# 3D Scanning: A Comprehensive Survey

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.08863 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1801.08863/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 24 Jan 2018.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [MeshAnything: Artist-Created Mesh Generation with Autoregressive Transformers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.10163/) (2024)
- [Deep Generative Models in Engineering Design: A Review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.10863/) (2021)
- [Hypo3D: Exploring Hypothetical Reasoning in 3D](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.00954/) (2025)
- [Multi-View Representation is What You Need for Point-Cloud Pre-Training](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.02558/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This paper provides an overview of 3D scanning methodologies and technologies proposed in the existing scientific and industrial literature. Throughout the paper, various types of the related techniques are reviewed, which consist, mainly, of close-range, aerial, structure-from-motion and terrestrial photogrammetry, and mobile, terrestrial and airborne laser scanning, as well as time-of-flight, structured-light and phase-comparison methods, along with comparative and combinational studies, the latter being intended to help make a clearer distinction on the relevance and reliability of the possible choices. Moreover, outlier detection and surface fitting procedures are discussed concisely, which are necessary post-processing stages.