3D scanning and XR terms
How the real world gets into 3D, and how 3D gets back into the real world: scanning objects and places, and showing 3D content in augmented and virtual reality.
Beginner 3D scanning and XR terms
- 3D product visualizationShowing products as 3D renders, animations or interactive viewers
- 3D scanningMeasuring a real object or place to make an accurate 3D copy
- Augmented realityPlacing digital 3D content over a live view of the real world
- CGI (computer-generated imagery)Any image or video made with computer graphics, from film effects to product shots
- LidarMeasuring distance with laser pulses to map shapes and spaces in 3D
- Mixed realityDigital objects that share space with the real world and react to it
- Point cloudA set of 3D points, often from a scan, that outlines a shape
- Virtual realityA headset experience that puts you inside a fully digital 3D world
Intermediate 3D scanning and XR terms
Advanced 3D scanning and XR terms
More 3D glossary topics
3D scanning and XR terms FAQ
What is the easiest way to 3D scan an object?
Photogrammetry with a phone: take overlapping photos all around the object in soft, even light, then let an app build the model. Phones with a depth sensor can also scan rooms quickly.
What is the difference between AR and VR?
Augmented reality adds 3D content to your view of the real world, usually through a phone or glasses. Virtual reality replaces your view entirely with a 3D world, through a headset.
What is a point cloud used for?
Point clouds record the shape of real objects and places as millions of measured points. Surveyors and engineers measure with them directly; 3D artists usually turn them into meshes first.