3D scan vs 360-degree photography vs AI photo studio

With 360-degree photography, the car is photographed from a series of fixed viewpoints. Those photos are then shown as a rotating presentation. Visitors can usually spin around the car, but in the end they are looking at the individual photos taken during the shoot.

A 3D scan works differently. The result is not a series of separate photos, but a three-dimensional reconstruction of the car. This lets viewers choose the viewpoint themselves.

The distance to the object differs too. In an ordinary 360 presentation, zooming in is ultimately limited by the resolution of the photo used. In a 3D model, viewers can move towards details much more freely.

Looking from below is another clear difference. With 360 photography you can only show what was actually photographed from that viewpoint. A 3D model makes it possible to view other spatial viewpoints as well.

An AI photo studio has a different purpose. It edits an ordinary 2D photo of a car. The background can be replaced, for example, and the lighting or reflections can be adjusted.

The result is still a flat photo. No three-dimensional model is created that a visitor can move around in.

This also means AI editing adds no extra information about the car itself. The original photo is adjusted, but the car gains no extra depth or new viewing angles.

With a 3D scan, the emphasis is on verifiability. CarTwin does not edit anything away. The car is captured as it is. That can matter to buyers who want to assess details. Smoothing out reflections or other image corrections can also hide details a buyer actually wants to see.

You can look at the three categories like this:

• 360-degree photography: suited to a rotating presentation based on photos taken in advance.
• AI photo studio: suited to changing the look of existing 2D photos.
• 3D scan: suited to an interactive, three-dimensional view in which the viewer chooses angle and distance.

So these are not three variants of exactly the same product. The main difference lies in what the visitor can ultimately do.

With a 3D model, someone can rotate freely, zoom in on details and view the car from almost any angle, including from below.

CarTwin keeps making a scan simple. You do not need a photo studio or special equipment. With a phone camera you record one continuous video of about two to three minutes.

First you walk a normal lap around the car, then a lap at wheel height. After uploading, the video is processed into a 3D model. That model is available in about an hour, sometimes a little longer and can be viewed directly in the browser.