How does a 3D scan of a car work?

Make sure the car is clearly visible before you start filming. You do not need a special studio setup. The scan is made with your phone's camera.

The starting point is one continuous recording. So you do not need to take dozens of separate photos or combine different files.

The recording takes about two to three minutes. During the recording you walk two laps around the car.

You walk the first lap at normal height. Then you walk a second lap at wheel height.

These two laps provide the images CarTwin uses to reconstruct the car in three dimensions.

When the recording is done, you upload the video to CarTwin. From that moment on, the recording is processed into a 3D model.

You do not need to use 3D software yourself or process the images by hand. The underlying technique is 3D Gaussian Splatting.

After uploading, the model is available in about an hour, sometimes a little longer.

You then get a 3D model of the car that can be opened directly in the browser, without an app or plug-in.

Once it is open, you decide how you look at the car. You can rotate the model freely and zoom in on details.

For example, you can look at the wheels or the number plate up close. You can view the car from almost any angle, including from below.

That is an important difference from a series of ordinary photos. With photos, the viewpoint is decided in advance. With a 3D model, viewers can move around while they look.

When you want to show the model to someone else, you can share it via a link. The model can also be downloaded as a file.

That lets you decide how to use the result. For a car dealer, a link can become part of the stock presentation. For a private owner, the model can mainly serve as a digital record of their own car.

The process is deliberately kept simple. Basically, all you need for a scan is a phone camera.

You do not need to rent a photo studio or buy special equipment. The main task is recording the continuous video with the laps around the car.

Then CarTwin takes over the processing. After about an hour, sometimes a little longer, the 3D model is available to view.