3D scanning is the umbrella term for any technique that captures real geometry as a digital model. Three approaches matter in practice. LiDAR uses light pulses to measure distance directly and is built into the iPhone Pro and iPad Pro for room-scale and object capture. Photogrammetry derives 3D from many overlapping photos and works on any camera-equipped device. Dedicated structured-light or laser scanners (Artec, Einscan, terrestrial scanners) cover the high-precision industrial end.
For everyday capture, an iPhone Pro or iPad Pro is a remarkable shortcut: apps like Scaniverse, Polycam and Apple’s Object Capture (in Reality Composer) turn the LiDAR Scanner into a 3D scanning device that produces usable models in minutes. The catch sits with the physics. LiDAR struggles with reflective surfaces like chrome, mirrors and polished metal, as well as transparent objects and glass: light pulses do not return predictably, so the resulting mesh is unreliable in those areas. Photogrammetry runs into the same trouble with smooth, untextured or shiny surfaces, because the software needs visible features in the photos to reconstruct depth. For those cases, professional structured-light scanners with controlled lighting (and often a matte spray on the object) are still the right tool.
A typical scan-to-web pipeline: capture with an iPhone Pro or via photogrammetry, clean and decimate the mesh in Blender, export as GLB and USDZ, publish through PausAR Viewer. Steinzeitpark Dithmarschen uses this workflow for prehistoric reconstructions, and Drone e-motion does the same for historic buildings via drone photogrammetry.
| Property | iPhone Pro / iPad Pro LiDAR | Photogrammetry | Structured-light scanner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware | LiDAR Scanner on Pro devices | Any camera or smartphone | Dedicated scanner (Artec, Einscan) |
| Capture speed | Near-instant | Slower, many photos plus processing | Fast on small objects, controlled setup |
| Texture detail | Moderate | High, from the original photos | High, depending on the scanner |
| Reflective and shiny objects | Unreliable | Unreliable | Workable with matte spray or polarisation |
| Best for | Rooms, larger objects, AR placement | Buildings, products, visual fidelity | Industrial precision, small parts |
Pro models with LiDAR (iPhone 12 Pro onward, plus the iPad Pro) yes, via apps like Scaniverse, Polycam or Apple's own Reality Composer with Object Capture. Standard iPhones can still do photogrammetry-based scanning through apps that work from photos alone, just slower and with less depth accuracy.
Both LiDAR and photogrammetry rely on light returning predictably from a surface. Mirrors, chrome, polished metal, glass and water either reflect away or do not return enough detail, so the reconstruction is unreliable. For these materials, professional structured-light scanners with controlled lighting (and often a thin matte spray on the object) are the standard workaround.
Clean up the scan in Blender (decimation, retopology, texture cleanup), then export GLB and USDZ. Upload both files to the PausAR Viewer Elementor widget, and the model becomes an interactive 3D viewer with optional Web AR. Steinzeitpark Dithmarschen runs exactly this workflow for prehistoric reconstructions on their website.
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