Tips and tricks on how to get the best results with Shapify.me

Hello folks,

Many of you have already downloaded our free application, so we'd like to share how to get the most out of it with you. Follow these simple tips to get your 3D figurines in the best quality possible.

Light

The key thing in any kind of photography is having the right light, isn't it? With Shapify.me, 50% of all the data collected is in image format. So if you want the model to look professional, make sure that you do not have any direct light shining on it. Ideally there should be as much ambient lighting as possible. The most common mistake that our users make is scanning with the ceiling lights switched on: in that case the figure is over-lit at the top and is not lit at all at the bottom and the result is far from perfect. Try to scan yourself close to the window, with the Kinect pointed away from the window - this has proved to be the best setup. Avoid direct sunlight though!

Kinect height

If you are tall it is vitally important to have the Kinect stationed high enough so that the final scan captures as much as possible of the top of the head and shoulders. As a rule of thumb, it is better to place the Kinect at chest, but no higher than 1.2 meters.

Behaviour

Though the algorithms we have created are very advanced and are designed to compensate for a person's small movements between scans, it is essential to remember that it's impossible for them to compensate for arbitrary, large movements. So try to repeat the same pose for each scan. The most important part is your head: try to keep looking in the same direction relative to your body during each of the eight scans Shapify.me makes. Smiling all throughout your scan is also a great idea!

At the same time, try to stand as still as possible during each scan.

Clothes

As the Kinect is fixed in one place, you can't capture data from above and from below. That means that there holes in the data which are filled in by estimation. So in order to get the best possible texture it's better to wear plain clothes without complicated patterns.

Hope you find our quick guide useful and that these tips and tricks will help you to create the best 3D figurine ever - with Shapify.me!

Happy scanning!

The Shapify.me team