How to Use iPhone LiDAR Object Capture to Scan Objects and Spaces with KIRI Engine

KIRI Engine’s LiDAR Object Capture is designed for local 3D capture on supported iPhone and iPad Pro devices. It can scan individual objects, fixed setups, and smaller areas without uploading the scan for processing.

This guide explains the difference between Object Mode and Area Mode, when to use each one, and how Object Capture compares with Scene Scan, Room Scan, Photo Scan, and 3D Gaussian Splatting.

Quick Answer

KIRI Engine’s Object Capture has two modes. Object Mode is for standalone objects you can fully walk around; it masks out the background and creates a cleaner object model. Area Mode is for larger areas, fixed setups, or objects you cannot fully circle; it combines LiDAR scale data with photogrammetry-style reconstruction and usually produces cleaner mesh output than standard Scene Scan, but takes longer to process. Both modes are free and process locally on supported iPhone and iPad Pro devices.

What You Need

• A supported device: Any iPhone or iPad with a LiDAR sensor. This includes iPhone 12 Pro / Pro Max and later Pro models, plus iPad Pro models from 2020 onward. Standard iPhone models do not have a LiDAR sensor.

• KIRI Engine app: Free to download. No subscription required for Object Capture.

Object Mode: Scanning Individual Items

Object Mode uses iPhone LiDAR to scan an individual item and create a clean 3D model with the surrounding background removed.

Object Mode uses the iPhone LiDAR sensor to scan individual objects. It automatically masks out the surrounding environment, producing a clean 3D model of the object without background noise.

Best for: Furniture, products, props, physical assets, and any item you can fully walk around.

How to use:

Tap the + button on the home screen, select LiDAR Scan, then Object Capture, then Object Mode. Frame the object using the on-screen cubic guide, then move around it from multiple angles. Watch the point-cloud indicator at the bottom of the screen to see which areas have sufficient coverage. Move around and above the object to capture all surfaces.

Important limitation: Object Mode requires a complete 360-degree capture around the object. If you cannot fully circle the object — for example, an item mounted to a wall or a built-in fixture — Object Mode will produce incomplete results. Use Area Mode instead.

Processing: Runs entirely on-device. No internet connection required.

Export: OBJ and USDZ.

Area Mode: Cleaner Mesh Capture for Spaces and Fixed Setups

Area Mode lets users capture a larger area, fixed setup, or object that cannot be fully circled, using iPhone LiDAR with photogrammetry-style reconstruction.

Area Mode takes a different approach to environment capture. It combines LiDAR depth data with photogrammetry-style reconstruction to produce higher-quality mesh output than standard Scene Scan, at the cost of longer processing time.

Best for: Situations where you need better mesh geometry of a space than Scene Scan provides, or when scanning an object you cannot fully circle.

How to use:

From the Object Capture menu, select Area Mode. Walk through the area you want to capture. The point-cloud preview at the bottom of the screen acts as a minimap, showing which areas have been captured. When coverage is sufficient, end the scan. KIRI Engine processes the data locally on-device.

How Area Mode compares to standard Scene Scan:

Area Mode takes longer because it processes photogrammetry data alongside LiDAR depth, but the resulting mesh is typically cleaner and more polished than standard Scene Scan output.

Processing: Runs entirely on-device. No internet connection required.

Export: OBJ and USDZ.

Object Mode vs Area Mode: Which to Use

The key practical difference: Object Mode works best when you can capture all sides of a free-standing item. Area Mode works when you need to capture a space, or when an object cannot be fully circled.

How Object Capture Compares to Other KIRI Engine Modes

Object Capture vs Scene Scan: Standard Scene Scan uses LiDAR only and is optimized for fast environment capture. Area Mode in Object Capture combines LiDAR and photogrammetry for better mesh quality at the cost of processing time. For quick spatial reference, Scene Scan is faster. For a cleaner mesh of a smaller area, fixed setup, or room section, Area Mode is usually the better choice.

