor can be purchased without the mounting bracket for $349.00. Other accessories are available. The device comes with the mounting bracket, the standard power adapter and the cable for connecting the devise to the iPad. Occipital released a SKD version which has improved software for better resolution. There are accessories and mounting brackets available online that can be 3D printed.

3D Systems offers the iSense 3D scanner for use with the iPad. The iSense scanner is the same as the original Structure Sensor scanner. Occipital no longer offers support for the iSense since the release of the SKD version of the Structure Sensor. The iSense scanner has a price tag of $499.00. Since it is the same as the Structure Sensor all of the accessories available for Occipital and those available online will work with the iSense scanner.

This is only a brief list of some of the software and hardware available for iOS devises. A little research on the internet will return more apps that will work with Apple products. They all will have similar output but some will have better results than others. Each is capable of producing results that are fun to see and play around with.