Skip to main content

Scanning

AppiPad & iPhoneAR mode

See also: Entering a Job

A scan turns a real place into a textured 3D model of it, a digital twin. Remote users then see the place as it really is, and people on site can compare the model with the room.

  • Scan with an iPad or iPhone in AR mode, at a location you entered on site. The device needs a LiDAR scanner (iPad Pro, iPhone Pro).
  • After you save, HyperTunnel processes ("bakes") the scan into a textured model. It evens out color and brightness between photos, and brightens scans taken in low light. A Business Admin can change these options in the Web Console (see Business Settings).
  • Scanning again replaces the location's earlier scan.
  • Scans can be downloaded from the Web Console (see Assets).

Scanning a room with an iPad

The steps and tips are in Scan. In a dark place, use Torch Mode.

Scan​

AppiPad & iPhoneAR mode

Scan the location you are at, with an iPad or iPhone that has LiDAR, in AR mode.

Steps​

  1. Enter the location in AR (see Location Selection). In a dark place, turn on Torch Mode before entering.
  2. Open Scan in the menu. The panel shows Start, a texture button and Save.
  3. Tap Start. The location's earlier scan is hidden, and a blue mesh grows over the surfaces as you move.
  4. Move around slowly until the blue mesh covers what you need ("Cover blue mesh"). Surfaces fill in once they have been seen from several directions.
  5. Optional: point at something important and tap the texture button (paint roller) to take a high-quality snapshot of it. The app takes pictures by itself as you move; a snapshot you take is used first where it covers a surface.
  6. Tap Save. "Mesh Scan will be saving in the background" shows, and you can carry on working. A chime plays when the upload finishes.

The Scan panel

Scanning in progress

After you save​

HyperTunnel processes the scan into a textured model. A plain version of the scan appears first; the textured one replaces it when processing finishes.

  • The new scan replaces the location's earlier one. Anything you did not scan again is not kept.
  • Closing the Scan panel, or switching to another tool, while scanning saves the scan.
  • Only one person can scan in a job at a time. Meanwhile, nobody else can enter the job.

Tips for a good scan​

  • Walk the room's edge, then walk it again on a different line.
  • Stay about 0.5–3 m from what you want textured. Beyond about 4 m, surfaces are not captured.
  • Face the surfaces. A surface seen from the side is not captured.
  • Slow down at details. Moving faster does not capture more.
  • Look at floors and ceilings: walking over a floor does not capture it.
  • Do not go from a bright area to a dark one during one scan. Brightness is fixed when you tap Start.
  • Shiny, black and see-through surfaces scan poorly.
  • Decide on the torch before you start: use it in a dark room. In a lit room, the room's lights give a better result.