To get a good 3D scan of your subject, there are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Lighting matters.
Good lighting will determine the quality of your scan. Aim for bright, even lighting for the best results. Shadows cast over the subject, whether it be a face or a hand, will distort the color rendering of your scan. We recommend using a selfie light if you have one on hand.
If you are having trouble creating your scan, good lighting is likely the issue. Try taking the scan in another location. If the weather is nice, you may want to try outside as natural light is usually a good source.
Any light-based scanning, which is what the MirrorMe app is employing, is going to be sensitive to color rendering. For color to display evenly across your face on your 3D image, it's crucial that lighting is even from one side of your subject to the other.
2. Location, Location, Location.
Take your scan against a simple surface, like a white wall. Busy backgrounds will confuse the app and affect the quality of your scan.
3. It's all about the angles.
To get accurate results, you’ll need to take images from different angles.
Your subject should not move. Imagine there is a bubble around your subject. As you scan, move your phone around the subject, making sure your phone continues touching the bubble—without popping it or leaving it's surface.
Aim for photos from at least 15 angles to get the best quality scan.
To get a better understanding, check out our tutorial below.
Now that you know the fundamentals, let's use them to scan something simple, like a ball. To get the most out of the rest of this page, please follow along with the steps.
Once you grab a ball and find the right location (with even lighting), let's get started!
1. Log in to the MirrorMe App
Once you have logged into the app, click on the scanning icon at the bottom of the screen. It's the middle button. From there, a pop-up will remind you of a few important rules to scanning. Then you're ready to go!
A Quick Note: This image shows the patient dashboard. Doctor dashboards only have four icons at the bottom of their screen. The icon for scanning is the same.
2. Take your scan!
There are two ways to take your scan: automatically through video or manually through photos. You can change the setting at the bottom of the screen.
Video will automatically be selected when you open the scanning screen. To start scanning, press the red record button and slowly start moving your phone around your subject (remember the bubble!). To stop scanning, press the red record button again.
Photos requires you to click the button manually to capture images. Aim to capture at least 15 images from different angles.
Video will automatically be selected when you open the scanning screen. To start scanning, press the red record button and slowly start moving your phone around your subject (remember the bubble!). Do your best to keep your subject in the white squares shown on the screen.
To stop scanning, press the red record button again.
Although the video setting will take a lot of photos—you may end up with up to 100 before you are done scanning—it is best to have anywhere between 15 - 30 photos. Make sure to take images from several angles! This is crucial to getting an accurate scan.
To view your images, press the View Photos button to the left of the record button.
If there are too many photos in your Sequence, or if there are blurry or off-center photos, you can Ignore any photos you don't want included in the scan creation by tapping on the intended photo.
When you are ready, press Generate Preview. Because scans can be very large files, the app initially generates a preview version of your scan to check over. If your scan looks a little blurry or the coloration is slightly off, it's okay. It's more important to check that the subject or area of interest is fully scanned. To create a full resolution scan, you will need to save the preview version first. After saving, the full resolution process will automatically run and the Full Resolution scan will be available in your Gallery within 3-5 minutes.
3. Save your scan to your Patient Profile
If you aren't satisfied with your scan, you can retake it as many times as needed. If you decide to go back to an earlier sequence, you can find it by clicking on the Sequence button in the top right corner.
When you get a scan you like, click Save at the bottom of the screen and enter the name of your scan in the description. You can choose to share your scan with your doctor or keep it private.
Once you have saved your scan, you can view the full scan in the gallery (see image below). When you click on the desired scan, two options will appear: 1. Preview (fastest), or 2. Full Resolution (data-heavy).
You've done it! You have successfully finished your scan.
Make sure your subject is in the white square on the screen and press the record button.
Move around your subject, keeping your imaginary bubble in mind. Take images from below (looking up at the subject) and from above (looking down at the subject) as you move from one side of your subject to the other.
If your subject moves, talks, or smiles, it is best to restart the scan, or Ignore any photos in which they have moved and take photos at those angles again. Movement will cause wavy texture in your scan.
Your scan should have between 15 - 30 images from different angles--that's 15-30 different angles! Notice in the examples above how the phone moved around the subject, making sure to capture images across her face, as well as from above and below.
When you finish your scan, a preview version of the scan will appear. If you approve of the preview, save your scan. The process to create the full resolution version will automatically start—it takes approximately 3 to 5 minutes. You can view your full resolution scan from your Gallery.
Notice the differences between the preview and full resolution version. In Preview, your scan may have some mottled coloration or look slightly blurry. If the subject's face is fully shown, we recommend saving the scan and creating the full resolution version.
Make sure your subject is in the white square on the screen and press the record button.
Move around your subject, keeping your imaginary bubble in mind. Take images from below (looking up at the subject) and from above (looking down at the subject) as you move from one side of your subject to the other.
If your subject moves it is best to restart the scan, or Ignore any photos in which they have moved and take photos at those angles again. Movement will cause unwanted texture in your scan.
Your scan should have between 15 - 30 images from different angles. In the example images above, you can see the that the phone moved around the foot, making sure to capture from above and below.
When you finish your scan, a preview version of the scan will appear. If you approve of the preview, save your scan. The process to create the full resolution version will automatically start - it takes approximately 3 to 5 minutes. You can view your full resolution scan from your Gallery.
Notice the differences between the preview and full resolution version. In Preview, your scan may have some mottled coloration or look slightly blurry. If your target body part is fully shown, we recommend saving the scan and creating the full resolution version.
Now that you've learned how to take an accurate scan use the MirrorMe app, check out how much you remember. Answer Key is below.
Question 1: When scanning, which is not important to creating a great scan?
Question 2: Which subject is ready to be scanned?
Question 3: Which image shows proper lighting for a scan?
Question 4: Where can you find your saved scans?
Question 5: What should you do if you have too many images in your scan sequence?
Question 6: Which image shows the proper distance to the subject?
Question 7: Which image shows the proper distance to the subject?
Answer Key: 1. D, 2. B, 3. A, 4. A, 5. B, 6. Center Image, 7. First Image.
We are here to help! To contact us with any questions or concerns, please email us at help@mirrorme3d.com.
