Latest Best Thing Ever: Trimensional 3D Image Scanner For iOS

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Fresh to the iOS App Store is Trimensional, which takes real 3D photos on your iPhone, and is this week’s Best Thing Ever, without a doubt. It’s one of those photography apps that stands out against all the rest because it’s so different. And at one dollar, it’s a bargain.

So how does it work?

It uses the front-facing camera on your iPhone 4 (yup, iPhone 4 or very recent 4th gen iPod touches only) to scan your face, while it is lit by the bright screen of your device in an otherwise dark room. It detects the light patterns that bounce back and creates a true 3D model.

Trimensional is OK by me

The effects are startling (if not always very attractive, but maybe that’s just me). Your 3D images are saved in a library on your phone, and can be exported as plain 2D stills to the Camera Roll. The stills only give the vaguest idea of what to expect – watch the video on the Trimensional home page to get a better idea. For best results you need to be in a darkened room, but keen iPhone photographers might enjoy experimenting with it elsewhere too, just for the weird effects.

There are various rendering options for the 3D scans. Fully textured and colored at one end of the spectrum, to black-and-gray wireframes at the other.

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Trimensional offers a great deal of photo fun for a dollar, and who knows what features are yet to be added – such as exporting 3D models to desktop 3D applications? That’ll be interesting. I’ve not stopped playing with it since I downloaded it just last night. Highly recommended.

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