Object Capture vs Room Scan: Room Scan generates a 2D floor plan with labeled dimensions. Object Capture and Area Mode produce 3D mesh models without a floor plan output. If you need room measurements and a floor plan, use Room Scan.

Object Capture vs Photo Scan: KIRI Engine's Photo Scan uses photogrammetry from regular camera photos and typically produces higher surface texture quality and detail for objects. For objects where texture and color accuracy matter most, Photo Scan is usually the stronger choice. Object Mode is faster and runs locally for quick results.

Object Capture vs 3D Gaussian Splatting: 3DGS produces visually realistic reconstructions with high color fidelity. Object Capture and Area Mode produce geometric mesh output suited for 3D software import and real-scale AR reference. See 3D Gaussian Splatting vs Photogrammetry vs LiDAR for a full comparison.

Tips for Better Results

Object Mode:

• Use a contrasting background. Placing the object on a plain, non-reflective surface helps the app distinguish it from its surroundings.

• Capture from above. Move the phone up and over the object to capture its top surface. Incomplete top coverage leaves holes in the model.

• Object Mode works best with solid, opaque objects of moderate size. Transparent materials, mirrors, and highly reflective surfaces are harder to capture accurately.

Area Mode:

• Move slowly and overlap coverage areas. The point-cloud minimap shows which areas need more passes.

• Expect longer processing times than standard Scene Scan.

• Area Mode output mesh resolution may be limited by the on-device processing pipeline, regardless of how long you spend scanning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Object Mode and Area Mode? Object Mode scans individual free-standing items by masking out the background. It requires a complete 360-degree capture around the object. Area Mode captures spaces or fixed setups by combining LiDAR with photogrammetry-style reconstruction, producing better mesh quality than standard Scene Scan but taking longer to process.

Is Object Capture free? Yes. Both Object Mode and Area Mode are included in KIRI Engine's free plan with no export restrictions. A free account is required. No subscription is needed to scan or export. Processing runs entirely on-device.

Does Area Mode have a polygon limit? Area Mode uses Apple's on-device Object Capture processing, which may limit the final mesh resolution regardless of scanning time. This is a platform-level constraint on the output mesh rather than a KIRI Engine export setting.

Does Object Capture work on Android? No. Object Capture requires a LiDAR sensor, which is only available on iPhone Pro and iPad Pro models. Android users can use KIRI Engine's Photo Scan for object scanning.

What formats does Object Capture export to? OBJ and USDZ. Full details on the export formats page.

Is Area Mode the same as Scene Scan? No. Scene Scan is optimized for fast LiDAR-based environment capture. Area Mode is part of Object Capture and uses LiDAR scale data with photogrammetry-style reconstruction, which usually takes longer but can produce cleaner mesh geometry in many cases.

How does Area Mode compare to Scene Scan quality? Area Mode produces noticeably better mesh geometry than standard Scene Scan because it combines LiDAR with photogrammetry-style reconstruction. The tradeoff is processing time: Area Mode takes significantly longer than Scene Scan. For quick spatial reference, standard Scene Scan is faster. For higher-quality geometry in a 3D mesh, Area Mode is the better choice.

When should I use Area Mode instead of Scene Scan? Use Area Mode when mesh quality matters more than processing speed — for example, when the output will be imported into modeling software, used for 3D reference, or inspected closely. Use standard Scene Scan when you need a fast spatial reference and processing time is a priority.

Get Started

KIRI Engine is free to download. A free account is required. Object Capture, including both Object Mode and Area Mode, is available on the free plan.

Download on the App Store · Try KIRI Engine on Web

Related reading

• How to Use iPhone LiDAR Scene Scan to Capture 3D Environments

• LiDAR Scan: all modes explained

• iPhone LiDAR 3D Scanning Guide

• LiDAR Room Scan Guide

• What is AI-Enhanced LiDAR?

• Best LiDAR 3D Scanner Apps for iPhone in 2026

• Photo Scan

• 3D Gaussian Splatting vs Photogrammetry vs LiDAR

• Export formats