Master 3D Scanning – From Real Object to Render-Ready Model

Introduction to Master 3D Scanning Course

The Master 3D Scanning Course guides you through an end-to-end production workflow, showing every step from photo capture to final real-time shading.
Each chapter uses industry-standard tools that professionals rely on in VFX, animation, and game development.

What you’ll Learn

• 1. Image Preparation & Photogrammetry

  We start with high-quality photo capture and editing to prepare clean input data for photogrammetry:

  • Adobe Lightroom – adjusting exposure, white balance, and sharpness across photo sets.

  • Adobe Photoshop – automating masking and background removal with actions for faster batch prep.

  • RealityCapture / Metashape – building ultra-detailed 3D models from image sets and aligning cameras accurately.

  • RealityScan Mobile – capturing smaller assets using your smartphone for quick tests.

  2. Mesh Cleanup & Topology

  Once the scan is reconstructed, we refine its geometry:

  • Blender – quad remeshing, voxel remesh workflow, and matching real-world scale.

  • Autodesk Maya – fixing non-manifold geometry, retopology, and precise dimension setup.

  • ZBrush – cleaning topology with ZRemesher and projecting details onto optimized meshes.

  • Mudbox – generating accurate 32-bit displacement maps for high-fidelity surface details.

  • Comparison Workflows – evaluating Blender, Maya, and ZBrush results side by side.

  3. UV Mapping & Baking

  Proper UVs are essential for clean textures:

  • Blender & Maya – cutting seams, unfolding UVs, and performing layout checks with checker textures.

  • Marmoset Toolbag – baking 8K normal, AO, and curvature maps for texturing.

  4. Texture Creation & PBR Workflow

  After baking, we transform our scan data into true PBR materials:

  • NVIDIA Texture Tools – generating bump normals directly from albedo maps.

  • Photoshop – fine-tuning roughness, metallic, and color balance maps.

  • Adobe Substance 3D Sampler – converting real-world material data into calibrated PBR textures.

  5. Shading & Look Development

  We finalize each model with physically accurate materials for both offline and real-time rendering:

  • Blender Eevee – testing materials and lighting with real-time feedback.

  • Maya / V-Ray / Arnold – building production-quality shaders and displacement setups.

  • Marmoset Toolbag & Unreal Engine 5 – verifying textures, lighting, and normal map blending in a game-engine context.

  6. Export & Presentation

  Finally, we prepare the asset for practical use in animation, film, or game pipelines:

  • Scaling and exporting from Blender or Maya with accurate dimensions.

  • Organizing PBR maps (BaseColor, Normal, Roughness, Displacement, AO) for easy import into any DCC or engine.

  • Verifying final results with lighting checks inside Marmoset and Unreal Engine 5.