KIRI Engine 3D Scanner
PRICE Free (premium version £9/$10 per month or £110/$125 per year) COMPANY KIRI Innovation WEBSITE kiriengine.app
The world of 3D scanning has been alive with activity in recent years. The rise of laser scanners in the surveying world has led to an unprecedented level of accuracy and speed when capturing real-world scenes.
This has been equally matched by photogrammetry that captures real-world data from photos rather than lasers. With the evolution of smartphone cameras and an ever-growing market of apps, photogrammetry has become a technology that any person, 3D artist or not, can try. A notable entrant to the market has been KIRI Engine, a platform-agnostic solution to 3D scanning. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons and whether this scanner is worthy of its award-winning status.
From the outset, it becomes clear that one of its major strengths is its accessibility. Rather than opting for either Android or Apple, it has been developed as an app for both. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a web browser version. This additional option is a big plus as it can really speed up the overall process for complex projects with lots of photos. All platforms work seamlessly together, which is perfect for team collaboration and contexts where users have access to different platforms.
The app itself is easy to find and download. After a simple registration form, users are free to browse KIRI’S built-in example projects or crack straight on with capturing photographs. At this point, users are presented with the option of sticking with the free version or upgrading to the premium version.
Users who don’t want to part ways with any cash will be limited to 70 photos, whereas premium users get a 200-photo limit. This number of photos will work in a lot of instances, especially for scanning smaller and less complex objects, but it is far from enough for more complex scans such as of a room full of furniture or a building with multiple rooms. This limit on the number of photographs will really limit the end-user applications and I’d like to see it increased in future releases.
In the capturing process, users will need to take at least 20 photos and objects must be evenly lit. KIRI is able to handle some imperfect lighting setups but can come unstuck when care and attention is not given to the lighting. This is true of almost all photogrammetry apps, however.
With all the data captured, users are able to move on to exporting their digital models. Exports are limited to OBJ and FBX file formats, which will work with any major digital content creation application.
“PHOTOGRAMMETRY HAS BECOME A TECHNOLOGY THAT ANY PERSON, 3D ARTIST OR NOT, CAN TRY”
KIRI will take a big step forward when it includes the ability to export point cloud data in formats like XYZ and PLY, something that has already been promised.
This stage of the workflow is another place where the free and premium versions differ. Free users are able to export three scans per week compared to unlimited exports for premium users. KIRI has developed some innovative social tools that work really well and allow users to get more export coupons by inviting friends and taking quizzes. I would imagine most users will upgrade to premium to get the extra exports, but it’s still nice to have the alternative option all the same.
Once the export options are set, users can then upload their data to KIRI’S servers and this is where the magic happens. Again, KIRI is pushing users towards the premium offering. By paying extra, users will get their exported results in a few minutes rather than around 10 minutes for free users. The process is smooth and straightforward and the extended wait is to be expected. KIRI, in general, works well. By ensuring sufficient image overlap alongside an evenly lit model, users can expect predictable and quality results.
One of the main points for improvement, in my opinion, is the lack of ability to use the LIDAR sensor on the latest Pro iphones. Users who want to make use of this hardware will need to look to other software solutions. If Kiri can integrate its use into the app then it will be a powerful offering indeed.