This weekend, I created some 3D renderings of the Ion Prototyping Lab. The goal of this project was to generate a 3D model of the makerspace that could be usable for virtual tours, floor planning, etc. and also get a chance to test out a new app, Polycam. Overall, this project was a lot of fun and easy to get started – I recommend trying this out if you’d like to generate a 3d model of a makerspace / building. Check out the results:
Below you can interact with the 3d renderings:
Materials
For this project, I used an iPhone 13 Pro, check out the Polycam’s list of supported iOS/Android devices. Unfortunately for Android users, there are currently no phones with LIDAR, but you can still use photo mode! Photogrammetry has advantages over LiDAR, especially for capturing small-details and objects, but it can take more time at capturing larger spaces.
I used the free version of Polycam, you can check out the features here; the free version allows you to export files as .GLTF format, which can be modified using Blender, a free and open-source 3D software tool.
Discussion
Testing out LiDAR mode, I only scanned the 3d printing area and the member work benches of the space. I walked slowly through the room, hoping to capture more detail – but there was still some blurring of the objects, I might need to go even slower and/or closer to the objects. I like how the LiDAR scan captures the colorful environment and object details, and processing the images only took 7 min!
For the Room mode experiment, I attempted to scan the majority of the Prototyping Lab, excluding the woodcutting, electronics, and clean up area. I noticed that the software struggled to detect glass walls.
Additionally, the Polycam object library is more suited for detecting home-furniture (tables, couches, etc.) – in order to include stuff like 3d printers, hardware tools, etc. I’ll need to add those in post-processing; next steps are to either find or create 3d models of common makerspace equipment and supplies.
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